How to Save GIFs on iPhone

Keep the fun images that make you smile

Image of woman laughing while using iPhone

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by Brenna Miles
Brenna Miles is a freelance technology writer with a B.A. in Business Management and HR Management. She's been writing about technology for 6+ years.
Updated November 01, 2018

GIFs are often used for sharing reactions online and in text messages, and typically images looped together towards an end or looped endlessly.

To take advantage of the GIF, iPhone and iPad users should understand how to properly save them to their devices.

Instructions in this article can be applied to iOS devices running iOS 10, 11, and 12

How to Save GIFs on iPhone

  1. Navigate to the GIF you'd like to download.

    Screenshot of cat GIF on iPhone

  2. Tap the image and hold until the menu appears.

    Screenshot of iPhone Save Image menu

  3. Tap Save Image.

The only difference between iOS 10 and iOS 11 and 12 is the way GIFs appear in the Photos app. The GIF format is finally supported on iOS 11 and newer, meaning your GIF will appear animated within the app, instead of just a still image.

Where to Find GIFs Online

Want to save the perfect GIF for that next text? There are plenty of places online to find unique GIFs to download to your iPhone or iPad. You can do a quick search using Google Image Search or use a website such as Giphy, a website dedicated to everything GIF.

Texting your GIF to a friend? You can use the built-in GIF tool inside of iMessage on your iOS device to search through hundreds of preloaded GIFs. Simply locate the red magnifying glass on the toolbar in iMessages, tap it and begin searching for that perfect cat GIF.