GIFs have become an integral part of all our digital conversations - including on Facebook where people use them to reply to comments, or even as their profile picture! If you’re thinking about how to add a GIF to Facebook, you’ve come to the right place. In this guide, we’ll tell you:
1. Where can you post GIFs on Facebook?
2. How to post a GIF in a comment on Facebook?
3. How to make your Facebook profile picture a GIF?
4. How to post a GIF to your Facebook status or on a Facebook business page?
And if you stick with us till the end, we also share a BONUS on how to create custom GIFs for Facebook in minutes using InVideo’s GIF maker. So let’s dive right in.
(1) Where can you post GIFs on Facebook?
You can upload a GIF to Facebook in various ways. You can use GIFs on Facebook:
- as a status or a mood (on your own Facebook wall),
- as your profile picture,
- as a reply to a comment or just a comment,
- on your Facebook business page,
- as your Facebook cover video
- or as a Facebook Ad
Tip: Keep your GIFs to under 1 MB preferably because the smaller the file size, the easier it will be for people to view the GIF even on slow internet connections.
Let's check out the step-by-step process on how to upload GIFs to Facebook in the next section.
(2) How to post a GIF in a comment on Facebook?
Posting a GIF in a comment on Facebook is a great way of engaging with your followers and connecting with prospects. Here’s how you can post a GIF as a comment:
Step 1: Login to Facebook and go to the conversation/ status/ post that you wish to comment on. Now go to the “Write a comment” space next to your profile picture.
Step 2: Click on the GIF icon from the icon list on the right.
Step 3: You will now see a pop up with various trending GIFs. Simply type keywords to find relevant GIFs in the search bar and click on the GIF of your choice. You can also type other text in the comment section to go with your GIF. That’s it! Your GIF will be posted as a comment.
(3) How to make your Facebook profile picture a GIF?
You cannot directly upload a GIF to your Facebook profile picture. Instead, Facebook allows you to set an animated seven-second clip as your profile picture that will keep getting looped thereby showcasing it as a GIF. But Facebook only allows you to do so on Facebook's mobile app. You can't set an animated clip as your profile picture if you are using Facebook on the browser.
You can follow these steps to upload a video as your profile picture:
Step 1: Log in to your Facebook account and tap on your profile picture icon. You will now be taken to your Facebook profile page. Click on the camera icon next to your profile photo on your Facebook page.
Step 2: Select either of the 2 video options, i.e. “Take New Profile Video” or “Select Profile Video.” The “Take New Profile Video” option will launch your phone camera and prompt you to shoot a short profile video. The “Select Profile Video” option will take you to your photo gallery where you can select a video.
iOS users can choose the “Select Profile Picture or Video” option to select a video from your photo gallery.
Note: Your video needs to be at least 1 second long to be approved by Facebook.
Disclaimer: If you cannot find the option to upload a video to your Facebook profile picture, the functionality may be unavailable in your location.
Step 3: Once you have shot your video or selected a video from your gallery, you will be able to see a preview on your screen. To modify your profile video, tap the “Edit” button.
Note: Facebook automatically trims any video to a 7 second time limit.
Step 4: There are a few ways you can edit your profile video.
- Mute the video by tapping the speaker icon
- Edit your profile video by dragging the timeline to trim it or to select a different part of your video
- Select the “Crop” option to adjust your video so that it fits the circular format of a Facebook profile picture
- Finally, tap the “Thumbnail” option to select a custom thumbnail. In case the profile video does not automatically play for certain users (depending on their internet and app settings), having an impactful static thumbnail is best
- Once you are done with the edits, tap the “Save” button on the top right corner of your screen
Step 5: To upload your profile video for a short period of time, you can make it temporary. To do this select the “Make Temporary'' option on the preview page and choose one of the options from the dropdown. Add a caption or a message to go with your temporary video
Pro Tip: Uploading temporary videos as your profile picture is a great way to promote seasonal offers, discounts or new announcements on your Facebook page.
Step 6: Looks good? Tap the “Save” button on the top right corner to set your Facebook profile picture to an animated video
(4) How to post a GIF to your Facebook status or on a Facebook business page?
While you can upload a GIF to your personal page on Facebook from both the mobile app and the browser, the business page works differently. You can share a GIF on your Facebook business page only through the native mobile app and not through the browser (website).
So here, we share the step-by-step process on how you can upload GIFs to a Facebook business or personal page (as your status on your wall) using your phone.
Step 1: Open the Facebook app on your phone and go to your pages. Open the Facebook page you want to post a GIF in and tap the “Create a post” button on your screen.
