Convert video to GIF
A few seconds of your phone video as a GIF for chats, slides or your website: choose a video, set the clip, create the GIF – all in your browser, without uploading.
Source: W3C – Graphics Interchange Format Version 89a. Updated: .
How it is calculated
GIFs play automatically and loop everywhere – in messengers, emails, presentations and on websites, without a player. This tool cuts a short clip from your video and turns it into an animated GIF.
How it works
- Drag in or choose a video.
- Enter the start (e.g. 0:12) and the length in seconds – up to 30 seconds.
- Choose the width and frames per second, then click “Create GIF”.
Small file, smooth motion
GIF is an old format (1989) with at most 256 colors per frame and no modern video compression, so the file size grows with width × height × number of frames. Rules of thumb:
- Width: 480 px is enough for chats and websites; 320 px roughly halves the size again.
- Frame rate: 10 frames per second looks smooth enough; use 15–20 for fast motion.
- Length: 2–6 seconds is typical. Every extra second costs ten more frames at 10 fps.
Each frame gets its own optimized 256-color palette – keeping gradients as clean as GIF allows.
How does this work without a server?
Your browser plays the video internally, jumps frame by frame to the chosen times and draws each frame onto a canvas. The free library gifenc assembles the frames into a GIF. Which videos work depends on the codecs your browser can play: H.264 (MP4) and VP9 (WebM) work everywhere; HEVC videos from iPhones work in Safari, and in Chrome/Edge only with suitable hardware.
Privacy
The video is not uploaded. All frames are created on your device; nothing is stored once you close the tab.
Example: keep just the 4 seconds with the punchline from a 30-second phone video – the shorter the clip and the narrower the GIF, the smaller the file. More tools: save the audio with video to MP3, record your own clip with the online screen recorder and shrink stills with the image compressor.
Frequently asked questions
Is my video uploaded?
No. The GIF is created entirely in your browser; the video never leaves your device.
How long can the GIF be?
Up to 30 seconds and at most 300 frames. Longer GIFs get very large – for longer clips, a short MP4 video is the better choice.
Why is my GIF so large?
GIF barely compresses motion. Reduce the width, frame rate or length – 320 px instead of 480 px saves about half.
Does the GIF have a watermark?
No. There is no watermark and no sign-up.
My iPhone video won’t open – why?
iPhones often record in HEVC. Safari can always play it; Chrome and Edge only if your device decodes HEVC in hardware. Open the page in Safari, or set Camera → Formats to “Most Compatible” on your iPhone.
Does the GIF loop forever?
Yes, the GIFs repeat endlessly, as is usual in messengers and on websites.
Sources and legal basis
- W3C – Graphics Interchange Format Version 89a
- MDN – HTMLMediaElement: seeked event
- gifenc – Matt DesLauriers (MIT)
- Open-source licenses of the libraries used (MIT, LGPL-3.0)
As of: · Editorial policy
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