Top 10 Tips to Fix GIFs Not Working on iPhone (iOS 18 Supported)

Certain problems can occur immediately after an iOS 18 update, and recently, some users have reported that GIFs are not working on iPhone.

This feature is only available in some countries, and if you are not in one of these countries, it may not work regardless of the steps you take.

But if GIFs were working on your iPhone and now are failing to work after an iOS update, this article offers you 10 troubleshooting tips to fix the issue.

Why Are My GIFs Not Working on iPhone?

Before we suggest the solutions to fix GIFs not working on iPhone issue, we'd like to point out some of the reasons that may cause this problem:

• GIFs may not be loading or showing up due to a slow or unstable internet connection.
• GIFs on your iPhone can stop working after an iOS 18 update.
• GIFs won't work when #images is disabled on your iPhone.
• GIFs may not work if your iPhone has insufficient storage space.
• Sometimes, software glitches or bugs can cause GIFS not to work properly.

Important Reminder: We suggest you backup all important data before attempting any of the solutions. You can use either iTunes/iCloud or third-party tools like FoneGeek Backup & Restore (iOS).

10 Tips to Fix GIFs Not Working on iPhone Issue

If GIFs are not working, loading or showing up on your iPhone, check out the following effective solutions to fix the issue.

Tip 1. Check Internet Connection

You might experience WhatsApp/iMessage GIFs not working problem on your iPhone because of poor internet connection. To solve the internet connection issue, you can try the following steps:

• Go to Settings > Wi-Fi to turn it off, wait for several seconds and enable it again. Or you can try to connect to a different Wi-Fi network if available.
• Restart your Wi-Fi router by unplugging it from the power source and then re-plugging it in.
• If you use cellular data, you need to ensure that Cellular Data is enabled. To do that, go to Settings > Cellular > Cellular Data and turn it on.
• Turn on Airplane Mode on your iPhone. Wait for a minute, and then turn it off again.

Tip 2. Force Close the App

Force quitting the Messages app is another way to get the GIFs working normally again. All active background processes of the app are terminated, including any glitches that might be interfering with the loading of GIFs. Here’s how to force quit the app:

• Open the App Switcher by swiping up from the bottom of the screen (or double-clicking the home button on old iPhones).
• After that, scroll left or right until you locate the Messages app preview.
• Once you find the Messages app, swipe it upward to force close the app.
• Wait a few seconds and open the Messages app again to see if the GIFs work.

Tip 3. Disable Reduce Motion

The Reduce Motion is a function to tone down some of the animations on your iPhone. It is helpful to save your device’s battery life. However, it may reduce some of the device’s functionality, such as the animated GIFs.

Here’s how to disable the Reduce Motion function and fix GIFs not loading on iPhone problem:

1. Open Settings on your iPhone and then tap Accessibility > Motion.
2. Tap on Reduce Motion and toggle it off if it is enabled.

Tip 4. Turn On #images

You need to turn on #images for GIFs to work properly on your iPhone. To start using the GIFs, you’d better first check if the #images function were turned off accidentally.

1. On your iPhone, head to Settings > Cellular.
2. Locate #images, and if it is turned off, turn it on.

Tip 5. Delete and Re-Add #images

Re-adding the #images might also be a good way to fix GIFs not working issue. Follow these simple steps to do it:

• Run the Messages app on your iPhone and open a conversation.
• Swipe left on the home screen until you reach the apps list at the bottom.
• Locate the three-dot icon and click on Edit, then locate the - icon next to #images and tap on it.
• Now select Remove from Favorites and click on Done.
• Go to the same interface and click on Edit, then scroll down to choose the + icon.
• Finally, click on Done to finish the process, and the GIFs should be working normally.

Tip 6. Reset iPhone's Language & Region

The #image is a region-specific function on iPhone or iPad. If you don't see #images, it is possible that you are in a region where GIFs are not supported. In this situation, you can change the region to a country that supports this feature.

1. On your iPhone, go to Settings and tap on General.
2. Scroll down to Language & Region and choose Region to change the settings.

Tip 7. Free Up Memory Space

If your iPhone has limited storage space, you may also experience the GIFs not working issue. In this case, you can clear the cache to free up additional space on your iPhone.

1. Open the Settings app on your iPhone and find the Safari option.
2. Click on Safari and then choose Clear History and Website Data.
3. Then, confirm to clear the cache in the popup.

