8 Fixes for GIFs Not Working or Disappeared on iPhone
Ankita enjoys exploring and writing about technology. Starting as a script and copywriter, her keen interest in the digital world pulled her towards technology. With GT, she has found her calling in writing about and simplifying the world of tech for others. On any given day, you can catch her chained to her laptop, meeting deadlines, writing scripts, and watching shows (any language!).
Not everything can be described in words. When this happens, you can use emojis or GIFs. However, it becomes disheartening when GIFs suddenly stop working. If this has happened to you, keep reading as we look at 8 ways to help you fix GIFs not working or disappearing on your iPhone.
GIFs can be described as animated images that play for extremely short durations. They’re mostly made from scenes, short clips, etc., of any existing media, like movies or shows. However, it becomes a pain when they don’t work as expected. So, here’s how you can fix the GIFs not working or disappeared.
1. Check #images Is Added in iMessage
The #images feature hidden in your Messages app is crucial to finding and sending GIFs on your iPhone. It helps collate and suggest GIFs based on the trends and your searches. So, if GIFs are not loading correctly on your iPhone, ensure that the #images app is added and visible in iMessage. Here’s how.
Step 1:Open the Messages app and tap on the relevant chat.
Step 2:In the bottom left corner, tap on the + icon.
Step 3:Here, tap on More.
Step 4:Scroll down to the #images option. Hold and drag it to the top.
Then, tap on #images and try again. If you cannot find the #images option, check our explainer aboutadding or deleting iMessage appsand re-add #images to your iMessage.
2. Force Close and Re-open iMessage
You can force the Messages app to close, closing all app functions and features. Then, tap on the app icon again to restart them. This will not only help in loading all features afresh but also solve issues arising from any temporary glitches. Here’s how to do it.
Step 1:Double-press the Home button. Or, if not available, swipe up from the bottom of the screen.
Step 2:Hold and clear the Messages app from the screen.
Then, tap on the Messages app icon and try again. If the GIF keyboard is still not working, continue to the below fixes.
3. Check Your Internet Connection
Because iMessage uses your device’s internet connection to search and send GIFs, a poor network connection might make them unresponsive or prevent them from working. In this case,run a speed testand see if your current speeds are sufficient. You can alsoswitch to 5Gif available. Or, connect to a Wi-Fi network and check again.
4. Change Language & Region Settings
According toApple, the #image feature is currently available in limited countries. This means that if you cannot get GIFs on iPhone, it might be because it’s unavailable in your region. To get around this, you can change the region and language settings on your iPhone. Here’s how.
Tip:You can also check our explainer onchanging the default language for iPhone.
Step 1:Open the Settings app on your device.
Step 2:Scroll down and tap on General.
Step 3:Here, tap on ‘Language & Region’.
Step 4:Tap on Region.
Step 5:In the search bar, search for the region you wish to set and tap on it from the search results.
Step 6:Select the relevant option.
This will change the region setting for your iPhone. Then, open the Messages app and see if the issue has been resolved.
5. Enable MMS on iPhone
MMS, short for Multimedia Messaging Service, helps you send media like pictures, videos, emojis, etc., in the form of text. If your mobile plan allows, that is. However, turning off MMS on your iPhone might throttle GIFs, causing them to fail. To fix that, ensure the relevant MMS settings are enabled. Follow the below steps to do it.
Note:Certain iPhones running the latest iOS versions might not have this setting available. If so, you can skip to the next fix.
Step 1:Open the Settings app on your iPhone.
Step 2:Scroll down and tap on Messages.
Step 3:Enable the toggle for MMS Messaging.
This will enable the MMS messaging feature for your iPhone. Now, force close and restart the Messages app. Then, check again.
6. Disable Reduce Motion
As the name suggests, the Reduce Motion feature on your iPhone helps reduce some of the motions and animations. This can help save battery life and is a great way to clean your device’s interface.
However, this may also get in the way of loading or searching for GIFS, rendering them unusable sometimes. To ensure this is not the case, check and see if Reduce Motion is disabled on your iPhone. Here’s how to do it.
Step 1:Open Settings and tap on Accessibility.
Step 2:Here, tap on Motion.
Step 3:Ensure the toggle for Reduce Motion is turned off.
This way, your iPhone will not block certain animations that might cause GIFs not to work properly. However, if GIFs are still not loading correctly, continue to the next fix.
7. Check iPhone Storage
If your device currently has insufficient storage, apps may not work properly. If you’re unsure about how much storage space is available, open the Settings app and check. Here’s how.
Step 1:Open Settings and tap on General.
Step 2:Scroll down and tap on iPhone Storage.
Step 3:Here, check the available storage.
If your device is running low, tryfreeing up some storage space. Once done, open the Messages app again and try sending a GIF.
Also Read:How to fix iPhone Storage not loading issue
8. Update Your iPhone
Regularly updating your iPhone helps ensure you stay on top of Apple’s recent fixes and security updates. So, if you’ve been facing the issue of iPhone GIFs not working in iMessage, WhatsApp, and other apps, you might be using an outdated iOS version. So, here’s how tocheck for software updates.
Step 1:Open Settings on your device.
Step 2:Scroll down and tap on General.
Step 3:Here, tap on Software Update.
Wait for the update to finish downloading and installing. Once done, open the Messages app and try sending a GIF again.
Note: If the above methods fail, your last resort is toreset all settings on iPhone. This will make GIFs work as usual.
Get GIFs on iPhone
We hope this article helped you fix GIFs that disappeared or are not working on iPhone. Additionally, if you’re tired of using the same old Apple keyboard, you can swap it for other third-party keyboards loaded with functionality, like enhanced GIF and Emoji support. For more details, check our comparison ofStock iPhone Keyboard vs. Gboard vs. SwiftKey.
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Last updated on 29 September, 2023
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