Instagram lets you post content in different formats. You have the standard Instagram posts, reels, IGVT, and stories. Nowadays, you may have observed many people posting GIFs on their Instagram accounts. It can be in their stories, reels, or posts. Moreover, the most amazing thing is that people are commenting on Instagram using GIFs.
But, GIF as a format is not supported by Instagram!
So, how to upload GIFs on Instagram?
In this article, I will try to take you through a step-by-step process to upload GIFs on Instagram.
How To Upload GIFs On Instagram
Instagram has no support or an official feature that lets you upload a GIF. However, Instagram does support an “mp4” format. So, what if we can convert a GIF into an MP4 file? This should work and let us post our GIF. This is exactly what we recommend doing.
So, to upload a GIF on Instagram, we need to convert the GIF into an MP4 format and then upload it.
Upload GIFs On Instagram As Posts, Stories, or Reels
1. Using Giphy
The best way to post any GIF on Instagram is using Giphy. It is a website containing millions of GIFs that you can share on multiple social media platforms. Moreover, Giphy provides an extensive search option that can help you find just the right GIF for your purpose!
Let us see how we can use Giphy to upload GIFs on Instagram using any mobile or desktop device.
A. Using Giphy on Mobile Devices
- Download the Giphy app from here: Android, iOS
- Search for your desired GIF in the application
- Click the airplane-type icon in the bottom right of the GIF you want to upload or share.
- You will see multiple social media platforms. You can choose Instagram.
- You can then get the option to upload the GIF as a post, story, or reel. Choose as per your requirement.
- You’ll be redirected to Instagram where you follow the usual steps of uploading a post, story, or reel.
B. Using Giphy On Desktop Devices
- You can go to the Giphy website.
- Search for your desired GIF and choose the share option just like the steps in any mobile device
- The only difference is that when you try to share on Instagram, it is not supported.
- However, Giphy will ask for your email address and send you the MP4 file directly to your inbox.
- You can download and share it on your Instagram from there
2. Using Format Conversion
If you remember, Instagram supports MP4 format and not GIF. So, the easiest way is to convert your GIF into mp4 and Instagram would allow you to post it. Hence, the other method does not revolve around Giphy.
- Select your GIF from any online source.
- Use this online tool to convert it into mp4: CloudConvert
- Select your GIF and click on convert.
- No need to tweak any settings. The default settings would do.
- Once your GIF is converted, you can easily share it on Instagram.
You can use any other online tool or Adobe Express too.
Upload GIFs On Instagram As Comments
We have seen how to post a GIF on your Instagram posts, reels, or stories. However, you might have seen people commenting with GIFs on Instagram.
Let us check how we can upload GIFs on Instagram as comments.
- Go to any Instagram post or reel that you want to comment upon.
- Click the comment button,
- You can see a GIF icon to the right.
- Just click on that icon, and you can select a GIF to post as a comment.
The GIF library you get is from Giphy only.
Some Frequently Asked Questions
The feature to comment using a GIF is only available for a few users. Maybe you do not have the feature available to your account yet. You can do two things
- Use a VPN and try the United States and see if you get the GIF feature
- Update your Instagram using the play store or app store.
If both these options are not working for you. Unfortunately, you cannot bypass and enable this feature for your account.
This is possible. But as GIF format is not supported by Instagram, your GIF will be converted into a picture and uploaded by Instagram. Hence, the purpose of uploading a GIF gets defeated.