Tech Reference

How to post a GIF on Instagram using a free GIF-making app for iPhone and Android

Written by Steven John edited by John Lynch
instagram app
Posting GIFs on Instagram requires a third-party app. YaniSinla/Shutterstock
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If a picture says a thousand words, then a great GIF can say a million. 

Whether you want to share a short animated clip that's funny, poignant, informative, or shocking, posting a GIF on Instagram is a great way to share memorable media. 

But you can't simply post a GIF to Instagram from your phone's camera roll. You have to use a third-party app to convert the GIF into a file type that Instagram allows, and then upload it.

Fortunately several such apps exist, and one of the easiest to use, GIPHY Cam, also happens to be free. So, to post a GIF on Instagram, just follow these steps.

Check out the products mentioned in this article:

iPhone Xs (From $729 at Apple)

Google Pixel 3 (From $799.99 at Best Buy)

How to post a GIF on Instagram

1. Download and set up the GIPHY Cam app on your iPhone or Android phone.

IMG_3448.PNG
Download the GIPHY Cam app from the App Store or Google Play Store.  William Antonelli/Business Insider

2. Make sure that you have the GIF you want to post saved to your Camera Roll.

3. Open the GIPHY Cam app and tap the icon of the camera roll, or the thumbnail of a picture from your camera roll to open your smartphone camera library.

4. Tap the GIF you want to post, then tap the ">" icon to convert the GIF.

5. Hit the word "Next" to convert the GIF into a video format Instagram allows.

6. Tap the Instagram logo and then proceed as you would to make a standard Instagram post.

IMG_4901
Tap the Instagram logo to share it to Instagram.  Steven John/Business Insider

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Steven John
Steven John has been a freelance writer for more than a dozen years and has been a regular contributor to Business Insider since 2017. His work includes a focus on the tech world, covering companies including Apple, Microsoft, Meta, Google, and others. He also reviews restaurants, shares how-to cooking articles, and writes general interest pieces.Steven also writes for publications including Architectural Digest, The Daily Beast, Forbes, and more. In the past, he also wrote for New York Magazine, Mashed, U.S. News & World Report and other outlets. He runs his own outdoor lifestyle site, Dad Gear Review, and co-hosts the Fact Trekkers podcast with his son. He has had two novels published, Three A.M. and Outrider. He graduated from Emerson College with a degree in communications focused on filmmaking.He is an avid outdoorsman and can be frequently found in a kayak or on a mountain trail, often with his family along for the adventure.Expertise:Tech industryTech hardwareOutdoorsCookingRestaurantsDIYPopular articles:Microsoft: A history of the software giant co-founded by Bill Gates, its products and services, jobs, layoffs, and moreYouTube is a major entertainment force. Here's the platform's history, plus how to create a channel and upload videos.Inside the life and career of Bill Gates, the Microsoft co-founder, billionaire, and philanthropistTim Cook net worth: How the Apple leader earns and spends his moneyBecoming an Amazon seller is a simple process. Here's what's involved, plus how you make money and get paid.