How to Get the GIF Keyboard on iPhone and Android

A GIF keyboard is a phone keyboard with a built-in GIF search, so you can find a GIF and send it without leaving the chat. Most Android phones already have one. On iPhone, Messages has its own GIF search, and you add a keyboard app to get GIFs in other apps. This guide shows how to get the GIF keyboard on both, and what to do when the GIF button is missing. Menu names can shift a little between system versions and keyboard updates.

What is a GIF keyboard?

A GIF for keyboard use is just a GIF picked from a search panel inside your keyboard. The keyboard does not store the GIFs: it searches a library online, most often GIPHY or Tenor, and pastes the one you tap into the app you are typing in. That is why a GIF keyboard needs an internet connection, and why it only works in apps that accept pasted images.

How to get the GIF keyboard on Android

With Gboard (Google's keyboard). Gboard is the default keyboard on many Android phones, and its GIFs come from Tenor.

1. Open any chat and tap the text field so the keyboard appears.
2. Tap the smiley face icon, or touch and hold the comma or emoji key, depending on your layout.
3. Tap GIF at the bottom, type a word to search and tap a GIF to send it.

If you do not have Gboard, install it from the Play Store, open it and follow the steps to turn it on and pick it as your keyboard.

With Samsung Keyboard. Tap the emoji or sticker icon above the letters, then the GIF tab. If you cannot find it, open the keyboard settings and check that the extra panels are turned on, or switch to Gboard.

In Google Messages. Tap the emoji or + icon next to the text field and choose GIFs. This works even with a keyboard that has no GIF search.

How to get the GIF keyboard on iPhone

Inside Messages. Open a conversation, tap +, then #images (it can sit under More). Search and tap a GIF to add it. This GIF search only works in Messages.

In every app. Install a keyboard app with GIF search, such as GIPHY or Gboard, then add it:

1. Open Settings > General > Keyboard > Keyboards.
2. Tap Add New Keyboard and choose the app.
3. Tap it in the list and turn on Allow Full Access if the app needs it for GIF search.
4. In a text field, touch and hold the globe key and pick the new keyboard.

More iPhone detail, including making your own GIFs, is in how to make a GIF on iPhone.

The Tenor GIF keyboard

Tenor is a GIF library owned by Google. There is usually no separate Tenor keyboard to install: Tenor GIFs are what you see when you search GIFs in Gboard, and many other apps also use Tenor for their GIF search. To get a GIF from the Tenor GIF keyboard into your photos, send it to yourself and save it from the chat. The steps are in how to save a GIF.

Why is the GIF button missing?

• The app does not accept GIFs. Some apps, such as many banking or note apps, only accept text, so the keyboard hides the GIF option there.
• No internet connection. GIF search loads from the internet.
• Full Access is off (iPhone). Many third-party keyboards need it for GIF search. Turn it on in Settings > General > Keyboard > Keyboards, tapping the keyboard's name.
• Old keyboard version. Update the keyboard app from the App Store or Play Store.
• You switched keyboards. The GIF button belongs to a specific keyboard. Use the globe or keyboard switch key to go back to the one with GIF search.

How to send your own GIF from your phone

A keyboard's GIF search only shows GIFs from its library, so you cannot add your own GIF to it. Send your own GIF as an attachment instead: tap + or the attach button in the chat, choose your photos or gallery, and pick the GIF.

To make a GIF worth sending:

• Turn a short clip into a GIF with the free video to GIF converter.
• Write your own words on one with add text to GIF.
• Pick a ready-made one with a name on it, such as a happy birthday GIF with a name or a thank you GIF.

The full steps for texting it are in how to send a GIF in a text.

Is a GIF keyboard safe?

The keyboards from Apple, Google and Samsung are part of the phone. On iPhone, a third-party keyboard with Allow Full Access turned on can send what you type to its developer, so only turn it on for an app you trust. You can switch to the regular keyboard for passwords and private messages.

Questions

Is the GIF keyboard free? Yes. Gboard, Samsung Keyboard, the GIPHY app and the GIF search in Messages are free.

How do I add the GIF keyboard? On Android, use the GIF tab in Gboard or Samsung Keyboard. On iPhone, install GIPHY or Gboard and add it in Settings > General > Keyboard > Keyboards.

Does WhatsApp have a GIF keyboard? Yes. Tap the emoji or sticker icon in the chat, then GIF.

Why do my keyboard GIFs send as a link? Some apps cannot accept a pasted GIF, so the keyboard sends its web link instead. It will still play where links show previews.

Can I use a GIF keyboard on a computer? Not as a keyboard, but chat apps on the web and desktop usually have their own GIF button next to the emoji button.