How to Send GIFs on Telegram

To send a GIF on Telegram, open the chat, tap the emoji or sticker button next to the message box, switch to the GIF tab, search or pick one, and tap it to send. You can also type the GIF search bot's username followed by a word in the message box, or send a GIF file from your device. Telegram plays GIFs as short silent videos, so they load fast and look sharp.

This guide covers every method on Android, iPhone, Desktop and Web, how to save GIFs for later, how to make your own, and what to check when a GIF will not send or will not move.

How GIFs work on Telegram

A useful detail first: Telegram does not keep GIFs as classic .gif files. When you upload a GIF, Telegram's servers convert it into a short MP4 video without sound. Telegram's developer documentation describes GIFs this way. The result is the same moving picture, usually much smaller and smoother than the original.

Two things follow from that:

• A GIF you save to your phone may arrive as an MP4 video, not a .gif file. That is normal.
• A muted short video and a GIF are almost the same thing to Telegram. That is why you can turn a video into a GIF, covered below.

Method 1: The GIF panel

This is the quickest way, and it works the same idea on every app.

On Android and iPhone

1. Open the chat.
2. Tap the emoji or sticker icon next to the message box. On some phones it is a smiley face; on others it changes depending on what you used last.
3. Switch to the GIF tab at the bottom or top of the panel.
4. Scroll your saved GIFs and trending GIFs, or tap the search bar and type a word, such as "thank you" or "cat".
5. Tap a GIF to send it immediately.

To preview a GIF before sending, press and hold it. Releasing it without tapping send leaves it unsent.

On Telegram Desktop and Web

1. Open the chat.
2. Hover over or click the emoji icon in the message box.
3. Choose the GIFs tab.
4. Search or scroll, then click a GIF to send it.

Telegram has said its GIF search covers a very large index of widely shared public GIFs in many languages, so searching in your own language usually works.

Method 2: Search from the message box

You can search GIFs without opening a panel by using an inline bot. Inline bots are bots you call by typing their username in any chat; see Telegram inline bots explained for how they work.

1. In the message box, type the GIF bot's username, usually @gif, then a space.
2. Type what you are looking for, for example "@gif good morning".
3. A strip of results appears above the keyboard.
4. Tap one to send it.

This is handy on Desktop, where typing is faster than clicking through panels. If @gif does not show results in your app, use the GIF panel instead; the panel uses the same search behind the scenes.

Method 3: Send a GIF file from your device

If you have a GIF saved on your phone or computer:

1. Open the chat and tap the paperclip (attach) icon.
2. Choose the GIF from your gallery or files.
3. Send it.

On Desktop you can also drag the file into the chat window. Telegram converts it and shows it as an animation. Uploading a GIF also adds it to your saved GIFs, so it is easy to send again.

If a GIF arrives as a plain file attachment instead of playing in the chat, it was sent as a document. Try sending it from the gallery option rather than the files option, or check that the app is up to date.

Method 4: Turn a video into a GIF

You can make your own GIF from a short video clip.

1. Open the chat and attach the video from your gallery.
2. In the editing screen before sending, trim it to the part you want. Short clips work best.
3. Tap the sound icon to mute it. On many versions, a muted video is sent as a GIF, and the screen labels it that way.
4. Send it.

The clip will loop silently in the chat, like any GIF, and is added to your saved GIFs. If the sound icon is not there, update the app or send the video normally; it will still play, just as a video with a play button.

Method 5: GIFs from your keyboard

Many phone keyboards have their own GIF search. Choosing a GIF there pastes it into Telegram. This usually works, but some keyboards hand Telegram a .gif file in a way that ends up as a file attachment rather than an animation. If that happens, use Telegram's own GIF panel instead.

Replying, captions and timing

A GIF can do more than sit on its own in a chat.

• Reply with a GIF. Swipe or tap reply on a message, then pick a GIF. It appears as a reply to that message, which keeps reactions clear in busy groups.
• Add a caption. When you send a GIF from your device or a converted video, the editing screen usually lets you add a caption before sending. GIFs picked from the panel are normally sent straight away without one, so write your text as a separate message if you need it.
• Send it silently. On many versions, pressing and holding a GIF in the panel, or the send button when a GIF is attached from your device, shows an option to send without sound. See Telegram silent messages.
• Schedule it. The same menu, where your app offers it, can schedule a GIF for later, for example a birthday GIF at midnight. See how to schedule messages.

