If the GIF option has vanished from Messages on your iPhone, it is almost always still there, just tucked away in a different spot or switched off in Settings. In iOS 26, Apple’s built in GIF search, called #images, lives inside the plus button next to the text field, not on the keyboard. Third party GIF keyboards such as GIPHY or GIF Keyboard by Tenor appear behind the globe key only after you add them as a keyboard. Here is where to look and how to bring each one back.
Where GIFs live in iOS 26 Messages
Apple has moved the Messages apps around several times. Older versions showed a row of app icons above the keyboard, and many people still look for GIFs there. Since iOS 17, those apps are grouped behind the plus button, and that is still the case in iOS 26.
- Open Messages and start a new message or open a conversation.
- Tap the plus button to the left of the text field.
- The first screen shows common items such as Camera, Photos and Stickers. Swipe up on the list to see all your Messages apps.
- Tap #images, then tap the search field and type a word like happy or congrats.
- Tap a GIF to drop it into your message, add a comment if you like, and send.
You can also move #images higher in the list. Touch and hold its icon until it shrinks slightly, then drag it to the top so it appears without scrolling.
Built in #images versus a GIF keyboard
There are two separate ways to send GIFs, and they live in different places. Knowing which one you used before explains why it seems to have disappeared.
| Option | Where you find it | Works outside Messages? |
|---|---|---|
| Apple #images | Plus button in Messages | No |
| Third party GIF app for iMessage | Plus button in Messages | No |
| Third party GIF keyboard | Globe key under the keyboard | Yes, in most apps |
If you see a smiley face where the globe used to be, that is a clue. The smiley shows up when your iPhone has only one language keyboard plus emoji enabled. A globe appears once a second keyboard, such as a GIF keyboard, is added.
How to add a GIF keyboard back to the globe key
- Make sure the GIF keyboard app is installed. Search the App Store for the one you used, such as GIPHY or GIF Keyboard by Tenor.
- Open Settings and tap General.
- Tap Keyboard, then Keyboards.
- Tap Add New Keyboard and choose your GIF app under the list of third party keyboards.
- Tap the newly added keyboard and turn on Allow Full Access, which GIF keyboards need to search online.
Back in Messages, tap the globe key to cycle through your keyboards, or touch and hold it to pick the GIF keyboard directly from a list. To send a GIF, search, tap it to copy, then switch back and paste it into the text field if the keyboard does not insert it for you.
Still no #images? Try these fixes
- Turn it on in Settings. Go to Settings, Apps, Messages, iMessage Apps and make sure #images is switched on.
- Check your region and language. Apple offers #images only in certain countries, including the United States, and it can go missing if your keyboard language or region is not supported. Check Settings, General, Language and Region.
- Reinstall your GIF app. If a third party GIF app vanished from the plus menu, it may have been offloaded or deleted. Download it again from the App Store and it returns to the list.
- Restart and update. Restart the iPhone, then install the latest iOS 26 update from Settings, General, Software Update.
- Check your connection. GIF search needs a working cellular or WiFi connection, so a blank results screen often means a network issue.
FAQ
Did Apple remove GIFs from iMessage?
No. Apple’s #images GIF search still exists in iOS 26. It is located behind the plus button in Messages rather than on the keyboard.
Why does my keyboard show a smiley face instead of a globe?
Your iPhone has only one keyboard plus emoji enabled. Add a GIF keyboard or another language keyboard and the globe returns.
Can I use #images in WhatsApp or Instagram?
No. #images works only in Apple’s Messages app. For GIFs in other apps, use a third party GIF keyboard or the GIF button built into that app.
Why are GIFs not animating in my messages?
An accessibility setting can pause them. Go to Settings, Accessibility, Motion and make sure the option to auto play animated images is turned on.
The verdict
The GIF option on iPhone is rarely gone, it is just in a new place. Use the plus button in Messages for Apple’s #images, enable it under iMessage Apps if it is missing, and add a GIF keyboard in Settings if you want GIFs behind the globe key in every app.
Updated October 2026: rewritten for iOS 26 with current steps to find #images, add a GIF keyboard and fix missing GIF search in Messages.
Featured photo: Brett Jordan on Unsplash.
About this article: GeekBlog covers U.S. technology news, AI, phones, smartwatches and gaming. Every story is written and checked under our Editorial Policy. Spotted a mistake or have a story tip? Contact our editors.
