How to Add Text to a GIF on Any Device [GIF Editing Tip]

GIFs have been a viral sensation online for years. Animated GIFs can convey emotions and messages in a way that static images or text alone cannot. Shorter and more compact than videos, GIFs are ideal for sharing quickly and easily via messenger apps, email, etc. But you may need to add text to GIFs to provide additional information, create humorous captions, etc. How to add text to a GIF? Here are 4 easy ways to add text on GIFs while keeping original quality on PC, Mac, iPhone/Android, and online, without a watermark.

How to Add Text to a GIF on PC

The most recommended way is to use a professional GIF editor to add text to a GIF on a PC. iTop Screen Recorder is a full-packed screen recorder with GIF editing features, making it easy to record and edit GIFs or videos.

iTop Screen Recorder is ideally for recording the full screen, part of the screen, videos, and outputting as GIFs for sharing on email, text, Facebook, WhatsApp, and other platforms. Thanks to its advanced editor, it’s just a few clicks away to add text, stickers, images, etc. to your GIFs freely on PC. The screen recorder for PC helps smooth GIFs with a good balance between quality and file size. You can remove unwanted parts/frames, adjust text style, font, color, and align to ensure the best visual quality.

Follow the detailed guide on how to add text to a GIF in iTop Screen Recorder with its Advanced Editor.

Step 1. Download iTop Screen Recorder, and install the GIF editor on your Windows PC. Launch iTop Screen Recorder.

Step 2. Click on the "Advanced Editor" button located under the "Tools" section on the left panel. A new window will open, where you can edit your GIFs.

Step 3. Drag and drop your GIF file into the window. Alternatively, click the "+ Media" icon and select the GIF from your PC. Click on the "Text" icon in the left panel. Choose the desired text style from the available options. Adjust the text font, style, color, size, and position based on your preference.

Step 4. Once you're satisfied with the text placement and appearance, click the "Export" button and select the format as GIF. Now, save the modified GIF to your desired location on your Windows PC.

How to Add Text to a GIF on Mac

Photoshop, as a leading photo editor app, is a good choice to add text on a GIF on a Mac for professional users. Note that Photoshop can seriously hog your computer's resources, especially when you're working with big or intricate GIFs. Use the following guide to add text to a GIF on your Mac computer with Photoshop.

Step 1. Open Photoshop and go to File > Open. Select your GIF and click Open. The GIF's frames will appear in the Timeline.

Step 2. In the Layers panel, click the Create a New Layer button. Name this layer "Text" for easy reference.

Step 3. Select the Type Tool from the toolbar. Click on the GIF where you want to place your text. Type your desired text and adjust the font, size, color, and positioning as needed.

If you want the text to appear on a specific frame or throughout the entire GIF, adjust the Layer's position in the Layers panel.

Step 4. Go to File > Export > Save for Web (Legacy). In the Save for Web dialog, adjust settings like Image Size, Looping Options, and Quality. Click Save to export your GIF with the added text.

How to Add Text to a GIF on iPhone/Android

If you want to add text to GIF Meme on Android mobile devices or iPhones, GIPHY is a good way to go. The app offers lots of free well-organized GIFs, stickers, and clips for sharing on Facebook Messenger, Snapchat, Instagram, and more. It has preset text styles with changeable colors and is good for making quick GIFs to share with your family or friends.

The thumbs down is video ads and freezing issues. Some users also complain about the irrelevant gifts that keep showing on the app. Use the steps below to learn how to add text to a GIF on Android or iPhone with GIPHY.

Step 1. Open the GIPHY on your iPhone or Android. Tap the “Create+” button and import your GIFs to GIPHY.

Step 2. Tap the GIF editing button at the bottom of the screen.

Step 3. Select “Text” to add text to GIF free on your mobile. Preset text styles are offered by the app. Change the text color by tapping your desired color from the top of the screen.

Step 4. Tap “Upload to GIPHY” once the process is completed. Select upload publicly or privately.

How to Add Text to a GIF Online

Online services are preferred to add text to a GIF for its ease of use and no software installation requirement. Ezgif is a top-rated online animated GIF editor that allows you to add text to GIFs via web browsers. It supports a max file size of 200MB for free and has easy access to set font size, frames, font, color, opacity, and more.  Supported image types include animated GIF, WebP, APNG, and MNG formats. It is flexible to adjust the text on different frames of the GIF. Below is a detailed guide on how to add text to a GIF free online via Ezgif.

Step 1. Open the online text to GIF tool, https://ezgif.com/add-text. Click the “Choose File” button and add the GIF you want to edit. Or directly enter the GIF URL.

Step 2. Click the "Upload" button to upload the GIF to the service. On the GIF editing window, enter the text, set the font size, frames, etc., and click the "Set" button. You can change the text position on the GIF via drag and drop.

Step 3. Click the "Create animation" button to add text to a GIF online for free. Then save the GIF with text to your device.

Conclusion

There are several easy ways to add text to a GIF. Online services like Ezgif offer the most accessible way to annotate your animated GIFs. Giphy app simplifies the steps to add text to GIF Meme on iPhone and Android devices. However, for advanced features and flexibility, a much more professional GIF editor, iTop Screen Recorder, is more appreciated. Free download iTop Screen Recorder and make smooth yet high-quality GIFs with text.