And GIFs are image files, which can make them easy to share in mail and messages. Some message and keyboard apps even include a GIF library for quick access in your conversations.

I show how to use Giphy's free tools to customize your GIF and download it when you're done. If you're using your phone, there's a mobile app too.

Online “visual” reactions have come a long way since the first sideways smiley-face emoticon appeared four decades ago. Animated GIFs — those files showing a few seconds of choppy motion ...