4 Simple Ways to Post a GIF on Your Instagram Feed or Story

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How to add your own custom GIFs to Instagram

Co-authored by Megaera Lorenz, PhD Reviewed by Candace Gasper

Last Updated: August 31, 2025 Fact Checked

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• Converting GIFs to MP4
|
• Posting from GIPHY
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• Adding GIFs to Comments
|
• Using Custom GIF Stickers
|
• Video

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Are you trying to upload a GIF to Insta as a Story, Reel, or comment? If so, you might have run into the frustration of uploading a GIF to your account, only to have it post as a still image. While you can’t upload GIFs directly to Instagram, there are several quick and easy workarounds you can use. In this article, we’ll explain how to post your own GIFs by converting them to MP4s. We’ll also go over options like posting GIFs with GIPHY and even adding your own GIF stickers to your Story.

How to Share Your Own GIFs on Instagram

The easiest way to share your own GIF on Instagram is to convert it to MP4. You can do this with a free GIF to MP4 converter website or app. Once you’ve converted the GIF, simply share it as a Story or Reel. If you’d rather share a pre-existing GIF, you can do so from the GIPHY app.

Steps

Method 1

Method 1 of 4:

Converting GIFs to MP4

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1. 
   1
   Upload your GIF to an MP4 converter. There’s no way to directly post your own GIFs to Instagram. However, you can easily work around this issue by converting your GIFs to MP4 video files. To do this, upload your GIF to a free video converter site, such as Adobe’s Free GIF to MP4 Maker or Ezgif’s converter tool.

   • While the exact details vary, most of these sites work the same way. Click the Browse button and select your GIF file, or drag and drop it to the upload window on the website. Then, click or tap the Upload button.
   • If you’d rather not upload your GIF to a website, you can use a video converter app. You can find tons of apps that convert from GIF to MP4 in the Apple App Store or the Google Play Store.
2. 
   2
   Make any edits you want, then download your converted file. Depending on which website or converter software you choose, you might be able to make edits such as trimming your GIF, cropping it, or adding text and other visual elements. When you’re done, select the option to convert your edited GIF to MP4. Click Save or Download to save the converted video to your device.
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3. 
   3
   Upload the video to Instagram. There are a couple of different ways you can upload your converted GIF:

   • Add it to your Story (mobile app only):
     • Tap the + button at the bottom of the screen.
     • Select Story from the menu at the bottom of the page.
     • Tap the photo thumbnail icon at the lower left side of the screen to open your photo gallery. If you’ve never posted a story from your photo gallery, you might be prompted to give Instagram access to your camera roll.
     • Select your converted GIF from your photo gallery.
     • Add any text or other effects you want, then tap the arrow button in the lower right side of the screen. Tap Share to add the GIF to your story.
   • Add it as a Reel:
     • Tap + at the bottom of the screen (mobile app) or click Create in the left-hand menu bar (website).
     • Select Reel (mobile app) or Post (website).
     • Select your converted GIF and tap or click Next.
     • Make edits if you wish and add a caption, tags, and any other information you desire. Tap or click Share to upload your Reel.
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Method 2

Method 2 of 4:

Posting from GIPHY

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1. 
   1
   Open the GIF you want to share in the GIPHY app. GIPHY has a feature that allows you to share GIFs directly to Instagram as a Reel or Story. If you don’t already have the GIPHY app, you can download it for free from the Apple App Store or the Google Play Store. Navigate to the GIF you want to share and tap it to open it.
2. 
   2
   Tap the Share icon. It looks like a paper airplane. Several sharing options will open.
3. 
   3
   Tap the Instagram icon. It looks like a simple square image of a camera on a pink background.

   • You may be prompted to give GIPHY access to your photo library.
   • When you see a notification that GIPHY wants to open Instagram, tap Open.
4. 
   4
   Select the sharing option you want. In the Share to Instagram window that opens, you’ll see the GIF you chose, along with a few sharing options. Choose from Story, Reels, or Messages.

   • Select Story or Reels to share the GIF as a looping MP4 to your Story or as a Reel. You’ll be able to make edits just like you would with any other Story or Reel. Tap Share when you’re done.
   • If you select Messages, you can share the GIF to one or more contacts in a DM. Select the person or people you want to share with, then tap Send.
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Method 3

Method 3 of 4:

Adding GIFs to Comments

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1. 
   1
   Tap the sticker icon next to the comment field. To share a GIF in the comments under an Instagram post, you have to select from Instagram’s GIF library (which draws from GIPHY). To access GIFs, tap the comment icon under a post. It looks like a speech balloon. Then, tap the icon that looks like a sticker with a smiley face on it next to the comment text field.

   • This option is only available in the mobile version of Instagram.
2. 
   2
   Select the GIF option. At the bottom of the screen, tap the square GIF icon.
3. 
   3
   Search for and select a GIF. You can either tap one of the popular options that shows up, or search for a specific GIF. When you find the one you want, tap it to add it to your comment.

   • Be careful–as soon as you tap a GIF, it will be instantly posted to the comment section!
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Method 4

Method 4 of 4:

Using Custom GIF Stickers

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1. 
   1
   Sign up for a GIPHY account. Did you know you can make your own animated GIF stickers with GIPHY and add them to your Instagram Story? To share and access your creations on Instagram, you’ll need to create a free GIPHY account. Tap the icon that looks like a head and shoulders at the bottom of the app screen and choose a signup option, or click Log In at the top right corner of the website and select Sign Up.

   • If you want to make your stickers available for anyone on Instagram to easily find and use, you can apply for an Artist Channel.
2. 
   2
   Create a sticker using GIPHY’s sticker maker. Open the GIPHY app and tap the + icon in the lower left corner. You can also create a sticker of GIF on the GIPHY website at giphy.com/create/gifmaker.

   • Use your camera to take a picture or upload a video or image from your device, then use GIPHY’s tools to turn it into a sticker.
3. 
   3
   Wait for the moderation process to finish. It may take a few days for GIPHY’s moderation team to review your sticker. Once your sticker is approved, you can use it in your Instagram stories!
4. 
   4
   Tap the sticker icon when creating a Story in Instagram. To access your sticker, you’ll need to search for it in Instagram. Tap + at the bottom of the screen, select Story, and tap the Aa button. Tap the sticker icon at the top of the screen (it looks like a smiley face in a square with a folded-over corner).
5. 
   5
   Type your username into the search bar. Enter your @username in the search bar at the top of the screen. Any approved stickers you’ve made should come up in the search!
6. 
   6
   Tap your sticker to add it to your Story. Tap and drag the sticker to move it around on the screen. Add as many stickers as you like!
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