Most GIF keyboard apps pull from the same few enormous libraries, so the question is less about which has the funniest cat, and more about how quickly you can find one and send it. Whether the app can also be your everyday keyboard matters, as does how well it is being maintained.
A declaration of interest: we make GIF Keyboard: Memes & Emoji, which is on this list, and it is much smaller than the big two. Ratings and update dates below come from the US App Store on 3 November 2026. All of these apps are free to download.
Before you start: how these apps reach your chats
Most of these apps add a keyboard, which you turn on in Settings under General, then Keyboard, and Keyboards. It appears when you tap the globe key in any app. Many also offer an iMessage extension, which works only in Messages. Some keyboards are only for finding GIFs, so you switch back to type, while others are complete typing keyboards. Our guides on how to use a GIF keyboard and which apps support GIFs cover the details.
Also worth knowing: Messages has its own GIF search, called #images, in its apps menu in most regions. If you only send GIFs in iMessage, you may not need anything else.
Tenor's GIF Keyboard: the most rated
4.7 from 1,432,534 ratings. Last updated September 2024.
This is the most established name in the category, with a very large library, and it works on iPhone, iPad and iMessage. No app here comes close on total ratings. The catch is its update history: more than two years have passed since the last release. It may well work fine on your phone, but a keyboard is the kind of thing that benefits from keeping up with iOS, so test it for a while.
Follow along in GIF Keyboard: Memes & Emoji
Free on the App Store for iPhone and iPad.
App Store
GIPHY: the biggest library, actively updated
4.8 from 729,432 ratings. Last updated October 2026.
GIPHY describes itself as the world's largest library of free GIFs, Clips and stickers, and it is very actively updated. It calls itself a search engine, and that is the best way to think of it: you find something and share it to Messenger, Instagram, Snapchat and more, with iMessage and keyboard extensions for quicker sending. If you want the widest choice, this is the strongest option.
GIFFF and GIF Keyboard · Editor · Master: the smaller specialists
GIF Keyboard & Search – GIFFF (4.6 from 1,153 ratings, last updated October 2026) concentrates on trending GIFs and favourites. Anything you save is available across the app, the keyboard and the iMessage extension, which is handy if you tend to reuse the same reactions.
GIF Keyboard · Editor · Master (4.7 from 321 ratings, last updated September 2026) searches both GIPHY and Tenor from one keyboard, and it can turn a video or Live Photo into a GIF of your own. It needs iOS 18 or later. It is a good choice if you want to make GIFs as well as send them.
Why GIF keyboards ask for Full Access
iOS keeps third-party keyboards away from the internet unless you allow Full Access, and a GIF search has to reach the internet. That is why nearly all of them ask. Apple warns that this permission could let a keyboard developer see what you type, so it is reasonable to think about it. Read the app's privacy policy, consider who made it, and switch to the standard keyboard for passwords and banking. iOS does this automatically in secure password fields.
Gboard: a good keyboard, with a question mark
4.1 from 60,671 ratings. Last updated May 2022.
Google's keyboard includes GIF search alongside Glide Typing and emoji search, so it is the obvious choice if you want one keyboard for everything. Its iPhone version is the least recently updated app here, though, and its rating is the lowest. If you already like it, there is no need to change. It would not be our first suggestion for someone starting today.
GIF Keyboard: Memes & Emoji: ours
4.5 from 435 ratings. Last updated October 2026.
This is our app, so read this with that in mind. It has far fewer ratings than Tenor or GIPHY, and it does not pretend to compete on fame. What it offers is a complete text keyboard with letters, numbers and symbols, so you can stay on it while you type as well as when you search. You can type normally without Full Access, although GIF search needs it. It also has favourites, Quick Replies for messages you send often, and recent GIFs that stay available offline after they load.
It works in iMessage, WhatsApp, Instagram, Telegram, Discord and other chats. It suits someone who wants GIFs and typing in one keyboard, from an app that is still being updated.
Quick answers
What is the best GIF keyboard for iPhone?
For the most ratings, Tenor's GIF Keyboard. For the largest library that is being actively updated, GIPHY. For a full typing keyboard with GIFs built in, consider GIF Keyboard: Memes & Emoji or Gboard.
Do GIF keyboards work in WhatsApp?
Generally, yes. The keyboard copies or pastes the GIF into the chat, although how it arrives depends on the app. See our guide on sending GIFs on WhatsApp.
Are GIF keyboards safe?
Full Access means the developer could in principle see what you type, so choose one you trust and read the privacy policy. iOS switches to its own keyboard for password fields.
Is there a free GIF keyboard?
Every app in this comparison is free to download. Some offer optional purchases, such as removing ads.
Where to get it
If you would like one keyboard for typing and GIFs, GIF Keyboard: Memes & Emoji is free to download on iPhone.
Pick the one that makes you search least, because the moment for a GIF does not last long.