Tip 8. Update to the Latest iOS 18

Updating your device to the latest iOS 18 is one of the best ways to eliminate software glitches and bugs that could cause the GIFs not to load on iPhone problem. Here’s how to update your device:

1. Open Settings on your device and then tap General > Software Update.
2. If an update is available, tap Download and Install and wait for the device to complete the update.

Tip 9. Factory Reset Your iPhone (Data Loss)

If the common solutions above don’t work, you may need to factory reset the iPhone. This method will work to eliminate any settings or data that could be causing the issue. Follow these simple steps to factory reset the device:

1. Go to Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPhone.
2. Tap Reset and then select Erase all Contents and Settings.
3. The device may ask you to save all the contents on it to iCloud. Once you’ve done that, tap Erase Now to begin resetting the device.

When the process is complete, set up the device again and check if the problem has been resolved. Keep in mind that this method will erase all the data and settings on your iPhone, so ensure that you've backed up your important data before doing this.

Tip 10. Fix iPhone GIFs Not Working without Data Loss

As mentioned above, some methods can cause data loss on your iPhone while fixing the GIFs not working issue. But there is one exception that will protect the data on your iPhone. It is FoneGeek iOS System Recovery, which is designed to fix all iOS-related issues. The program can fix the device without any data loss, and you don’t have to be technically savvy to use it.

Key Features of FoneGeek iOS System Recovery:

• No Data Loss: It can help to fix the iPhone GIF not working issue without the risk of losing data on the device.
• Fix All iOS Issues: It is a powerful iOS repair tool that can fix various problems like iPhone message notifications not working, iPhone call volume low, iPhone keeps switching to silent, white Apple logo, iPhone is disabled, etc.
• 2 Repair Modes: It offers Standard mode and Advanced mode to ensure the highest success rate.
• High Compatibility: It is fully compatible with all iOS devices, even the newest iPhone 16/15/14. iOS 18/iPadOS 18 is also supported.
• Easy to Use: No tech knowledge is required, and everyone can fix iOS system issues with a few simple clicks.

Here’s how to fix iOS 18 GIFs not working issue without data loss:

Step 1: Install FoneGeek iOS System Recovery on your computer and then launch the program. On the home page, click on "Standard Mode" to continue.

Step 2: Connect your iOS device to the computer using a USB cable. If your device is in normal mode and running iOS 12 or later, unlock it and click on "Next".

If your iPhone cannot be detected, just follow the on-screen instructions to put it into Recovery/DFU mode.

Step 3: On the next screen, the program will detect the device model and present the necessary firmware for that device. Click on "Download" to download the firmware.

Step 4: Once the download is complete, click on "Fix Now" and the program will begin repairing the device immediately. Keep the iPhone connected to the computer until the process is complete. The device will restart, and the GIFs should be working normally again.

FoneGeek iOS System recovery is highly rated by some of the top tech blogs, such as Mobile Mall, GetDroidTips, Inspirationfeed, Techjury, Pakainfo and also highly praised by users who have used it to fix their devices.

FAQs about GIFs Function on iPhone

Why do GIFs work in certain iPhone apps but not in others?

This might be compatibility problems with specific apps on your iPhone. Some apps may not support the usage of external GIFs through keyboards.

Why are my iPhone GIFs appearing of poor quality?

The display of your iPhone may not be optimized for all GIF sizes. Therefore, if you are using GIFs of low quality, they are likely to appear distorted on your iPhone.

Why can't I find GIFs in the Photo Library on my iPhone?

If the saved GIFs are not in a compatible format, they won't be stored in the iPhone's Photos library. To fix this, you can either save the GIFs to another location or convert them to a supported format.

Why do my iPhone GIFs sometimes not function properly?

This can result from a poor internet connection or malfunctioning software on your device. Another reason could be the app you are using to share GIFs supports them.

Can every iPhone users use GIFs in Message apps?

No, only iOS users in certain countries can access animated GIFs through the #images app within Messages. These countries include the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, France, Germany, Italy, India, Singapore, Philippines, and Japan. Users outside of these countries are currently unable to use this feature.

Conclusion

The methods outlined here can be helpful when you are faced with GIFs not working on iPhone issue. Select a solution that you can trust and follow the steps to fix the problem.

There is a chance you will lose some of the GIFs and images on your iPhone if you use one of the methods above. Restoring the lost images from your iTunes or iCloud backups could cause you to lose all the existing data on the device. To avoid this, try using FoneGeek iPhone Data Recovery to recover the missing GIFs and images even without backup.