Make a GIF in five steps
- Open the GIF Maker. Choose Video on your device to pick a file (MP4, MOV or WebM), or Video link to paste a single video’s link from RedGifs, xHamster, XVideos or XNXX.
- Under Clip, drag the start and end handles to choose the moment, or drag the highlighted part to move it along. The preview loops exactly what you’ll get; pause it and turn the sound on with the bar underneath.
- Under Output, choose GIF (or MP4 video, see below).
- Pick a Size and Smoothness. Smaller and less smooth means a lighter file.
- Press Create, check the result and press Download. Press Keep editing to change something and make it again.
Pick the moment precisely
- Type exact times into Start and End, or a Length to set the end from the start.
- Press and hold on the filmstrip to find a frame, then use Set start here or Set end here.
- On long videos, zoom the filmstrip with Ctrl/⌘ + scroll, a pinch, the zoom buttons or Zoom to selection to see a few seconds at a time, and Whole clip to zoom back out.
GIF or MP4?
A GIF can only use 256 colours per frame and stores every frame in full, so it’s large: around 1.5 MB per second at 480 pixels. An MP4 loop of the same moment is usually many times smaller, sharper, and can keep the sound. Phones, browsers and most chat apps play MP4s and loop them. Make a GIF only when a site accepts nothing else.
Because GIFs grow so fast, the GIF Maker limits their length by size and smoothness, to 30 seconds at most, and shows the limit as you edit. MP4 loops can be up to 10 minutes.
Is my video uploaded?
No. A video from your device is read in your browser and never sent anywhere. Linked videos stream straight from the site they’re on to your browser. The GIF is made on your device, which is why the time it takes depends on your phone or computer; the editor shows an estimate before you start.
More you can do
- Crop a wide video to vertical for phones.
- Make it a boomerang or reverse it.
- Add captions, timed if you like.