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How To Send GIFS In iMessage On iOS 10

by Kaitlyn Wylde
phone, texting
copyright by Elena Litsova Photography/Moment/Getty Images

Happy iOS update announcement day! Apple revealed on Sept. 7 that the highly-anticipated iOS 10 will launch on Sept. 13, and you're probably wondering where to start exploring. Might I suggest iMessage's new GIF feature? If you're wondering how to send GIFs on iOS 10, then look no further, because I've got your back. While there are tons of updates and added features that will seriously enhance your iPhone experience, this one in particular is one you'll want to master right from the get-go.

In the dark ages of yesterday's past, if you wanted to send a GIF in a text message, you had to either get it from your saved camera roll, or you had to exit the text message, open up Safari, search for a GIF, save it, and THEN go all the way back to your text message to include it. But the folks over at Apple know how much we like our GIFs and how impatient we are, so they decided to make things easier for us, like the kind, majestic people that they are.

Now when you want to send a GIF to start a conversation, to drop the mic in a group chat, or to say "u up?" without actually saying it, you can do so from the luxury of your iMessage tab. Here's what you do:

Squeal With Excitement

GIFs are finally being treated like the Millennial conversation staples that they are. Now you can use them with great ease!

Open A Text Message

Yes, just head to your "Compose A Text" as you typically would. The whole awesome point is that this GIF system is built-in to the system we already know and love.

Click the "A" On The Top Of The Keyboard

The icon closest to the text box is where you're going to find media beyond your camera roll.

Scroll Past The Music

Music is another option — you can now send songs directly through text messages (woot!). But that's not what we're here for. Swipe once to the left, and you'll be in the GIF library instead.

Welcome To GIFs

You're now here, in the land of GIFs — get excited.

Search For A GIF

Here you can type in phrases, adjectives, emotions, what have you. Search through this bottomless GIF library until you find what you're looking for, just like you would on a Google search.

Pick The Winner

There will be tons of options for each search. Scroll through until you find the one that best illustrates your feelings.

And Hit Send

Yes, it's seriously this easy. It sends instantly from the library.

Now Tell Yourself You're A Comedic Genius

Yes, take all the credit. This was your creative curation and you deserve all the praise to yourself, from yourself.

And that's how you send a GIF! If you're not seeing the GIF option right away, make sure you've downloaded the new operating system. You should be prompted right as it becomes available, but just in case you've missed it, go to "Settings," then "General," then "Software Update," where the option should be available to you. Once it's updated, you can GIF away!

Images: Kaitlyn Wylde/Bustle; Elena Litsova Photography/Moment/Getty Images