4 free apps to create animated GIFs on Android and iPhone

Halfway between photo and video, the animated gif allows you to express your creativity in a dynamic and fun way. Slipped during a conversation or shared on social networks, this media file format brings a touch of originality to your posts, especially when you create your own personalized sequences yourself. Anxious to awaken the artist editor in you, the editorial staff of Telecharger.com has selected four of the best free applications to create animated gifs that look like you.

GIPHY CAM

Colorful and super kitsch, GIPHY CAM gives carte blanche to all creative follies. The application uses the rear and front cameras of the smartphone to shoot short videos. Access to the gallery authorizes the use of existing photos and videos. Cropping and cutting snippets is done at your fingertips via the built-in editor.

The strength of GIPHY CAM lies in the variety of its filters and stickers. You have to love the lolcats, the glitter and the pop effects that invade the most frequent gifs. A local recording function saves the best compositions on the smartphone’s memory card while a share button allows you to instantly send your crazy shots to your friends.

The +:
+ Intuitive and ergonomic
+ Cutting and cropping tools
+ Original effects, filters and stickers
+ Seasonal content

The – :
– No selection of the local directory or sub-directory

Download GIPHY CAM for Android (Free)
Download GIPHY CAM for iPhone (Free)

Boomerang

Boomerang aims for the most extreme simplicity. His credo: don’t worry about anything. On the interface, a single button triggers a burst of ten shots that the application takes in stride in a very short video. Everything goes very fast, offering the great advantage of instantly capturing movement thanks to the rear camera or in selfie.

Unlike its competitors, Boomerang does not offer any customization tool. We forget about filters, stickers and often popular visual effects. The only fantasy that the application allows itself lies in the loop effect which makes the created gif loop. You then decide to share your creation with your loved ones, by messages or on social networks.

The +:
+ Suitable for perfect beginners
+ Captures movement in the finest detail

The – :
– No customization tool
– No access to photos and videos in the gallery

Download Boomerang for Android (Free)
Download Boomerang for iPhone (Free)

ImgPlay

ImgPlay is one of the most flexible applications. You can create a gif from videos and photos taken on the fly, stored in the gallery or saved in any directory of the smartphone. A first cutting module makes it possible to delimit the exact extract serving as a basis for the future gif.

Without showing any crazy inventiveness, ImgPlay offers colored filters and text customization tools. Depending on the desired format, you can crop the animation on the sides and choose the direction of reading of the gif: forward, backward, loop. In the advanced settings, we adjust the number of frames per second. Once the retouching is finished, we save our gif locally or we share it directly on social networks.

The +:
+ Flexible
+ Cutting and cropping tools
+ Many filters, effects and stickers
+ Module for adjusting the number of images per second

The – :
– Inability to mix photos and videos
– Lots of filters reserved for the pro version
– Watermark, even if discreet

Download ImgPlay for Android (Free)
Download ImgPlay for iPhone (Free)

GIF Maker

All the resources are good to use for GIF Maker. The application allows you to work with photos and videos captured on the fly, stored in the gallery or referenced on Giphy. Before moving on to pure and hard creation, we select and reframe the shots to integrate into the gif.

The great asset of GIF Maker is its almost exhaustive toolbox. There are essentials such as filters, text and stickers. Other more advanced modules manage the reading speed, the removal of parasitic elements or the order of display of the images. The recording is done locally in low, medium or high quality. You can also directly share your gifs on social networks or by message with your friends.

The +:
+ Compatible with all sources of images and videos
+ Cutting and cropping tools
+ Many filters, effects and stickers
+ Many very advanced editing tools

The – :
– Advertising
– Unattractive interface

Download GIF Maker for Android (Free)

Verdict

Little suspense: our preference goes to GIPHY CAM. Its ease of use makes it an ideal ally for gif enthusiasts. The many customization content available is neither lacking in originality nor in fun. And this is ultimately what sets GIPHY CAM apart from its competitors: in addition to its efficiency, the app can be fun to use.