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How to post photos or GIFs on X

To post a photo or GIF in a Post
Sharing a photo or video in the moment
Step 1

To quickly Post a photo, select the camera icon from the top menu, or swipe left from your Home timeline.



Step 2

Tap to take a photo. You have the option to add copy and a location. Select Post when ready to post, or tap Add to thread to connect it to your last Post, and then press Add to share it.



Adding a photo to a Post
Step 1

Select the Post icon  

Step 2

Select the camera icon to add a new photo or video to your Post.



Step 3

Select the photo icon 

 to attach an existing photo, video, or GIF. Once you have 2 or more photos selected, you can tap and hold a photo to drag and reorder before Posting.
Tip: Read about how to include a video in your Post.



Step 4

Select Post to post.



Note: When you Post a single photo, images with standard aspect ratios (between 2:1 and 3:4) will display in full to allow for a taller photo, without sacrificing quality, relevance, or engagement. This means more control when you’re posting, and what you see in the Post composer is what you’ll get on X.

Adding an iOS Live Photo to a Post
Step 1

Select the Post icon  

Step 2

Select the photo icon 

 to attach an existing iOS Live Photo from your iPhone.

Step 3

Select on the GIF badge in the lower-left corner of the iOS Live Photo to share it as a GIF.

Step 4

Select Post to post.



Sharing a GIF
Step 1

To search for and choose a GIF from the GIF library, select the GIF icon in the composer.

Step 2

Select Post to post. 
Tip: You can also send photos and GIFs in Direct Messages. 

Sharing a photo or video in the moment
Step 1

To quickly Post a photo, tap the camera icon from the top menu, or swipe left from your Home timeline.



Step 2

Tap to take a photo. You have the option to add Post copy and a location. Tap Post when ready to post, or tap Add to thread to connect it to your last Post, and then press Add to share it.



Adding a photo to a Post
Step 1

Tap the Post icon  

Step 2

Tap the camera icon to add a new photo or video to your Post.



Step 3

Tap the photo icon 

 to attach an existing photo, video, or GIF. Once you have 2 or more photos selected, you can tap and hold a photo to drag and reorder before Posting.
Tip: Read about how to include a video in your Post.



Step 4

Tap Post to post.



Note: When you Post a single photo, images with standard aspect ratios (between 2:1 and 3:4) will display in full to allow for a taller photo, without sacrificing quality, relevance, or engagement. This means more control when you’re posting, and what you see in the Post composer is what you’ll get on X. 

Sharing a GIF
Step 1

To search for and select a GIF from the GIF library, tap the GIF icon in the composer.

Step 2

Tap Post to post. 
Tip: You can also send photos and GIFs in Direct Messages. 

Step 1

From the Post compose box, select the photo icon to capture or upload a photo or video from your phone.

Step 2

To search for and upload a GIF from the GIF library, select the GIF icon from your phone or computer. Note: Animated GIFs can't be included in Posts with multiple images. You can send only one GIF in a Post.

Step 3

Tip: Read about how to include a video in your Post.

Step 4

Once you choose a photo or GIF, the image will attach to your Post in full size. You can select 1-4 photos to Post at once.

Step 5

You can also reply or Quote Post directly from your phone with a photo or video.

Step 6

If selecting Video Reply, there is a hands-free option to record up to 60 seconds of video.

Step 7

Select Post to post.

Tip: You can also send photos and GIFs in Direct Messages.


Advanced photo options


Editing a photo

If you're posting from the X for iOS or X for Android apps, you can enhance, apply a filter, crop an image, and add stickers to a photo.
 

Adding a sticker to a photo

If you're posting from the X for iOS or X for Android app, you can add up to 25 stickers to a photo. To add a sticker to an image:

  1. Tap the post icon ( on iOS or Android).
  2. Tap the photo icon  to take a photo or to select one from your camera roll. 
  3. Tap the sticker icon  from the selected photo to launch a library of stickers to choose from. Tap the sticker(s) you want and then drag with your finger to where you place it where you want it.  
  4. To tilt, enlarge, or shrink a sticker: Place two fingers on either side of the sticker and turn the sticker clockwise or counterclockwise to rotate, or slide your fingers apart or together to resize. 
  5. To remove a sticker from a photo, press and hold on the sticker, then drag it to the bottom of your screen until the delete icon  appears.


Note: Once you have posted your photo with stickers, you can't edit the image. You also can't edit stickers when Reposting someone else’s photo.
 

To Tag people in a photo

Tap "Tag people," then type in a full name, or a username, and then tap Done. 
Note: Tags cannot be applied to animated GIFs.

Tagging location

When you select a photo or GIF, you might see Add location and a list of suggested locations under the image. To tag your photo or GIF with a location, tap Add location to select a location from a list, or tap one of the locations suggested based on your current location or the location where you took the photo. You can also search for a location by tapping the location marker icon  or by tapping Search locations.

