5 Must Try Ways to Add and Send GIF in Text Message on Android

A much easier and more extraordinary way of expressing yourself is texting with GIFs, and thus, GIFs for texting on Android are so famous now. GIFs, an abbreviation for Graphics Interchange Format, are brief animated images primarily used in a fun way to pass a message during texting and chatting. You do not necessarily have to say a word; a GIF does that for you!

Having GIFs is one thing; it is another to know how to use them effectively during conversations. Almost all operating system keyboards come with their style of sending GIFs to people. Also, you can download GIFs from the internet and go ahead to attach them directly to a text message. There are also third-party applications like GIPHY and GIF Keyboard to get GIFs for texting on Android. GIPHY is undoubtedly the best GIF app for Android texting. With Gboard, the built-in Google keyboard found in most Android devices; you can effortlessly search for GIFs for texting on Android.

Part 1 Can You Text a GIF?

The simple answer is yes! It is possible to message a GIF. GIFs for Android text messaging are becoming the new normal, and this is not surprising as they are easy to add to texts and make texting livelier. 

To use a GIF for texting on Android, open any messaging app of your choice found on your Android device; it could be WhatsApp or the default message app installed on the Android device. The keyboard would most likely offer you a variety of GIF options. If not, click on the smiley icon at the bottom of the keyboard to reveal other GIFs grouped in categories. Simply clicking on any of your choices would select it, and all you must do is hit the send icon.

Google's texting app, Google Messages, comes with sending GIFs. To use a GIF in text messages on Android, open the messaging app and start a fresh conversation or open an existing one, then select the square icon with GIF written in the middle. Select your preferred GIF, then click Send. You can also add a brief description or caption before sending the GIF across. 

Apart from the built-in apps on Android devices that allow you to send GIFs, there are unique apps like GIPHY (compatible with Android and iOS devices) with an extensive array of GIFs that can fit into different contexts greetings, culture, animals, reactions, etc. You can also employ social media trackers that help you discover popular and trending GIFs. If the available GIFs do not express your intention, you can go ahead to perform a search to find other GIFs. That way, there's no limitation to the messages you want to pass through GIFs for texting on Android devices.

Part 2 Best 5 Ways to Add and Send GIF in Text Message on Android

There are different ways of using GIFs for Android texting. Apart from using the GIFs available in the built-in keyboard of messaging apps, downloading, and installing an instant messaging app or GIF keyboard is one of the best and easiest ways to access many GIF libraries.

This section would suggest to you the best GIF apps for Android texting and other ways you can explore to send GIFs and make your texting less wordy, more visual, and more expressive:

01Attaching GIF to a text message

This method of using GIFs for Android texting is straightforward. All you need is a messaging app, then follow these steps:

Step 1: On your Android phone's app list, open Messages, the app represented as a white speech bubble.

Step 2: At the bottom right corner of the app, tap the blue circular button with a white plus sign. This will open a page to select the receiver's contact.

Step 3: Select the recipient's number by tapping on it from the contact list or type the number or name of the person directly into the "To" field at the top of the screen.

Step 4: Tap the circular button with the plus sign in the middle on the left side of the message field. Depending on the app, it may be a paper clip icon.

Step 5: Tap the images icon to select an image from your phone media library.

Step 6: Click Gallery to select a previously downloaded GIF.

Step 7: Select the GIF you want to send. This would insert the GIF into a small preview image on the text message. The GIF would play in the preview window.

Step 8: Click the paper icon at the right corner of the text field to send the animated GIF image.

02Gboard

Gboard is a Google keyboard. This is another easy way of adding GIFs for Android text messaging. If you do not have Gboard, download it from Play Store and install it on your Android phone. Follow these to add GIFs to your text messages:

Step 1: Download, install and set up Gboard on your Android phone.

Step 2: Open your text messaging app to write a new text message. If you have previously sent a message to the recipient, click on the ongoing conversation or open a new chat and select the recipient's contact. 

Step 3: Tap the text message field to compose your text message. If your default keyboard is Gboard, then Gboard will be automatically opened.

Step 4: At the bottom of the keyboard, just to the left of the space bar, tap the smiley face icon.

Step 5: Click the GIF button located at the bottom row of the keyboard.

Step 6: Browse through the different categories tab below the GIF to select a GIF or enter a keyword to look for a GIF.

Step 7: Click on the GIF you want to add to the text message you're typing automatically.

Step 8: Click the Send button, usually represented as a paper airplane icon at the bottom right of the messaging app.

03GIPHY

This is one of the most popular platforms that supports GIFs for texting on Android. It has the largest library of GIFs, making it a perfect search engine for them. GIPHY allows you to personalize your GIFs while finding the latest and trending GIFs. It also allows you to explore visual aspects, including sports highlights, TV shows, movies, etc. Installing this application gives you access to various GIFs that you can directly share with friends on social media or send them to messaging apps like WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, etc. With GIPHY, you can save and share gifs while also using the animated stickers available on the app.

04SwiftKey Keyboard

This keyboard app comes with many features, including sending GIFs. This keyboard app lends your writing style and adapts to it, making it a highly productive app for typing. Its emoji keyboard allows you to effortlessly search and send fun stickers, emojis, and GIFs while texting. It also has a multilingual feature.

05GIF Keyboard

This keyboard makes it easy for you to directly and conveniently send GIFs from your keyboard. With a library of millions of GIFs, you need to type in a keyword to get the right GIF at any point in time. Send emojis, videos, and animated GIFs with just a single click using GIF Keyboard. You can browse for GIFs by category, save your favorites GIFs, and share them using different messaging apps.

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