Disable iMessage GIFs
How to block GIFs in iMessage on iOS version 18+
After iOS version 18, it's no longer possible to opt out of iMessage's GIF feature. However, there are still multiple ways that it can be disabled.
As of iOS version 18 and later, Apple removed the ability to opt out of GIFs in iMessage. For many parents managing their child's internet access and adults self-managing their own iPhone, GIFs can provide unwanted access to adult content. Fortunatley, there are a few effective ways that GIFs can be completely disabled in iMessage.
This is mainly a problem for iPhone or iPad devices, but if you're an avid Apple user with a Mac device, I'll explain a technique that should work on the macOS version of iMessage as well.
Block Apple's Image Domain Using a Content Policy
On iOS, Apple uses a specific domain to host and distribute GIF images to iPhones, iPads, and Mac computers. If you block this domain, GIFs can't be received by your devices, and iMessages will not be able to load previews or search correctly.
Here's the domain Apple uses:
smoot.apple.com
If blocked correctly on iPhone, #images in iMessage should look like this:
On Mac, it should look like this:
This domain needs to be blocked at the network level on your device, otherwise, it won't work as expected. There are a few ways you can do this on iPhones and Mac computers consistently, but we recommend using a DNS Content Policy to reliably block domains using a filtered VPN.
A Content Policy is the ideal setup if you're an adult self-managing your own devices and need to ensure that your rules remain consistent across multiple devices.
Plus, you can also block additional kinds of content comprehensively by category. For example, you can block security threats and adult content by blocking the associated website and domain categories.
If you have multiple devices connected to your Content Policy, these settings will then be saved to all devices at once.
Frequently Asked Questions
How can I manually block domains on a Mac computer?
In addition to a Content Policy, you could also consider blocking domains manually using the Hosts file .
The Hosts file is a special configuration option available on both Mac and Windows computers. It's recommended if you need to block websites that you do not want to have access to in the future, ever. It is technically reversible, but if you're using the multi-layered approach to block websites in multiple ways at once, the Hosts file makes a solid final backup for primary filtering methods.
Are there other ways to block GIFs on iPhones and iPads?
Yes, but these will require downloading apps from the App Store, since Apple still doesn't have a built-in solution for this yet.
A solid option that we highly recommend for parents is the Gertrude App for iOS . It's a solid companion to Screen Time and parental controls for iOS that blocks multiple gaps at once (not just GIF images).
Can Domains be blocked on iPhones and iPads using Screen Time?
Unfortunately, no. Screen Time can be used to block websites accessed through Safari and most other websites. It can't, however, block domains used by other apps like iMessage.
iPhones do not have a similar alternative to the Hosts file, like you could use with a Mac computer.
I would strongly recommend checking out our comprehensive guide to blocking websites on iPhones for more blocking techniques and suggestions.