What Giffage offered Giffage was an example of a GIF keyboard that aimed to make finding, editing and sharing animated GIFs quick and painless from an iOS device. It combined a large, curated library of GIFs with tools to create your own and a keyboard extension that put those GIFs inside whatever app you were using.
Key features included: search and browse by category (cats, emotions, reactions and so on), a trending feed, a way to save your favourites, and quick access to recently used GIFs. It also exposed image-editing-style tools — filters, captions and simple layering — so you could tweak a GIF before sending. You could convert Live Photos into GIFs for easier sharing with non-iOS users and even mash up two GIFs or generate an animation from plain text.
The keyboard also let you type text from its own interface without switching back to the system keyboard, and offered sharing shortcuts to social networks so you could post straight from the keyboard when composing a message or tweet.
Put simply: Giffage bundled a big library with on-device creation and a keyboard that kept everything one tap away.
Choosing a GIF keyboard: useful features and privacy tips If you’re shopping for a GIF keyboard today, whether Giffage is still your pick or not, look for the same practical features that make these apps genuinely useful:
- Large, curated library: breadth matters if you want the right reaction quickly. Curated collections can save time compared with sifting through raw search results. - Search and categories: clearly labelled categories and a decent search function are essential. Trending feeds are handy when you want what's current. - Creation and editing: basic editing (text captions, filters, trimming, reversing playback) and the ability to convert short clips or Live Photos are what turn a neat GIF into the perfect one. - Shortcuts and keyboard integration: getting GIFs into messages, social posts or email without switching apps makes the whole experience faster. - Personal library: favouriting or saving GIFs you use often saves time. A recent/recents list is similarly useful.
Privacy and permissions GIF keyboards often ask for broad permissions so they can paste images or access the network. On iOS this can require enabling the keyboard and granting “full access,” which allows the developer to transmit content you type or paste. Think carefully before granting that level of access: if you use the keyboard primarily for GIFs, check whether the app can function with limited permissions and read the privacy policy to see how your data is used.
Performance and data GIFs can be large and chew through data if the app auto-downloads content. Look for settings to limit downloads to Wi‑Fi, and be mindful of battery use if the keyboard runs background processes.
When to make your own GIFs Creating your own GIFs is worth the effort when you want a personalised reaction, a captioned clip from a chat, or a short loop made from a Live Photo or video snippet. Built‑in editors that let you add text, filters and layers save time and keep everything on-device.
Bottom line A good GIF keyboard mixes a big, searchable library with lightweight editing and sensible sharing options. Take a moment to check permissions and data settings, and you’ll have a faster, more fun way to express yourself in messages and social posts.