Note: To remove the image file you selected, select the x on the image thumbnail (or next to the file name). To remove a tag, tap the tag and then the backspace or delete button. You can only do this before you post the photo. You can’t remove tags from a photo once it is posted.

How many characters do photos and GIFs use?

None, photo and GIF attachments do not count towards the character limit in a Post (in iOS, Android, x.com, and mobile web clients-only).

What are the size and file type requirements?

  • Photos can be up to 5MB; animated GIFs can be up to 5MB on mobile, and up to 15MB on web.
  • We accept GIF, JPEG, and PNG files.
  • We DO NOT accept BMP, TIFF or other file formats.
  • Your photo will be automatically scaled for display in your expanded X and in your gallery.

Why doesn’t my animated GIF play on X?

X supports looping GIFs. If your animated GIF doesn’t loop and plays a single time, it will display as a static image.

How can I search for a GIF when composing a Post?

After tapping the Post icon, tap the GIF icon to open the GIF library. You can search for GIFs by entering various keywords in the search box, or you can look through the auto-displayed categories to choose a GIF. 

Can I add images from my 3rd party keyboard app?

If using the X for iOS app, it is possible to copy and paste images, emojis, and GIFs to Posts and Direct Messages from 3rd party keyboard apps.

To add an image, emoji, or GIF on iOS:

  1. When composing your Post or Direct Message, tap on the text field to bring up your iOS keyboard.
  2. Tap and hold the globe icon on your device and select the 3rd party keyboard you wish to access.
  3. Tap and press the image, emoji, or GIF you’d like to use. When prompted that the image has been copied, tap and hold on the text field.
  4. Tap Paste to add the image.

How do I delete a photo?

You can delete a photo by deleting the Post that contains it. Once a Post is deleted, the photo will no longer be available from X. However, please note that it may still be cached in some browsers, apps, and servers.

My Posts are protected. Are my photos protected, too?

If your Posts are protected, only your followers will be able to see your photos in your Posts. Please note that your followers may download or re-share links to photos that you share in protected Posts. Links to photos shared on X are not protected. Anyone with the link will be able to view the content. If you don't want anyone to see your photos on X, we suggest you delete the Posts containing those photos.

My Posts are protected. Can I still tag or be tagged in a photo?

Tags appear on photos in Posts, and mentions can appear in any type of Post. 

How do I remove my name or username from a photo I’m tagged in?

From the X for iOS or X for Android app:

  1. Select the  icon located at the top of the Post you’re tagged in.
  2. Select Remove tag from photo.
  3. Select Delete to confirm.

 

Via x.com:

  1. Tap the   icon located at the top of the Post you’re tagged in.
  2. Select Remove my tag from photo.
  3. Select OK to confirm.

I don’t want to be tagged in photos. How do I change my settings?

You can change who can tag you in a photo by visiting your Privacy and safety settings via x.com and X for iOS or X for Android apps.

To change your settings using X for iOS:

  1. In the top menu, tap your profile icon, then tap Settings and privacy.
  2. Tap Privacy and safety.
  3. Under Posts, tap Photo tagging and drag the slider to enable or disable photo tagging.
  4. If you enable photo tagging, you can adjust your settings so that Anyone can tag you or only Only people you follow can tag you.


To change your settings using X for Android:

  1. In the top menu, you will either see a navigation menu icon  or your profile icon. Tap whichever icon you have, and select Settings and privacy.
  2. Tap Privacy and safety.
  3. Under Posts, tap Photo tagging. You can select Off to disable photo tagging, or you can enable photo tagging by selecting Anyone can tag you or Only people you follow can tag you.

 

Note: Please allow up to 30 minutes for changes to your photo tagging settings to take place.

Where can I see the photos I’m tagged in?

Posts with photo(s) you’re tagged in will be listed under Notifications in the Notifications tab. If you follow the person who has tagged you, the Post also be visible in your timeline.

Why don't I see a list of suggested locations?

The ability to tag a photo with a location is only available in the X app for iOS or Android. You must have location services enabled on your device before X can suggest locations. 

What happens to the Exif data for my photo?

When location services are enabled, and you attach a photo in the composer, X refers to the Exif data of the photo to show suggested locations. 

In addition, X uses Exif data for analytics purposes related to whether posted media was taken with the device camera. 

X retains Exif data temporarily to process your photo. It is not available to those who view your photo on X.

Will all images appear in search?

Photos included in public Posts may show up in X search results. Photos posted in protected Posts and deleted photos will not show up in X search results.

Can I share videos on X?

Yes, it's easy to share and watch videos on X.

Why do I sometimes not have the option to search for a GIF in my X app?

Depending on your mobile connection, searching for a GIF may not be available from time to time. If you find you cannot search for a GIF through the media library, you can still upload a GIF that is saved to your phone’s photo library.

Need more help?

If you have more questions about posting photos (including advanced photo options) or gifs on X, you can contact our Support team.

Get help

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