Step 2: You will now see a post page where you can write text in the box that says “What’s on your mind?” or “Write something here.” Add any text you want with your GIF here
Step 3: Now scroll down and select the GIF option
Note: If you are uploading a GIF to your personal Facebook wall or status on the desktop (browser), you will find the GIF option from the “more” section (three dots).
Step 4: Select the GIF of your choice from the trending options you see. Or search for a GIF based on your mood, emotion, or any other keyword. Simply tap on the GIF to add it to your post
Step 5: You will now see a preview of your post. Tap the “SHARE” option on the top right corner of your screen to post it
Step 6: If you are posting to a business page, you can also boost your post at this point by tapping on the option in the pop-up, to increase engagement on Facebook. If you don’t want to boost your post, just tap the “SHARE” button below to post the GIF to your page.
Note: By boosting your Facebook post, you are essentially using it as an ad. To leverage Facebook ads for your business, check out this step-by-step guide on mastering Facebook ads in 2024.
There are a wide variety of GIFs available online, but as a brand or a business, creating your own custom GIFs goes a long way in boosting your engagement and reach! Who knows, your GIFs might pave the way for the next Salt Bae! In the next section, find out how to create your own GIFs.
BONUS: Create custom GIFs for Facebook in minutes
With 5 Million GIFs sent daily on Facebook messenger, it’s no wonder that GIFs are a great way to engage with your customers and audiences. Making your own custom GIFs is easier than you think!
Here's how:
Part 1: Create your own scroll stopping videos for free on InVideo
Sign-up for a free InVideo account if you haven't already! We have these Facebook Ad Templates to help you get started on your own Facebook videos. If you want to add text and music to an existing video, simply start with a blank canvas.
Step 1: Select “Blank Canvas” and make sure you select the 16:9 (wide) aspect ratio for your Facebook videos. Now click on “Make a Video.”
You’ll be taken to the editor.
Step 2: Click on ‘Upload Media’ to upload your video to the editor.
Step 3: You can edit various aspects of the video, change the background to your brand colours, add stock images, audio and video, and lots more. Here’s a quick tutorial to find out how you can customise your video for free.
Step 4: Once you’re satisfied with your edits, click ‘Download & Share’ and then hit ‘Export’
Your video will now start to render and you can download it after it is done rendering. You will also receive an email updating you when your download is ready.
Part 2: Convert your video to a GIF using free online GIF makers
Once your video is ready, it’s time to convert it to a GIF. Find out how you can turn your existing video, or any other YouTube video into a GIF using this list of free GIF makers.
Wrapping up -
Now that you know how to upload a GIF to Facebook, the only thing left to do is start posting! Don’t forget to check out trending GIFs on GIPHY and Tenor, and you can use InVideo’s GIF maker to create your own GIFs in minutes!
If you found this guide useful, you’d definitely want to check out this guide on how to build a community and generate leads through Facebook groups. If you have any questions or want to continue the conversation, hop over to the InVideo community and learn from 25K other marketers and video creators just like you!
And don’t forget - if you’re looking to create thumb-stopping videos in minutes (even if you’re not a PRO)- Sign-up for a free account on InVideo.io today.
FAQs
1. Why can’t I post a GIF to Facebook?
Ans: Facebook doesn’t allow uploading a GIF from your computer or mobile devices directly. Posting GIFs in certain ads or to brand pages is also prohibited. So if you are posting directly from your computer, or trying to post a GIF on a brand page, you might not be successful. Apart from this, you might also have trouble posting GIFs if you are using old versions of android phones. If you are having trouble posting a GIF to Facebook, try refreshing your browser or app. You can also check if your app is updated to the latest version.
2. Where is the GIF button on Facebook?
Ans: The GIF button is located on the right side of the comment box. On mobile, it's next to the emoji button; on desktop, it's between the photo attachment and sticker buttons. Check out this guide to learn the exact steps on how to post a GIF to Facebook posts, business pages, profile pictures and comments, with step-by-step pictures.
3. How do I get a GIF to play automatically on Facebook?
Ans: Your “Auto-play” settings determine whether the animated GIFs in your News Feed will be played automatically. To control the animated GIF loops in the desktop version of Facebook, you will have to go to Settings > Videos > Auto-Play Videos. The “Auto-play” settings in Facebook’s mobile apps is under Settings > Videos and Photos. If “Auto-play” is set to “Off,” then you will see a white circle around the word “GIF” placed on the image. Tapping on that button starts the GIF animation loop.
This post was written by Upasna and edited by Abhilash from Team InVideo
