How to make a GIF on iPhone
For a GIF-style loop, open a Live Photo in Photos, tap Live in the top-left corner and choose Loop or Bounce. For an actual GIF file, use the Make GIF action in the Shortcuts app.
Loop or Bounce a Live Photo
- Open Photos and open a Live Photo. To see only Live Photos, tap Collections, scroll to Media Types and tap Live Photos.
- Tap Live in the top-left corner.
- Choose Loop to repeat the moment over and over, or Bounce to play it forward and backward.
Apple describes Loop as a continuous looping video. It plays over and over like a GIF, but it stays a Live Photo, not a GIF file. Editing the photo in another app afterwards can remove the effect. More in how to make a Live Photo loop.
Make a GIF file with Shortcuts
The Shortcuts app has a Make GIF action that builds an animated GIF from photos. Apple’s own example chains three actions: Get Latest Photos, Make GIF and Send Message.
- Open Shortcuts and tap the Add button. An empty shortcut opens.
- Tap Add Action, search for Get Latest Photos and tap it.
- Add Make GIF the same way.
- Add Save to Photo Album to keep the GIF in Photos, or Send Message to text it.
- Tap Done, then tap the shortcut to run it.
Once it’s built, you can run it from the Shortcuts app, from a Home Screen icon or the Shortcuts widget, from another app’s share sheet, or by asking Siri.
Rather start from a ready-made one? Tap Gallery at the bottom of Shortcuts, tap the search button at the top and search for GIF. Tap a shortcut to see what it does, then tap Add Shortcut.
On a Mac
In Photos on a Mac, open a Live Photo and click Edit. Choose Bounce from the pop-up menu at the bottom right and click Done, then choose File, Export, Export GIF.
Send a GIF in Messages
To send a GIF from Apple’s library, tap the Add button in a conversation, then #images, and tap Find images to search. #images is available in the US and a number of other countries. To keep a GIF someone sent you, touch and hold it and tap Save.
Start from a still photo
Loop and Bounce need a Live Photo. If your moment is a still, Tada can make it a Live Photo first: tap Make it Live, pick the photo and tap Save. Breathe and Puff are free and loop smoothly on their own, and you can Loop or Bounce the result in Photos like any other Live Photo.
Questions
Can I make a GIF from a Live Photo on iPhone?
Yes, in two ways. Loop or Bounce in Photos makes it play over and over like a GIF, and on a Mac, Photos can export a Live Photo set to Bounce as a GIF file.
How do I make a GIF from a video on iPhone?
The Photos app has no video-to-GIF option, so use a GIF maker app from the App Store. If you have the moment as a Live Photo, Loop or Bounce gets you a GIF-style loop.
How do I save a GIF someone sent me?
In Messages, touch and hold the GIF, then tap Save. It goes to the Photos app.
Sources: iPhone User Guide: Edit Live Photos on iPhone · Apple Support: Take and edit Live Photos · Shortcuts User Guide: Intro to Shortcuts on iPhone and iPad · Shortcuts User Guide: Create a custom shortcut on iPhone or iPad · Shortcuts User Guide: Discover shortcuts in the Gallery · Shortcuts User Guide: About share actions in Shortcuts · Photos User Guide for Mac: Export a Live Photo as an animated GIF · Apple Support: Send and save GIFs on your iPhone or iPad