How to turn a video into a GIF
- Click the yellow area and pick the video, or drag the file onto the page.
- Mark the clip by dragging the yellow handles (up to 30 seconds). The player above shows where you are.
- Choose the width, the smoothness (frames per second) and the speed.
- Click Create GIF. It appears on the page, already animated, and Download GIF saves the file.
If you don’t like it, change the clip or the options and create it again: it’s quick and there’s no usage limit.
How to keep the GIF small
GIF is an old format: every frame is a full image with up to 256 colors. That’s why it weighs much more than the video it came from. Three things make the difference:
| What to change | Effect on size |
|---|---|
| Width from 640 to 480 px | about 45% smaller |
| From 20 to 12 frames per second | about 40% smaller |
| Clip from 6 to 3 seconds | half |
For chats, 480 px at 12 fps and a few seconds usually lands between 1 and 5 MB. For a tutorial or a screen demo inside a document, 640 or 800 px keeps text readable. The estimate below the options helps you choose before creating it.
A speed of 1.5× or 2× also shortens the GIF without cutting the action, which is great for showing a long process (a recipe, a step-by-step on a computer). At 0.5× it becomes slow motion.
What it’s for
- Reactions and memes: that funny moment from one of your videos, looping forever.
- Tutorials and support: showing where to click in a system, an app or a website. A few-second GIF explains better than three paragraphs.
- Bug reports: record the screen, cut just the moment of the problem and paste it into the ticket or into Slack.
- Slides and documents: GIFs animate on their own in PowerPoint, Google Slides, Notion and email, with no player needed.
- Shops and social media: show a product spinning or in use on sites that accept images but not video.
To get only the sound from a video, use extract audio from video. To make the video smaller instead of turning it into a GIF, use compress video.
Your video never leaves your device
The conversion happens in your browser: it plays the video, captures the frames and builds the GIF on your own computer or phone. Nothing is uploaded to a server, and there’s no queue, no sign-up and no watermark.
Frequently asked questions
Why is the GIF bigger than the video?
Because a video stores only what changes from one frame to the next, while a GIF stores almost every frame in full. It’s normal for a 5-second GIF to weigh more than a minute of video. Lower the width, the frame rate or the length.
Why do the colors look odd?
GIF allows at most 256 colors per frame. Skies and smooth gradients may show bands. Scenes with well-defined colors (computer screens, drawings, flat backgrounds) look great.
Can I make a GIF from an iPhone video?
Yes. MOV and MP4 videos from the iPhone open directly. If the video is HEVC and your browser can’t play it, open the page in Safari or an up-to-date Chrome.
Does the GIF have sound?
No. The GIF format has no audio. If you need sound, keep it as a video and use compress video to make it light.
What is the length limit?
30 seconds per GIF. Longer than that produces huge files that most apps won’t even accept.