Choose the speed, size and colours, check the file size, then save a GIF that plays in chats, slides and docs. Make a GIF from photos or from a short video clip, on your device. It is free and private.
How to make a GIF
- Choose Photos or Video clip.
- For photos, press Choose photos, and Add more photos if you need them. For video, pick your clip, then set the Start and End. Choose another video swaps the clip.
- Set the Width in pixels (320, 480, 640 or 800) and the Shape: Original, 1:1, 4:5 or 16:9. Choose Fit, with a border or Fill and crop.
- Set the Speed in ms per frame for photos, or the Frames per second (10, 15 or 20) for video.
- Choose how it Repeats: Forever, Once or 3 times, and the number of Colours.
- Check the size estimate, then press Make GIF.
Photos or a video clip
Choose Photos to build a GIF from pictures you already have: a product from every angle, a before and after, a short slideshow. Drag them into order and give any frame its own time, so a title can stay on screen longer. Choose Video clip to turn a moment from a recording into a GIF; pick the start and end and how smooth it should be. There is also a quick video to GIF page if you only ever start from video.
Keeping the file small
GIFs grow with every frame and every pixel, so the size estimate updates as you change settings. The biggest savings come from a smaller width, fewer frames per second and fewer colours. Pictures with large flat areas compress far better than photos full of fine detail. Many chat apps limit GIFs to a few megabytes, and email attachments are often capped at 20 to 25 MB.
Colours and dithering
A GIF frame can only hold 256 colours. Each frame gets its own palette built from its pixels, which keeps photos looking natural. Smooth dithering scatters the remaining error between neighbouring pixels to hide banding; Pattern uses a fine regular grid that compresses a little better; Off gives clean flat colours, which suits logos, charts and screenshots.
Tips for a good GIF
- Keep clips short, usually under five seconds, so the file stays small.
- Choose 480 pixels wide for most chats and slides.
- Use No dither for logos and screenshots, and Smooth for photos.
- For slideshows, give the first and last frames a little extra time.
- Check the preview and the size before you save.
Common uses
Product demos for a shop, quick how-to clips for a class or team, reaction images, and animated headers for emails. To shrink a still image to fit an upload limit, try compress image to size.
Questions
Are my photos or video uploaded?
No. The GIF is made in your browser.
Why is my GIF so big?
Reduce the width, lower the frames per second or use fewer colours, and trim the clip.
Does a GIF have sound?
No. GIFs are silent.