In this article, we'll take a detailed look at something people often search for on Google — namely, how to create and upload a GIF animation to the Telegram messenger using videos and photos.
What is a GIF and why do you need one
According to Google itself, the GIF format is popular for sharing animated photos or images without sound. It's ideal for converting heavy video files or regular photos, giving them animated effects. You can create a GIF through online converters, specialized editors on desktop computers (Giphy and similar tools) and mobile devices, or directly in Telegram.
Features of creating GIFs in Telegram
Like Google among other search engines, Telegram (or TG for short) stands out among messengers for its wide range of features and tools for creating animated images from photos. This makes TG a convenient tool for running channels and exchanging messages that contain multimedia content (photos, videos, and audio).
In 2024, Telegram introduced a built-in story editor. It lets you create animated stories right in the app — adding stickers, text, and effects over video or photos, then saving the result as a GIF.
Creating a GIF on Android
How to create an animation and send it as a GIF in the Telegram app on an Android device.
- Open Telegram and select the chat you want to send the video to.
- Tap «Attach» and select a video.
- Turn off the sound (otherwise the video will be sent as a video).
- Set the duration of the animation.
- Add effects if needed and send the finished GIF to the chat in Telegram.
Just as a Google search works the same way on both operating systems, the process of creating a GIF from images on iPhone in TG is very similar to Android. From opening the app and selecting a video to sending it in the chat.
In Telegram for Windows and Mac, the process is slightly different. Open the chat, click the paperclip icon, select a video file. Before sending, an editing window will appear — turn off the sound, trim the length, and send. Telegram automatically converts the silent video into a GIF.
Adding a GIF from the Telegram library
To send any GIF from the library (which may have been previously added from Google search results) to a chat, the user needs to tap the GIF or emoji icon in the conversation. Then select a suitable animation from the list that opens and send it to the chat.
Telegram bots for creating GIFs
Searching on Google turns up quite a few services for working with GIFs in the messenger. Some of them:
- GIF Reverse Bot — a bot that reverses GIF animations.
- GIF Export Bot — lets you download GIF animations for use in other apps.
Conclusion
Telegram provides convenient tools for creating GIFs from photos you've taken, images downloaded from Google, or videos recorded on an Android smartphone or iPhone. Telegram can even be considered a simple GIF editor. With built-in features and bots, every user can make their conversations more expressive and engaging by turning photos into animations.
If you need a GIF not for messaging but for an email campaign, it's important to consider the limitations of email clients. Outlook only shows the first frame, so it needs to convey the essence of the offer. The file size shouldn't exceed 2 MB, or the email will take a long time to load. More on how to use GIFs in email campaigns correctly
💡 Preparing a GIF for an email campaign? Upload the file to Letteros — the service automatically optimizes the size for correct display in all email clients. The built-in editor lets you combine a GIF from individual images and adjust speed and frame rate.