How To Send GIFs In WhatsApp

Some people would argue, but WhatsApp Messenger (now WhatsApp for Facebook) is the most popular messaging platform, being used by over 2 billion people across the world now.

It is available on the phone (Android and iOS) and also on the desktop (macOS and Windows PC).

See also: WhatsApp call not connecting – How to fix it

GIFs and WhatsApp

GIFs (or Graphics Interchange Format) is an image format that falls under the file category known as bitmaps (map of bits). GIFs often last for a second – two seconds max.

This article will guide you on how to send GIFs in WhatsApp – on Android, iOS, and WhatsApp Web.

On Android

Before you share GIFs, make sure your account is activated on your phone. If this is done, follow these carefully and finely broken-down steps:

1. Tap on the WhatsApp icon to open it. By default, it opens on the ‘Chats’ tab and a list of chats will be displayed.
2. You must be having someone you want to send a GIF to. This could be a single person’s chat or a group chat. Navigate or scroll to that specific chat and tap on it. Messages will be displayed.
3. Tap on the text box. Your phone’s keyboard will be shown.
4. To get to a GIF, tap on the smiley face icon that is just on the immediate left of the text box. The emojis (smiley faces, emoticons) that you have recently used will be shown.
5. On the bar that appears below the emojis, there are three icons there – one for smileys, another for GIFs, and another for stickers. Tap on the GIF one.
6. You can now scroll through the list of many GIFs. Pick the one you feel will communicate your message best.
7. It will zoom in to the ‘Send GIF’ screen where you can add a caption.
8. Then, you can tap on the green send button. You have successfully sent your GIF.

On iOS

Compared to Androids, it is easier to send GIFs on iOS and the procedure is not complicated.

1. Tap on the WhatsApp icon to launch the application.
2. Open the chat of the person or the group you want to send the GIF to.
3. When the app opens, tap the ‘+’ icon that appears immediately on the left side of the messaging text box.
4. The screen that opens will display a button labeled ‘Photo and Video Library’. This displays the images, clips, and videos that are in your local storage.
5. On the bottom-left corner, tap on the GIF button which is next to the magnifying glass icon.
6. Add a caption if you wish and then send it.

On the web

This should be the same for both macOS and Windows PC:

1. After scanning the QR code, your account will be displayed on WhatsApp Web ‘screen.
2. Tap on the chat you want to send the GIF. The chat will be displayed on the right side, occupying most of the screen.
3. Then, tap on the smiley face icon on the bottom-left corner of the chat.
4. Tap on ‘GIF’. On Web, several tabs are displayed which are labeled ‘Trending’, ‘Haha’, ‘Sad’, ‘Love’, ‘Reactions’, ‘Sport’ and ‘TV’. These tabs make your GIF choice very specific.
5. Tap on any tab, pick a GIF and after adding a caption, send it.

Easy, right?

Sending a GIF is quite easy. GIFs help communication to be better. Where words are not enough to pass a particular message, GIFs are there to fill the gap.

Instead of typing ‘haha’ or sending the ‘laughing’ emoji, try to send a funny GIF today!