Fix Faulty GIFs on Android-Ultimate Guide in 2023
Let’s admit it, Android has a long and troubled history with GIFs. People get frustrated when their GIF won’t work, load, or send. Here’s the thing: On the more recent version of Android – with an updated browser – it’s still easy to run into problems. Even today, when I load a gif on Android, it’s still much slower when compared to my PC.
There are also times when a GIF won’t even load – even if you refresh the page. That can be pretty frustrating at times, right? Now, the big question is: If Android has grown so much so quickly, why can’t it play a GIF flawlessly? I mean, it can run almost everything else well, so why not GIFs?
The answer? From the start, Android hasn’t had built-in animated GIF support.
Read Also:
GIFs for Texting on Android: Where to Get and How to Send Them
How to Create GIFs From Videos with Android Apps (3 Methods)
Is WebM an alternative for GIFs on Android?
Believe it or not, Android has had WebM support since around the time of Gingerbread, and it still works well today. If you aren’t familiar with WebM, it’s another video format that’s like a GIF, but with more potential, more useful data compression, and better quality.
If you have the choice between the two, always take WebM! (at least in my opinion)
Now, if you’re asking if people use WebM – it depends on the website or the context – but when in use, the content is easy to view, save, and review at a later date. If you had a rooted device, it was possible to view and save GIF, but it wasn’t ideal. Today, it’s supported far more across several Android devices, but sadly not all of them.
So here are a few tips to fix your GIF problems on Android. Let’s get into it!
Related: Best WebM to MP4 video Converter Softwares
How do you fix devices seeing the same GIF differently?
Since Android has several different versions on several different platforms, each device usually handles matters differently. It have always been something that hasn’t been picture-perfect on Android, and if you add more Androids into the mix, it gets even more confusing.
The sad part is unless you have Android 7.1 or up, good luck with just trying to send a friend a GIF through your default messenger. Yikes! So you might be asking: What can you do about this?
If you’re using a messenger like WhatsApp, then make sure both users are using the same version of the app. Otherwise, send the link to the GIF instead of the GIF itself. This will stop the GIF from having problems when saved. It’s not a perfect solution, but when you’re dealing with more than one device, there isn’t one.
You can also try changing your stock keyboard to the new one. We recommend using Gboard from Google.
How can you fix slow or not working GIFs?
Android devices can view animated GIFs, although it hasn’t always supported it natively. Today, the biggest problem with GIFs is when they’re playing at a little slower than average speed.
Before, unless you wanted to dive into the programming or coding part of the platform, you were stuck with GIF that didn’t move.
What you can do is update your version of Android, if you have an older one. Or you can turn to a third-party app that can do all of the more difficult, time-consuming parts for you. If you’re looking for a good GIF player or viewer, I can recommend a few.
1. GIF Player – OmniGIF – Free
With this app, you can browse popular sites like Reddit and download the gifs you want and then view them in the app. It’s similar to a video player where you can pause, rewind, or change the speed.
Features:
- Private Storage
- Play Speed Control
- Zoom and Drag
It’s ready to use, and it’s compatible with all Android devices, even the older versions. It has full Android native decoding, meaning that it’s fast and efficient–no matter the version of Android.
2. GIF Keyboard by Tenor
This GIF Keyboard by Tenor allows you to express what you’re trying to say through GIFs. It also allows you to create GIFs from your screen or camera. The GIF keyboard by Tenor is a great GIF app and it has positive user-reviews on the Play Store.
Features:
- Create and upload your GIFs through the app
- Send GIFs using your keyboard
- Tons of categories to browse
This app is very user-friendly, so most people should have no problems using it. It can also integrate with your keyboard so you can send your GIFs to people easily.
How to make GIFs on Android?
Even if you can’t view GIFs properly in your gallery, or a browser, there are still apps available that let you make and see GIFs. They’re relatively easy to use, and for most of them, all you need is either a video or a few pictures to stitch together.
Once you have the footage that you want, you can even edit the final product before you share it or save it. Although some of you won’t be able to view these files outside of the app without GIF support, you can still make them.
Suggested Reads :
Best GIF Creators Apps For Android
How to Turn Pictures into GIFs with Android Apps (2 Methods)
7 Free Emoji App for Android to Shun Tedious Conversations
Frequently Asked Questions
Why are Android devices slow when loading GIFs?
Android devices have not had built-in animated GIF support, which causes GIFs to load slower on some Android phones than on other OS.
Are there Android devices with built-in animated GIF support?
Yes! GIFs are supported far more now across several Android devices, but sadly not all of them.
Can I download GIFs on Android?
Of course, you can! However, some Android devices might require you to root your device in order to do so.
Fix GIFs on Android – Animate your messages
Thankfully, there are plenty of easy ways to add GIF support to your Android. GIFs have been a famous media format for a long time, and even though WebM has started gaining even more popularity than before, GIFs will still be around for a long while.
GIFs are a way of expressing emotions, ideas, and thoughts. It’s a shame if your device encounters problems with just a single GIF. Thankfully, problems like these are easy to fix!
If you have any other questions about Android GIFs, feel free to share it with me in the comments below! You can also subscribe to our newsletter for more Android tips, tricks, and daily news!
Only some GIFs will run on my LG V20 in the Chrome browser. The others loop once and freeze. What do I do about that?
Hi! Check your settings and confirm that you don’t have data saving options turned on. Don’t forget to check any data or battery manager apps you have installed as well.
My phone is a motorola e5 plus android 8.0— when i try to put a gif on facebook i get a pop up saying chrome doesn’t support
When I send or receive a GIF, it plays the animation as the smaller message in the thread but when I click on it it freezes and just show a still image. This just started happening and I have cleared my phone cache still does not work.
Any suggestions?
Hi, Dan. Try freeing up some RAM.
I have a Motorola Moto smartphone. I’ve downloaded several GIFs that work great. Two others get stuck and never completely download, and I have to waste time clearing out the file (i.e., deleting the file, putting it in the trash. What causes the GIF to just not download?
Sd card not reading in my Android i
Hi my name is Linda I have an LG v20. Enable to send out the GIF to my girlfriend. Before absolutely no problems and I was able to erase them and all of a sudden I’m not able to send them or erase them but I can do everyone else what is the problem can you please help me thank you
I can not open nor see GIF’S
Sorry to hear that, Barbara. Have you tried any of the fixes featured in this article?
I cannot get my gifs on messenger.
Sorry to hear that, Annette. Have you tried any of the featured in this article?
Updated to android 9, using mood for messaging app, can no longer use the gif function in the app, says connection problem. Phone is a lg thinq7 on Sprint. Thanks in advance Tim
Hi Tim P,
We are sorry to hear that the gif function is not working in your messaging app. Did you try out the fixes in this article?
I’m having problems with my gifs appearing small while attaching them from Giphy to Facebook. Please help me it’s really annoying. Thanks
I am having problems on my Pinterest app showing Gifs. It does not show it takes some time before it starts moving. Also with Video’s I am have my the same problem. I am using Chrome as my browser I know it is not a reliable browser but it goes with Android.
None of the fixes in this article work on my android phone. Is there another source of information available? I have Gboard and it was working great but now it doesn’t send or receive gifs.
Hi Jemille! Reset your Gboard app’s cache, restart your phone, and see if you’ll still encounter the same problem.