Gifs in texts not displaying correctly after Pie update

[Android Central Question]

Our phones recently updated to Pie. We both have S9s and use the stock Messages app. In the past, prior to the update there was an icon you tapped on inside the message box to add a gif to your text or just send as a stand alone.

After the update that icon disappeared and it is now a icon to use the stupid sticker feature. If I bring up the keyboard and tap on the emoji face it will bring up those, and below it is the gif option. Tapping on that does bring up the old gif menu, but if I chose one and send it it just sends as a link to that gif. In the past it displayed in the text field as the actual gif.

How do I get back to sending actual gifs and not just links to those gifs? Nothing else has been added or changed by me, on my phone. Aside from the most recent Android update. Help?

 

[Bifffffrt]

New to the forum. Was looking for a "me too" button but I didn't see one. Having the same issue. I've been searching around the web for an answer. Hopefully someone here knows what's going on.

 

[Rukbat]

MMS ("texting" pictures) is sending a link to the server they're stored on. You can't "text" a picture.

 

[Jmom42]

Our phones recently updated to Pie. We both have S9s and use the stock Messages app. In the past, prior to the update there was an icon you tapped on inside the message box to add a gif to your text or just send as a stand alone.

After the update that icon disappeared and it is now a icon to use the stupid sticker feature. If I bring up the keyboard and tap on the emoji face it will bring up those, and below it is the gif option. Tapping on that does bring up the old gif menu, but if I chose one and send it it just sends as a link to that gif. In the past it displayed in the text field as the actual gif.

How do I get back to sending actual gifs and not just links to those gifs? Nothing else has been added or changed by me, on my phone. Aside from the most recent Android update. Help?

 

[Jmom42]

I have this exact problem also. I don't use the stickers but frequently send gifs. How do I change the settings to have gifs rather than stickers when texting?

 

[mlblack16]

I have this exact problem also. I don't use the stickers but frequently send gifs. How do I change the settings to have gifs rather than stickers when texting?

You can try a different keyboard. Swiftkey does quite well with gifs, but my go to for accuracy in swipe typing has been Gboard by Google.

Your other options include a number of different texting apps. Android Messages has built-in .gif support. Not sure, but Textra likely does as well.