MOV to GIF converter
Your files are converted on your device. They are never uploaded.
or drop them here
.mov.mp4.m4v
- Files stay on your device
- Batch + ZIP
- No sign-up, no limits
This converter runs in your browser and needs JavaScript. Turn it on to convert; the steps below explain everything.
Settings
Turn an iPhone video or a Mac screen recording into a GIF without uploading it anywhere.
iPhones and Macs save video as MOV: clips from the Camera app, Mac screen recordings (Shift-Command-5), QuickTime recordings. This page turns a part of any MOV into a looping GIF for messages, presentations, docs or social posts. Pick the start and end, choose 240 to 640 px and a frame rate, and see the expected size before converting. The work happens in your browser on the Mac, iPhone or PC. One limitation to know: iPhone videos are usually HEVC, and some browsers on Windows can’t decode HEVC.
How to convert MOV to GIF
- Add the MOV (on iPhone: Photo Library in the file picker; on a Mac: from Desktop or Finder).
- Set the start and end, then the width and frame rate; 480 px at 12 fps suits most iPhone clips, 640 px at 10 fps suits Mac screen recordings.
- Confirm the size estimate, convert, check the preview and download the GIF.
What happens to quality, size and metadata
iPhone videos are often 4K or 1080p with rich colour, sometimes HDR. A GIF reduces that to at most 640 px wide and 256 colours, so expect some banding in skies and skin, and a lighter, flatter look for HDR clips. Mac screen recordings fare much better: flat colours and mostly static screens compress well. Portrait iPhone videos give tall GIFs: the width you choose is the GIF’s width, so a 480 px wide portrait GIF is about 850 px tall and therefore larger than a landscape one. Sound is dropped, as GIF has none.
- Test files
- 2
- Average input
- 620 KB
- Average output
- 593 KB
- Size change
- 4% smaller
- Time per file
- 316 ms
MOV vs GIF
| Full name | MOV | GIF |
|---|---|---|
| Full name | QuickTime File Format | Graphics Interchange Format |
| Introduced | 1991 | 1987 |
| Defined by | Apple · QuickTime File Format | CompuServe · GIF89a |
| Compression | Lossy or lossless | Lossless |
| Transparency | — | Yes |
| Animation | — | Yes |
| Largest size | — | 65,535 × 65,535 px |
| Chrome / Edge | Partly | Yes |
| Safari | Yes | Yes |
| Firefox | Partly | Yes |
| Windows | — | Yes |
| iPhone / iPad | — | Yes |
| Android | — | Yes |
| Typical use | iPhone and Mac video recordings, screen recordings and video editing exports. | Short silent animations, reactions, memes and simple animated graphics. |
MOV MOV is Apple’s QuickTime container, introduced in 1991; MP4 was later based on it, so both are built the same way. iPhones record MOV files with HEVC or H.264 video and AAC sound. Windows and Android players and many web forms handle MP4 more reliably than MOV.
GIF GIF dates from 1987 (CompuServe); the 1989 version added animation timing and transparency. Each frame is limited to 256 colours from a palette, which is why video turned into GIF looks grainy and gets large. It still plays everywhere without a player.
Sources for this table
- developer.apple.com/documentation/quicktime-file-format
- www.loc.gov/preservation/digital/formats/fdd/fdd000052.shtml
- developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/Media/Guides/Formats/Containers
- www.w3.org/Graphics/GIF/spec-gif89a.txt
- www.loc.gov/preservation/digital/formats/fdd/fdd000133.shtml
- developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/Media/Guides/Formats/Image_types
- developer.android.com/media/platform/supported-formats
Browser support data: caniuse.com, CC BY 4.0.
Without this site
iPhone: the Shortcuts gallery includes a “Video to GIF” shortcut that turns a video from Photos into a GIF. Mac: no built-in converter; a shortcut with the “Make GIF” action in the Shortcuts app works for selected videos. Windows 11: Clipchamp imports MOV files and can export a clip of up to about 15 seconds as GIF. For Live Photos, iPhone Photos can turn them into a looping video with the Loop effect, which you can then convert.
Troubleshooting
- “This browser can’t decode the video (hvc1)”. HEVC isn’t supported by this browser, common on Windows without hardware support. Use Safari or Chrome on a Mac, or first convert with MOV to MP4 using the H.264 option on a device that can.
- Portrait GIF is very large. Tall videos have more pixels per frame. Choose 320 px width for portrait clips.
- HDR clip looks washed out. GIF has no HDR; the colours are mapped to normal range.
- Live Photo isn’t accepted. Save it as a video in Photos first (Share › Save as Video).
Questions and answers
How do I convert MOV to GIF on a Mac?
Open this page in Safari or Chrome, drag the MOV onto it, set the start, end, width and frame rate, and press Convert. The GIF appears as a preview and downloads to your Downloads folder. macOS has no built-in MOV to GIF option except building a shortcut.
How do I make a GIF from an iPhone video?
In Safari on the iPhone, open this page, tap “Add files” › Photo Library and pick the video. Choose a short range and 320–480 px width, convert, then save the GIF to Files or share it. The video is processed on the phone, not uploaded.
Can I turn a Live Photo into a GIF?
Yes, in two steps. In Photos, open the Live Photo, tap Share › Save as Video to get a short MOV, then add that video here and convert it. Choosing the Loop or Bounce effect in Photos first gives a nicer looping motion.
Why can’t my Windows browser open my iPhone MOV?
iPhones record HEVC (H.265) video by default, and browsers on Windows can decode it only with hardware support. If yours can’t, set iPhone Settings › Camera › Formats › Most Compatible for future videos, or convert the MOV to H.264 on a Mac or iPhone first.