How to Send Snapchat GIFs

Delight your friends with animated messages

By
Jennifer Allen
Jennifer Allen
Jennifer Allen
Writer
  • Swansea University, Staffordshire University
Jennifer Allen has been writing about technology since 2010. Her work has appeared in Mashable, TechRadar, and many more publications.
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Updated on December 29, 2022

What to Know

  • To send a GIF in Snapchat, select the camera icon > Sticker > GIF > select GIF > place GIF > Send.
  • Alternatively, you can search for a specific GIF under GIF.
  • You can pinch the GIF to make it bigger or smaller.

This article explains how to send Snapchat GIFs. Instructions apply to Snapchat for iPhone and Android devices.

How to Send GIFs on Snapchat

Once you have Snapchat downloaded and installed, follow these steps to send an animated GIF to a friend.

  1. Tap the camera icon at the bottom of the screen to take a snap.

    You need to take a picture or video before you can move on to the next step.

  2. Tap the sticker icon on the right-hand side of your image.

  3. Tap GIF.

    Steps on how to add a GIF to a Snapchat story

    You can choose a sticker from this area if you prefer, or you can add typical Snapchat things like the date or temperature.

  4. Choose a GIF from the GIPHY section (it may also be called Giphy Trending on some devices). Alternatively, search for your own GIF via the search bar.

    While searching, tap the clock to look up previously used GIFs, stickers, and emojis. If you no longer want to search for a GIF, tap the document icon in the top-right corner to return to your snap.

  5. Drag the GIF around on the screen to where you want to place it.

    Steps on finding GIFs via Snapchat's GIF interface

    You can pinch the GIF to make it bigger or smaller. Want to remove it? Drag it to the trash can.

  6. Tap Send to send the completed image to a friend or post it to your story. 

    Sending a Snapchat message via a Story or private message
FAQ
  • Why can't I send GIFs on Snapchat?

    If you can't send GIFs on Snapchat, update the Snapchat app. You can't send GIFs by themselves; you must add them to a photo or video.

  • How do I text a GIF on iPhone or Android?

    To text a GIF on Android, tap the Smiley icon > GIFs and choose a GIF. On iOS, choose App drawer > Images and search for a GIF.

  • How do I add my own GIFs to Snapchat?

    If you want to add custom GIFs to Snapchat, you'll need to make a GIPHY account and upload the GIF to the GIPHY archive. Then, you can search for it within Snapchat.

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