Finding a GIF someone sent earlier

Open the chat's profile and look at its shared media. GIFs are usually grouped in their own tab or filter, so you can scroll back through every GIF in that chat without searching the conversation.

How to save GIFs for later

Saved GIFs appear first in the GIF panel, which makes favourites quick to reach.

• Save from a chat: press and hold a GIF someone sent, then choose the option to save it to your GIFs. On Desktop, right-click it.
• Saved automatically: GIFs you upload, and videos you send as GIFs, are added for you.
• Remove one: press and hold it in the GIF panel and choose delete. On Desktop, right-click it in the panel.

There is a cap on how many GIFs you can keep in the saved list, and it is higher with Telegram Premium. If older GIFs start to disappear from the list, that is why.

To keep a GIF outside Telegram, press and hold it and choose to save it to your gallery or downloads. On Desktop, right-click and use the save option. Remember it may save as an MP4.

You can also forward GIFs to Saved Messages as a personal collection with captions; see Telegram Saved Messages tips.

When a GIF will not send

The group does not allow GIFs

Group admins can turn off permission to send stickers and GIFs. If the GIF tab is missing or greyed out in one group but works elsewhere, that is the reason. Ask an admin, or read can't send messages in a Telegram group for other permission issues. Slow mode can also stop you sending several GIFs quickly.

You cannot post in a channel

Only a channel's admins can post. Subscribers can use GIFs in the channel's comments if comments are enabled and allowed.

Search shows nothing

Check your connection, try a simpler or different word, and try the same search in English. If search is blank for every word, close and reopen the app.

The file is too large or not a real GIF

Very large animated files may upload slowly or as documents. Trimming them, or converting the clip to a short muted video and sending that, works better.

When a GIF will not move

Autoplay is off

Telegram has a setting for whether GIFs play automatically. If it is off, GIFs show a still frame until you tap them. Look in the Data and Storage settings for autoplay options.

Power or data saving is on

Telegram's own power saving options, and your phone's battery saver, can stop animations to save energy. Low data settings can stop GIFs downloading automatically on mobile data. Tap the GIF to load it, or adjust the settings. Our guide to how much data Telegram uses explains the auto-download options.

Playback problems in general

If videos also fail to play, the cause is wider than GIFs. See Telegram videos not playing.

GIF etiquette in groups and channels

• One GIF is a reaction; five is noise. In busy groups, a run of GIFs pushes real messages off screen.
• Check the group rules. Some groups ban GIFs in their main chat but allow them in a topic or off-topic group; see using topics in groups.
• For channel owners, a GIF can make a post livelier, but a caption still does the work. Reactions are often a better way to let readers respond.

Common mistakes

• Looking for a .gif file after saving. Telegram stores GIFs as silent MP4 videos, so that is what you get.
• Sending a video with sound when you wanted a GIF. Mute it in the editor first.
• Uploading huge GIF files. Trim or convert to a short clip.
• Assuming the app is broken when a group blocks GIFs. Check group permissions first.
• Forgetting autoplay settings after saving data. If GIFs stop moving, check the autoplay and power saving options.

FAQ

Why does my GIF save as a video?

Telegram converts GIFs into short silent MP4 videos. Saving one to your device keeps that format. It still plays as a loop in most gallery apps.

How do I search GIFs on Telegram Desktop?

Open the emoji panel in the message box and choose the GIFs tab, or type the GIF bot's username, usually @gif, followed by a word in the message box.

Can I make my own GIF on Telegram?

Yes. Attach a short video, trim it, mute it in the editor and send it. On many versions it is then sent as a GIF and added to your saved GIFs.

How do I delete a saved GIF?

Press and hold it in the GIF panel and choose delete. On Desktop, right-click it.

Why can't I send GIFs in a group?

The admins have probably turned off the permission to send stickers and GIFs, or slow mode is limiting how often you can post.

Summary

The fastest way to send a GIF on Telegram is the GIF tab in the emoji or sticker panel; you can also search inline with the GIF bot, send a file, or turn a muted video into a GIF. Save favourites from chats so they appear first, and remember Telegram stores GIFs as silent MP4 videos. When a GIF will not send, check group permissions and slow mode; when it will not move, check autoplay, power saving and data settings.