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What is a GIF file?
The original animated image. GIFs autoplay and loop everywhere — chats, emails, forums and docs — but are limited to 256 colors and have no sound.
Pros
- Autoplays and loops in every app, email client and browser
- No player needed
Cons
- Huge files compared with MP4 for the same clip
- Only 256 colors, no audio
How to open GIF files
VLC Media Player (free, Windows/macOS/Linux/Android/iOS) opens GIF files with almost any codec. If a specific app won't open it, convert it to MP4.
Is GIF lossy or lossless?
GIF is lossless per frame but limited to 256 colors, so full-color video always loses color detail when converted to GIF.
When should you convert GIF?
GIFs autoplay and loop everywhere — chats, emails, forums and docs — but are limited to 256 colors and have no sound. If the app or device you need doesn't accept GIF, convert it to MP4 — the most widely supported alternative.
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GIF at a glance
- Full name
- Graphics Interchange Format
- Developed by
- CompuServe
- Introduced
- 1987
- Contains
- 256-color palette animation, no audio
- MIME type
- image/gif
- Best for
- reactions, memes, short loops in chats, emails and docs