How to Save GIFs on iPhone

Keep the fun images that make you smile

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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 May 31, 2019

GIFs consist of images that are looped together towards an end or looped endlessly. GIFs are often used for sharing reactions online and in text messages. When you find a GIF that you want to keep or want to share with others, save it on your iPhone.

Instructions in this article apply to iOS devices running iOS 10 and higher.

How to Save GIFs on iPhone

To download a GIF to your iPhone:

  1. Open the GIF.

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

  3. Tap Save Image.

    GIF to save and Save Image button on iOS

In iOS 12 and iOS 11, GIFs are animated in the Photos app. In iOS 10, GIFS appear as a static image.

Where to Find GIFs Online

There are many places online to find unique GIFs to download to your iPhone or iPad.

  • Do a quick search using Google Image Search.
  • Go to a website such as Giphy, a website dedicated to everything GIF.
  • Tap the red magnifying glass in the iMessages toolbar to search through hundreds of GIFs on your iPhone.