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In this guide, we tell you about four ways to save GIFs from the X app (formerly Twitter) to the iOS Photos app on your iPhone or iPad.

X lets all users save still images from the platform to the Photos app with little fuss.

You can also save videos from X to your iPhone photo library in just a couple of taps, provided you have subscribed to X Premium, and the poster has allowed downloads.

However, when it comes to GIFs, you can’t save them like photos, nor will you see the download button that appears on a video post. This leaves you with using workarounds, and none of them are straightforward. Still, all things considered, if you must save GIFs from X to your iPhone Photos app, here are four ways to do that.

Use the Twitter Video and GIF Downloads

After trying countless Siri shortcuts, I found this one that works and saves the X GIF to the iOS Photos app. But it doesn’t capture the X post link directly from the Share Sheet; it only reads the post URL from your clipboard. So, you must follow the exact steps I show you below.

1) Add the shortcut to your iPhone or iPad by scanning the QR code on routinehub.co/shortcut/16877/.

2) Open the X app on your iPhone and go to a post with a GIF. You can just search for “GIF” to find something.

3) Tap the share button under the X post and select Copy Link.

4) Tap the same share button again, and this time select Share via to open the iOS Share Sheet. Next, tap Twitter Video & Gif Downloads from there.

5) You’ll now have to allow a bunch of permissions that this shortcut presents you with. After that, when you get to the ‘Select Server’ prompt, select the first one that says ‘x2twitter.’ Then, after allowing some more permissions, when you see the ‘What’s the next?’ option, tap ‘Make the gif.’ Allow notifications from this shortcut if you want.

6) Finally, open the Photos app, and you’ll find the GIF saved there.

When you have to save a second GIF, you must not start from step 4 above; instead, start from step 3 (i.e., copying the post link to the clipboard), and follow the rest of the process.

Use the TVDL shortcut

Just like the above iOS shortcuts, this one also requires you to copy the GIF post link on X and then select TVDL 4.1.0 from the iOS Share Sheet. We have explained how to use this shortcut in our guide on downloading videos from X to the iPhone Photos app.

Use native screen recording

If you don’t save a lot of GIFs from X, this method is one to know about.

Simply use the screen recording option in iOS Control Center to record your iPhone screen showing the GIF. Then, crop the screen recording to show just the GIF portion and strip away the rest.

Finally, share this screen recording video via Messages, WhatsApp, email, etc. If the video is very short, WhatsApp may even offer you the option to send it as a GIF instead of a video.

Related: How to turn a video or screen recording into a GIF on iPhone and Mac

Use a Twitter video downloader website

Websites that let you download videos from Twitter are very popular, and most also support saving GIFs (though as small video files). The entire process is the same as saving a video. Here’s a recap:

1) Copy the X post link with GIF, visit ssstwitter.com in Safari on your iPhone, paste the link there, and tap Download > Download original video. After closing the ads, tap Download (not View) on the Safari pop-up asking for your permission on what to do with the GIF.

2) Next, go to Safari Downloads, as shown in the screenshots below.

3) Tap the GIF to open it. Then, tap the share icon and select Save Video to have this GIF as a video in your iPhone Photos app.

Just share the post link instead, or find the GIF elsewhere

Finally, if none of the above steps seem viable or easy, simply share the actual X post link instead of downloading and sharing the GIF.

Most GIFs on X are also available on Google, GIPHY, and other GIF-focused platforms. Simply search for the GIF by description and save it from elsewhere.

More on GIFs:

• How to make a GIF on iPhone or iPad
• How to view, extract, and save frames of a GIF as individual images on Mac and iOS

Source link: https://www.idownloadblog.com/2026/03/11/download-gif-x-iphone/

Find out how to use the Voice Control feature in CarPlay through your iPhone running iOS 26 to navigate apps, the Home Screen, and interact with your car’s screen without actually touching it.

