The internet loves GIFs. They’re the best way to react to anything whether it’s good news, bad news, or political news. This image type is so popular that Facebook, Twitter and Whatsapp have added GIF support as well, complete with a built-in search feature for finding them. Creating a GIF is pretty easy but services like Giphy and Imgur have such a rich library of GIFs, you never really need to create a new one. You can search the extensive library of GIFs available on Giphy and just use one from there. GIF Share Overlay is a free Android app that lets you search and Share GIFs on Android from anywhere. The app is accessed from the Notifications shade. It adds a floating overlay to your screen where you can search and share GIFs from.
Install GIF Share Overlay and a ‘GIF’ icon is added to the Notifications shade. Pull down the Notifications shade and tap ‘GIF Overlay’.
The app’s floating overlay will open. It will appear on top of the current app/screen. By default, the overlay shows you an ad. Tap the search bar and type in what kind of GIF you’re looking for.
By default, GIF Share Overlay loads twenty results. This makes it so the results are quick to load. Each GIF plays automatically within the overlay. You can keep scrolling the overlay to view more.
To share a GIF, tap it so that it’s highlighted. Tap the share button next to the search bar to share it. The Android share menu will open. Select a contact or an app to share the GIF with.
Tap the close button to close the overlay. GIF Share Overlay will continue to run in the Notifications shade. Any time you want to search and share GIFs on Android, pull down the Notifications shade and tap GIF Overlay.
GIF Share Overlay lets you customize the appearance of the overlay from its settings. Open the overlay and tap the cogwheel button next to the share button and the app’s setting will open. Here you can change the color of the overlay to one of the available presets. Additionally, you can change how many GIFs the app loads by default by dragging the ‘Max Results’ slider to the right. The mode selection doesn’t appear to do anything. The app has only one mode; GIF search.
GIF Share Overlay searches Giphy for GIFs. The app has only one source for finding GIFs but Giphy has an exceptionally large library so no complaints there. When using the app to search for GIFs, some of the results might not load. Simply tap the refresh button to force them to load.
The app is pretty good and when it shows ads, it isn’t trying to trick you into tapping on them. The only shortcoming the app has is that you cannot drag and reposition the floating overlay on your screen. It’s a small shortcoming but one that might make for a lesser user experience. The app is nevertheless the easiest, and most unobtrusive way to search and share GIFs on Android.