A picture with some captions—that’s a meme for you. No matter which fandom or online community you’re a part of, memes are here to stay as internet folklore.
Have an idea for a meme that no one else has created? Check out these free apps you can use to create memes from your iPhone or iPad.
1. Mematic
Mematic provides standard meme layouts. Once you pick a template, you can pick a color background, choose popular templates like the Drake and Uno meme, or even use your own picture to create an original meme. There are also stickers like the “Deal With It” black shades to add sass to your meme.
If you’re used to looking at memes, rather than making them, Mematic has video tutorials and guides to help you navigate the app and explain some tips on how to create the meme you want.
Some meme apps may contain non-family-friendly jokes and imagery at every turn. In contrast, Mematic stands out as a safe and clean app that you can use to create fun memes without worrying about awkward conversations, should younger family members peer over your shoulder.
You can’t find memes made by other users here, so you won’t stumble upon heavy innuendo or expletives unless you type them out yourself.
Download: Mematic (Free, in-app purchases available)
2. Canva
Canva is one of the most popular graphic design apps for everyday users. You may think that Canva can only be used to create more “professional” images like flyers, posters, and blog graphics. However, if you’re already an active Canva user, might as well just consolidate all your creative output in Canva.
You can avoid cluttering your device with more apps, especially if you just organized your iPhone Home Screen layout.
All you need to do is look up meme layouts and templates in Canva’s search bar. Pick one that suits your needs and edit it by inserting your own photo and text. As long as you use a free stock photo or your own picture, there won’t be a Canva watermark on your meme either, which is a plus.
Download: Canva (Free, in-app purchases available)
3. Memes.com
This app makes it easy to stay up to date with the latest memes because Memes.com provides new trending templates each time you enter the app. On Memes.com, you can also follow users who create memes you enjoy and get ideas from them.
Here, the meme templates are sorted by content types such as videos, GIFs, and images. You proceed to choose the layout after picking the content or uploading your image. If you have seen the layout on the internet, Memes.com has it.
You can also apply filters and effects like fried and distort to further enhance a funny expression in your meme.
Download: Memes.com (Free, in-app purchases available)
4. Meme Soundboard
With over 800 sounds and 380 videos, Meme Soundboard has a large library of sounds you can use to make a video meme. These brief audio clips can be used for crank videos or skits as well. New sounds are added to Meme Soundboard almost every day.
Meme Soundboard links to the original video, so you can see the origin of the sound in action. This inclusion of video previews makes identifying the sounds easier. To avoid losing a sound from the app’s massive list, add it to your personal section and save it to use later.
You can change the sound effects of the audio. Speed up or slow down the playback, change the pitch, distort, or add a reverb effect. Meme Soundboard has a censoring mode that helps indicate which sound contains swear words. This is a useful feature to have when you’re in public. Or if you and your target meme audience aren’t into that humor, it also helps to filter out potentially offensive sounds.
Download: Meme Soundboard (Free, premium version available)
5. ImgPlay
ImgPlay lets you easily convert your videos into GIFs. There are camera modes like Boomerang and Stop-Motion for you to record your video. Then, upload your video, trim it, and edit it by adding captions, texts, and stickers. If you just want to grab an existing, popular GIF to make your meme, ImgPlay also draws a large selection of reaction GIFs from Tenor GIFs.
Of course, you can opt to create a meme with a static image. Use Live Photos, select the right moment from Bursts, or just take a new picture right there and then. ImgPlay has a variety of canvas sizes that are optimized for different social media platforms.
ImgPlay doubles up as a simple photo editor as well. Apply the trendiest, Insta-worthy filters on your photos with the options from ImgPlay.
Download: ImgPlay (Free, in-app purchases available)
6. MEME Maker
The features and interface in this app make MEME Maker feel a little like Canva and Mematic combined. This is because, besides memes, you can create photo collages, app icons, Facebook posts, Instagram stories, and more on MEME Maker.
MEME Maker has meme templates organized into categories such as cats, dogs, and celebrities. One incredibly useful feature is cutouts. You can cut one part of your picture, such as the face of a TV show character, and paste it onto a meme template. As long as you color your cutout boundary properly, you’ll have a clean face cutout to create the perfect meme material that’s customized for your fandom.
Download: MEME Maker (Free, in-app purchases available)
7. Meme Keyboard
Do you frequently save memes from the internet so you can message them to friends as reactions? With Meme Keyboard, you can get rid of them and clear some of your iPhone space. Use Meme Keyboard to explore memes that are trending or create your own memes.
Choose from the GIFs and templates available on the app, add some text, then send it to your friend on the spot. It’s that easy. However, take note that Meme Keyboard only works for iMessage.
Download: Meme Keyboard (Free)
Create Funny Memes With These Apps Today
Memes are so popular because they often describe a moment in life that thousands, if not millions, of people across the world can relate to. If you enjoy memes, there are websites dedicated to posting the latest memes, as well as an unofficial encyclopedia, to let you know where certain memes originated and how they went viral.