How To Make GIFs in WhatsApp: 3 Ways on Android and iPhone

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Easily create a GIF in WhatsApp from any video or live photo

Co-authored by Hannah Dillon Reviewed by Luigi Oppido

Last Updated: September 22, 2025 Fact Checked

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iPhone & iPad (Video to GIF)

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iPhone & iPad (Live Photo to GIF)

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Android

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Video

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Tips

Want to make your own GIF from a video and send it in a message on WhatsApp? You can use any iPhone, iPad, or Android to turn a video from your phone or tablet into an animated GIF that's easy to send in a WhatsApp chat. Whether you want to make a GIF from a video you recorded on your Android, iPhone, or iPad, or one you downloaded from the web, creating a GIF in WhatsApp is easy! Read on to learn more.

Making a GIF in WhatsApp

You can make a GIF in WhatsApp from any video, including downloaded videos and videos you've recorded with your phone.
GIFs can only be 6 seconds long. If the video you want to use is longer than that, you can easily trim it in WhatsApp.
To send the GIF, tap the attachment icon in a chat, select the video, trim it to size, and then choose "GIF."

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

iPhone & iPad (Video to GIF)

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1
Tap a chat on your WhatsApp Chats list. Find the chat you want to send a GIF to, and tap on the chat's name to open the conversation.
- You can create and send GIFs in one-on-one chats as well as in group messages.
2
Tap the + at the bottom-left. This opens your attachment options.^{[1]
X
Research source}
- If you'd rather send a GIF that already exists instead of creating one yourself, just tap the sticker icon, select GIF, and then search for a GIF.^{[2]
  X
  Research source} Select a GIF and tap the send button!
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3
Select Photo & Video Library on the pop-up menu. This will open your phone or tablet's camera roll.
- You can make a GIF from a video you recorded on your iPhone if you'd like.
- You may also download a video from the web and convert it to a GIF in WhatsApp.
This will open the selected video in WhatsApp's video editor.
If your video is longer than 6 seconds, you'll need to trim it short enough to send as a GIF.^{[3]
X
Research source} You can hold down and drag the icons on each end of the video timeline at the top and trim your video.
6
Tap GIF at the top. You'll see this next to the video camera below the timeline at the top of the screen. The camera icon will slide into a "GIF" icon. This means your video is now converted into a GIF.^{[4]
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Research source}
- The GIF option will look white-on-blue when selected.
It looks like a white paper plane on a blue button. You can find it in the lower-right corner of your screen. It will send your GIF to the selected chat.^{[5]
X
Research source}

Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

iPhone & iPad (Live Photo to GIF)

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1
Tap a chat on your WhatsApp Chats list. Find the chat you want to send a GIF to, and tap on the chat's name to open the conversation.
- You can create and send GIFs in one-on-one chats as well as in group messages.
2
Tap the + at the bottom-left. This opens your attachment options.^{[6]
X
Research source}
- If you'd rather send a GIF that already exists instead of creating one yourself, just tap the sticker icon, select GIF, and then search for a GIF.^{[7]
  X
  Research source} Select a GIF and tap the send button!
This will open your phone or tablet's camera roll.
On iPhones and iPads, you can send live photos as looping GIFs in your WhatsApp conversations.
You won't need to trim a live photo down, as live photos are only about 3 seconds long, which is under WhatsApp's 6-second limit for GIFs.
It looks like a white paper plane on a blue button. You can find it in the lower-right corner of your screen. It will send your GIF to the selected chat.^{[8]
X
Research source}

Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Android

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1
Tap a chat in your WhatsApp Chats list. You can tap any chat here to open the conversation and send your GIF here, including group messages.
- You can make a GIF from a video you recorded on your Android if you'd like.
- You may also download a video from the web and convert it to a GIF in WhatsApp.
2
Tap the white
icon on the right side of the "Message" field.^{[9]
X
Research source}
- WhatsApp also makes it easy to find and send existing GIFs from within the app. In a chat, tap the Emoji icon, select GIF, and then search for the GIF you want to send. Select a GIF and tap the send button!^{[10]
  X
  Research source}
This option looks like a picture icon on a purple button. It will open your camera roll on a new page.^{[11]
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Research source}
Find the video you want to make into a GIF, and tap on the video thumbnail to open it in WhatsApp's video editor.
Because GIFs can't be longer than 6 seconds on WhatsApp, you'll probably need to trim your video down to a smaller size. Hold down and drag the blue trim heads on each side of the video timeline above, and trim your GIF animation.
You'll see this next to the video camera below the timeline at the top of the screen. The camera icon will slide into a "GIF" icon. This means your video is now converted into a GIF.^{[12]
X
Research source}
It looks like a white paper plane on a green button in the lower-right corner of your screen. This will send your GIF to the selected chat as a new message.^{[13]
X
Research source}