How to Get Imgur Links on Computer & Phone

This guide shows you how to grab a direct link to any Imgur image, album, or GIF, whether you’re on a desktop browser or the mobile app. You’ll learn the fastest methods for sharing on forums, chat apps, or embedding in websites, and what to do when a link won’t work.

What You’ll Need

• An Imgur account (optional, but required to upload images that stay permanently)
• An image, GIF, or video file saved on your device
• Internet connection on your computer or phone

Step-by-Step

On a Computer (Desktop Browser)

1. Upload your image: Go to imgur.com and click the green New post button in the top-left corner. Drag and drop your file into the upload window, or click Browse to select it from your computer.
2. Wait for the upload to finish: The page will show a progress bar. Once it reaches 100%, you’ll be taken to the image’s page.
3. Copy the direct link (for images): On the image page, look at the right sidebar. You’ll see a box labeled Link with a URL like https://imgur.com/gallery/abc123. To get the direct image file link (ending in .jpg, .png, or .gif), right-click the image itself and select Copy image address (Chrome/Firefox) or Copy image link (Edge). This gives you a URL like https://i.imgur.com/abc123.jpg.
4. Copy the direct link (for GIFs): On a GIF page, the right sidebar has a GIF Link field. Click the Copy button next to it. This copies the direct .gif URL, which is what you want for most forums and chat apps.
5. Copy the BBCode (for forums): If you’re posting on a forum or a site that supports BBCode, click the Copy button next to the BBCode field. This gives you something like [img]https://i.imgur.com/abc123.jpg[/img], which will display the image directly in the post.
6. Copy the embed code (for websites): For embedding in a webpage, click the Embed button in the sidebar. It will expand to show an <iframe> code snippet. Click Copy to grab it.

On a Phone (Official Imgur App)

1. Upload your image: Open the Imgur app and tap the + (plus) icon at the bottom of the screen. Select the image or video from your gallery, or take a new photo.
2. Add a title (optional): You can add a title and tags, then tap Upload in the top-right corner.
3. Open your post: After the upload finishes, you’ll see a confirmation screen. Tap View Post to see your image’s page.
4. Copy the share link: Tap the Share icon (the box with an arrow pointing up) at the bottom of the screen. A menu will pop up with several options. The first one, Copy Link, copies the standard Imgur page URL (e.g., https://imgur.com/gallery/abc123).
5. Get the direct image link: The app doesn’t show the direct .jpg link directly in the share sheet. To get it, tap the three-dot menu (⋯) on your post, then select Copy Link to get the page URL. Then, manually edit the URL on your clipboard: change imgur.com to i.imgur.com and add the file extension (like .jpg) at the end. For example, change https://imgur.com/gallery/abc123 to https://i.imgur.com/abc123.jpg.
6. Alternative: Copy from the website: If you’re in a mobile browser (like Chrome or Safari), go to imgur.com, log in, and follow the desktop steps above. The site works on mobile browsers and gives you all the same copy buttons.

Getting a Link to an Existing Image

1. Find the image: Browse Imgur and open the image you want to share.
2. Copy the page URL: The URL in your browser’s address bar is the share link. Copy it directly.
3. For the direct file link: Right-click the image (on desktop) and choose Copy image address. On mobile, long-press the image and select Copy image address or Copy link (depending on your browser).

Common Mistakes

• Sharing the page URL instead of the direct link: The page URL (like imgur.com/gallery/abc123) shows the image inside Imgur’s interface with comments and ads. Many sites and apps won’t display it as an embedded image. Always use the i.imgur.com link for direct image display.
• Forgetting the file extension: Direct links need the extension (.jpg, .png, .gif). Without it, some sites won’t render the image.
• Copying the wrong BBCode: The HTML embed code is for websites, not forums. Using HTML code in a forum post will show the code as text, not the image.
• Using the delete link: If you uploaded without an account, Imgur gives you a special Delete link. Sharing that link lets anyone delete your image. Never share the delete link.

Tips

• Create an account: If you upload anonymously, your image may be removed after a period of inactivity. An account keeps your images permanent.
• Use the right link for the platform: For Reddit, use the direct i.imgur.com link. For Discord, the direct link works too. For Twitter/X, the direct link is best. For email, the page link is fine.
• Check the link works: Before sharing, paste the link into a new browser tab and press Enter. If it shows the image, it’s good.
• For albums: If you upload multiple images at once, you get an album link (like imgur.com/a/xyz789). To share a single image from an album, open that image and copy its individual link.
• Use the Imgur URL shortener: Imgur automatically creates short links (like imgur.com/gallery/abc123) that are fine for most text-based sharing, but not for embedding.

Troubleshooting

• Link shows a blank page or error: The image may have been deleted, or the URL is incomplete. Double-check that you copied the entire link, including the extension. If it’s an anonymous upload, it may have expired.
• Image won’t display in a forum or chat app: You likely used the page URL instead of the direct link. Re-copy using the BBCode or Direct Link option. Some apps block Imgur links entirely; in that case, upload the image directly to that app.
• Copy button not working on mobile: Close the app and reopen it. If that fails, use the browser version of Imgur instead.
• Upload stuck at 99%: This is usually a network issue. Cancel the upload and try again. If it persists, try a different browser or app.
• Direct link ends in .gifv but you need .gif: Imgur converts large GIFs to video format (.gifv). To get the original .gif, use the GIF Link button on the desktop site, or right-click the image and copy the address — it may still be .gifv. If you need a .gif specifically, upload a smaller file.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What’s the difference between imgur.com and i.imgur.com?
A: imgur.com links show the image on Imgur’s website with comments and navigation. i.imgur.com links point directly to the image file itself, which is what you want for embedding or direct display.

Q: Can I get a link without uploading?
A: No, you must upload the image to Imgur first. There’s no way to create a link to a file that isn’t on their servers.

Q: Do Imgur links expire?
A: Links to images uploaded while logged into an account do not expire. Anonymous uploads may be removed if they receive no views for a long time, but this is rare.

Q: How do I share a video I uploaded?
A: Videos work like images. On desktop, use the Direct Link or BBCode copy buttons. On mobile, use the share sheet’s Copy Link option, then edit the URL to change imgur.com to i.imgur.com and add the file extension (like .mp4).

Q: Why does my GIF link end in .gifv?
A: For large GIFs, Imgur automatically converts them to an HTML5 video format with a .gifv extension to save bandwidth. It still plays as a GIF, but some sites don’t support .gifv. Use the GIF Link button to get the original .gif, or upload a smaller file.

Q: Can I edit the image after uploading?
A: No, Imgur doesn’t allow editing an uploaded image. You must delete it and re-upload the edited version. You’ll get a new link.

Related

• Edit PDFs in Windows 11: Built-In Ways
• Facebook Marketplace Shopping Tips: 12 Real-World Warnings
• iMessage Stuck on Sending? Fixes That Work