For starters, you can already use Siri in CarPlay to play music, change tracks, adjust the volume, call someone, ask for the weather, navigate to a place in Maps, and more.

But Voice Control can do a few things that Siri can’t, like swiping left or right on the CarPlay Home Screen pages and tapping a specific button that’s visible on the car’s screen.

You can activate Voice Control in CarPlay and use it alongside Siri, getting the best of both worlds. And I really mean you should keep Siri active for your own sanity, because Voice Control works only when you speak specific fixed commands (and it may fail even at the slightest iteration). In contrast, Siri can understand voice commands even if you frame them differently and naturally.

Turn on Voice Control in CarPlay

1. Get in your car and start wired or wireless CarPlay through your iPhone running the latest version of iOS 26 or iOS 18.
2. Open CarPlay Settings.
3. Tap Accessibility.
4. Scroll down to the Physical and Motor section and turn on Voice Control. You’ll continuously see its blue icon in the CarPlay Dock/sidebar indicating that Voice Control is active and listening for voice commands.

Use Voice Control in CarPlay

After activating, you can start by saying “Go Home” to return to the CarPlay Home Screen.

After that, say these phrases or voice commands to use Voice Control in CarPlay. But remember to pause for at least half a second before speaking the next command.

Open [app name]: Opens an app.

Go Home: Returns to the Home Screen.

Go back: Returns to the previous screen (it works in apps with a back button).

Tap [item (i.e., say the button name/label)]: Taps an item on the touchscreen.

This may not work in all CarPlay screens, especially the cheaper ones. Secondly, Apple says that if there is an unlabeled item, ‘you can refer to it based on its position relative to other items. For example, if you see a row of icons with no text labels, you can try saying “Tap first” or “Tap second” to tap the first or second icon in the row, respectively.’

Single tap: Taps the touchscreen. This is helpful in apps like Maps, where certain on-screen controls are hidden automatically after a while.

Double-tap: Double-taps the touchscreen. Use it to zoom in on the map.

Double-tap [item]: Double-taps an item on the touchscreen.

Swipe left or Swipe right: Swipes between pages in CarPlay Home or CarPlay Dashboard.

Swipe up or Swipe down: Navigates up or down in a list.

Pan left, Pan right, Pan up, or Pan down: Use it to move around the map or in other supported apps.

Open Siri: Activates Siri

Stop listening: Pauses Voice Control so it doesn’t consider your spoken words as commands.

Start listening: Resumes Voice Control

Turn off Voice Control

Saying the ‘Stop listening’ command only prevents Voice Control from acting on what it hears. But it continues listening, so it can hear your ‘Start listening’ command should you choose to resume using it.

If you don’t want to use Voice Control at all, return to CarPlay Settings > Accessibility and turn off Voice Control.

Using Voice Control in Maps and Music apps

Maps and Music are the top two Apple apps used in CarPlay, and for obvious reasons.

When you want to tap something with a name or label using Voice Control, simply say “Tap [text shown as the name/label of the button].”

If a button has no name or you don’t know what to call it, use the button names in the image below. These images are screenshots from Apple.

• Maps:

• Music:

Supported Voice Control

Voice Control is available in the following languages. Note that we have only mentioned English voice commands above. To know the exact commands in other supported languages, visit Apple’s support page on this topic, click the current country name at the bottom, and select yours.

• Arabic (Saudi Arabia)
• Cantonese (China mainland)
• Cantonese (Hong Kong)
• English (Australia, Canada, India, the United Kingdom, the United States)
• French (France)
• German (Germany)
• Italian
• Japanese
• Korean
• Mandarin Chinese (China mainland and Taiwan)
• Russian
• Spanish (Mexico, Spain, and the United States)
• Turkish

Also, check out:

• How to enable and use Voice Control instead of Siri on iPhone
• 17+ tips to use your iPhone with your car

Source link: https://www.idownloadblog.com/2026/03/10/voice-control-carplay/