Here's something many people don't know: the GIFs you see on Twitter aren't GIF files at all. Twitter turns every animated image into a short looping MP4 video, because video files are much smaller. That's why saving one the usual way gives you a video, not an animation that works everywhere.
This page turns it back into what it looks like: the site downloads the clip from the tweet and converts it into a real GIF, 480 pixels wide at 15 frames per second, a good balance between sharpness and file size. The tool above is already set to Twitter and GIF.
A GIF plays in chats, forums and presentations without a video player, and it loops on its own. If you want the clip in full quality or with sound, choose the Video format instead.
How it works
- 1Copy the tweet linkOpen the tweet with the animation, tap share, then Copy link.
- 2Paste it with GIF selectedPaste the link above; the GIF format is already selected.
- 3Save the GIFTap Save media. Converting takes a few seconds longer than a video.
Questions about this tool
Why does Twitter store GIFs as videos?
An MP4 is far smaller than a GIF of the same length, so Twitter converts every animated image into a short looping video.
Can I turn any Twitter video into a GIF?
Yes, the tool converts any video in a tweet to a GIF. Long clips make large files, though, so it works best for short ones.
Why is the GIF bigger than the video?
GIF is an old format with weaker compression than video. That's why we cap the width at 480 pixels and the frame rate at 15 per second to keep the size reasonable.