How to Send Gifs to People Easily from Your iPhone (Video)

If you don’t already know, one of my favorite features of iOS 8 was the ability to add your own custom keyboards. A feature, that I feel has been missing from iOS for a long time, that adds a ton of value to the end user. From keyboards that allow you to type easier with one hand, to keyboards that allow you to swipe across the keys to form words instead of tapping them out, to ones that even let you turn yourself into your own emoji, it’s opens up a world of customization options that can actually make your day-to-day usage that much better.

Beyond that though, there is a keyboard I came across that takes that new found customization option and combines it with another thing the internet can’t get enough of: gifs. No matter how you pronounce them, gifs are small low-res animated images that automatically play and loop over and over. Some have words on them, some say, oh so much without words, but regardless they’re all a great way to say something without actually needing to say anything.

If you’ve ever wanted the ability to send people a gif to convey how angry, sad, confused, or cat-like you feel today, then let me show you how to easily send gifs from your iPhone.

Install the Gif Keyboard

First up, you need to download the keyboard I’m referring to from the App Store. It’s called Popkey and while it’s not the only gif keyboard out there, it’s my favorite ever since they added the ability to search through their library of gifs using keywords (plus it’s other abilities to add your own gifs, sort through trending gifs, etc.).

1. Head to the App Store and search for PopKey and install it.

2. Once installed, head to Settings > General > Keyboard and then tap on Keyboards.

 

3. Tap Add New Keyboard.

 

4. Tap PopKey.

 

5. Then tap PopKey on the next screen.

 

6. And turn on Full Access.

 

Send a Gif From the Keyboard

1. Now open your messaging app and tap the globe at the bottom of the keyboard to switch to the next keyboard (if you have multiple keyboards, you’ll have to keep tapping the globe in each one to until you get to the new PopKey keyboard).

 

2. Swipe down to be able to type keywords to find a gif.

 

3. Enter in whatever keywords help describe what it is you’re trying to say exactly until you are presented with the gifs that match.

4. Tap on gif that best describes how you’re feeling at that very moment and then tap and hold inside the text field and tap paste.

5. Tap send. The other person will see the image animated on their screen regardless of whether they have PopKey installed.

You can also search through their categories or featured sections (but for me, the searching is the fastest way to get that perfect gif in no time).

Add Your Own Gifs to the Keyboard

You can take this all even further, if you so desire, by adding your own gifs to the keyboard.

1. Head to a site for searching for gifs on your phone. Personally, I like Giphy.com.

2. Type whatever you’re looking for in the search field at the bottom of the page and hit enter.

3. Tap on the gif you want to save then tap and hold on it.

4. Tap Save Image to save it to your camera roll.

5. Open PopKey.

6. Login or Sign Up for a free account.

7. Tap Upload a Gif once done with your account info and then select the gif you just downloaded and either make it public and add tags so others can find it, or make it private.

 

8. Once uploaded, head to the keyboard again and tap on the four square icon to be shown all of your uploaded gifs. You can tap to copy and paste them just like the others.

Now go forth and confuse the crap out of your friends!

Hope this helped some people, if it did, please share this on your social networks –it’s greatly appreciated.

Do you have other ways to send gifs? Better gif sites to download new ones? Let me and others know in the comments below.