TikTok may be the fastest growing social media platform, but Instagram still holds a place in many peoples' hearts. Over the past several years, it’s evolved into a platform that supports video, filters and even shopping. Despite setting trends and breaking new ground, Instagram is conservative when it comes to file formats. While you can upload photos or videos using asolid camera phone, you can’t upload a GIF file. Fortunately, there’s an easy workaround.
Creating an animated GIF on Instagram
When most people think of GIFs, short animated videos come to mind. Yes, those short little snippets are called GIFs, but there’s a catch. A GIF is a specific file format for short, looped videos, but people often use it colloquially to refer to all short, looped videos. It’s like that Kleenex vs tissue situation.
While Instagram doesn’t allow you to upload media with a .gif extension, it does let you upload most common video formats. Here’s what you’ll need to do to share GIFs on in your Reels or Stories.
How to convert a GIF to a video on Android
Turn any animated image into a video in a jiffy!
How to record a video on Instagram
Instagram has two options for recording video to its platform:Instagram Reelsand Stories. Reels are short-form videos similar to TikTok’s content. They can be up to 90 seconds long and persist on your feed. Stories are similar to Snapchat in that they disappear after 24 hours. They’re also limited to 15 seconds of video.
How to record and post an Instagram Reel
Instagram needs a minute or two to upload and process your video. Your new Reel will be on your feed and ready to share before you know it.
How to record and share a Story on Instagram
Instagram is a great tool for recording photos and videos, but as a video editor, it’s limited. If you create video content, you can use a third-party video editor to make your videos, which you’ll upload to Instagram.
Although we’ve used an Android phone for this tutorial, the process is the same in the iOS app. If you’re an iPhone user, you should be able to follow along with any issues.
It takes a moment for the upload to process. When it’s done, the likes will pour in. Reels are limited to 90 seconds, and Stories are limited to 60 seconds.
Make your GIFs Instagram-ready
Many of us think of a short looped video when we talk about GIFs. A GIF is a file extension. You can achieve the same effect with the MP4 or MKV format. When you want to use a meme GIF like the one above, find it in an MP4 or MKV format and upload it. One of the best repositories for this kind of content is GIPHY, which can send an Instagram-ready MP4 to your email.
There’s always the option to convert a GIF file into MP4 or another format. There are a few ways to do this. Upload it to GIPHY and let it convert the file, or use one of the free online services available for converting file types. When you use a free service, be careful of malware and identity theft.
