How to Text a GIF

How to Text a GIF

GIFs are a great way to use visuals to enhance your text conversations, and using isn’t hard once you know how to text a GIF. Animated GIFs add an entertaining or humorous element to an otherwise text-heavy message. Since around 65 percent of people are visual learners, and most people respond to images rather than blocks of text, using a GIF can be a great way to enhance your message.

Read below to learn everything there is to know about GIFs, from how to pronounce the word, to how to text a GIF and even how to make your own.

How to text a GIF

Here’s your ultimate guide to everything you need to know about GIFs.

What is a GIF?

A GIF is technically defined as Graphics Interchange Format, which is a category of image file commonly used for images with a lower resolution. The standard GIF is a smaller file size, therefore has a limited range of colors compared to other file types like a JPEG, which is typically used for higher resolution pictures. GIFs can stand alone as an image, or a string of multiple images can be made into a short video, or animated GIF. Both have the ability to be added to Powerpoints, texted or sent via email. You can even send GIFs to large groups of people at once through mass texting.

How do you pronounce GIF?

Before we dive in, let’s go over how to pronounce the word GIF. There are two competing schools of thought when it comes to the pronunciation of GIF. Some people pronounce GIF as “jiff,” with a hard J and others say “giff,” with a hard G at the beginning. So which is it? According to the creator of GIF, the correct pronunciation is “jiff,” but both are acceptable. Just as the word “tomato” is pronounced two different ways, both are typically acceptable. The same is true of the word GIF.

How to text a GIF

Texting a GIF is actually quite simple, and built into the texting function on your smartphone. There are numerous ways to go about texting a GIF. Apps like GIPHY offer a large variety of animated content from culturally relevant GIFs that are divided by categorical emotion or keyword. If you haven’t sent a GIF before, you’ll likely be surprised by the sheer quantity available. Still having trouble finding the right one? You can always make your own.

How to send a GIF in a text: Android

There are differences in how an Android and an iPhone function, but they are usually subtle. The following steps detail how to send a GIF through text message on Android:

Step 1: Open your messages to draft a new text

Step 2: Hit the smiley face, and look past the various emojis to the “GIF” option on the bottom right of the screen

Step 3: Touch the “GIF” button and browse the various GIFs. You can use the search box to optimize your options

Step 4: Select a GIF by touching it and then tap send to complete the process

How to send a GIF in a text: iPhone

To send a GIF using iMessage, the steps are relatively similar to that of Android. The app used on iPhone for GIFs is called #images, which is a little hot pink circle with a magnifying glass inside. The following steps detail how to send a GIF through text using iMessage:

Step 1: Open your messages to draft a new text

Step 2: Tap on the hot pink magnifying glass, usually right next to the iTunes logo

Step 3: Scroll through the available options, or search for your own using the search bar at the top of the first row of GIFs

Step 4: Select a GIF by touching it and preview before sending. If you don’t like the selected GIF, you can press the small “X” in the top right corner and select a different one

How to send a GIF in a mass text message

If you’re sending mass text messages for your business you might want to send a GIF to help convey your personality and get a stronger message across to your customers. It’s really easy to text a GIF in an MMS message. Here’s how:

Step 1: Create a new campaign from your SlickText platform and select the camera icon underneath the message box when you’re composing your text.

Step 2: From your files, select a GIF.

Step 3: Send or schedule your message. You can even set up your GIF to send automatically based on different actions your customers take.

As you can see, it’s very simple to send a GIF to groups of any size. Keep in mind the maximum file size for a GIF sent through the SlickText platform is 490 KB.

How to make your own GIF

Do you want to make your own GIF? There are many different websites that you can use to make your own GIFs, but some will add their logo to the bottom or cost money. If you’re looking to create your own GIF for free, some good options include GIFMaker, MakeaGIF, or IMGUR. You can also make a GIF in Photoshop if you’re already used to that software. All of these online services give users the option to grab snippets of preexisting YouTube videos or to upload original visuals for a personalized result.

Here is a helpful YouTube video for the best way to make your own GIF.

What is the difference between an animated GIF and a single-image GIF?

This article focuses on animated GIFs, which are usually a series of images or short video clips. Animated GIFs aren’t to be confused with a single file GIF, which is similar to a JPEG or a PNG. An animated GIF has been put together to feature numerous frames rather than just one, which is why it has movement as opposed to being a still image.

Are there advantages to texting a GIF vs video?

GIFs are useful when it comes to sending a text because they aren’t limited to what is already in your camera roll. GIFs also typically take up less phone storage than regular videos. If you’re in a business like ecommerce marketing, texting GIFs can also help you establish a more personal connection with your customers. There is a time and place to use both GIFs and regular videos. You might want to use a video from your regular camera roll to share video content that you took yourself, and it can be nice to use a GIF for a niche pop culture reference.

A GIF says 1,000 words

We all know that images have the ability to enhance communication. GIFs are a fun way to spice up your texts, whether you’re using one to make someone laugh, convey a strong emotion or simply include a cute clip of a dog in a conversation. Now that you know how to send a GIF through text, you can take your mass text messages to the next level.