MOV to GIF Converter
Convert MOV to GIF in your browser: iPhone videos, Mac screen recordings and QuickTime exports become looping GIFs. Trim to the moment you want, choose the frame rate and width, and check the estimated size before you export. HEVC clips from the iPhone camera are decoded on your own device, so the video is never uploaded.
- Runs on your device
- WebCodecs · GPU
- Canvas · GPU
- Works offline
Updated
Drop your video here
How to convert MOV to GIF
Step 1: Drop the MOV file on the box above. On an iPhone, tap the box and choose Photo Library.
Step 2: Drag the timeline handles around the seconds you want.
Step 3: Set Frame rate and Width; the estimated GIF size updates as you go.
Step 4: Press Create GIF and download it.
Good to know
Settings explained
- Frame rate
- Frames per second. 10–15 fps keeps GIFs small and still smooth.
- Quality
- Best quality gives every frame its own palette and keeps finer motion detail, which makes larger files.
- Faster: Smaller file, quickest export
- Balanced: Good quality at a sensible size
- Best quality: Largest file, slowest export
- Colours
- Fewer colours, smaller file.
- Dithering
- Smooths gradients at the cost of a slightly larger file.
Formats
How it runs
- Hardware video engine
- Video is decoded and encoded by your device’s media hardware through WebCodecs — usually several times faster than real time.
- GPU canvas
- Pixels are drawn and composited with the GPU-accelerated canvas.
Which MOV do you have, and how is it read?
Most MOV files come from Apple devices and hold either H.264 or HEVC video. Both turn into GIFs here. The only difference is which decoder does the work, and that is picked automatically.
| Where the MOV came from | Video inside | Decoded by |
|---|---|---|
| iPhone camera, Formats set to High Efficiency (the default) | HEVC (H.265) | Your browser if it can decode HEVC, otherwise FFmpeg |
| iPhone camera, Formats set to Most Compatible | H.264 | Your browser (WebCodecs) |
| Mac screen recording (Shift-Command-5 or QuickTime Player) | Usually H.264 | Your browser (WebCodecs) |
| Live Photo exported from Photos on a Mac | HEVC or H.264, about 3 seconds | As above |
What is a MOV file?
A MOV file is a video in Apple’s QuickTime File Format, the container the iPhone camera, QuickTime Player and the Mac screenshot tool save to. MP4 was later standardised from the same design, which is why the two behave alike and why this converter also accepts .qt, .mp4 and .m4v files.
The extension says little about the picture. Since iOS 11, iPhones that support HEVC record it by default to save space, and HEVC is what causes most “my MOV won’t open” problems on Windows.
Why will my MOV file not open?
Usually because the computer lacks an HEVC decoder. Windows needs Microsoft’s HEVC Video Extensions to play iPhone HEVC clips in its own apps, and older PCs have no hardware support at all. A file that was still copying, or a recording cut off when the device died, can also be incomplete.
You do not need to fix the player to make a GIF. ProMedia checks whether your browser can decode the video; if it cannot, the clip goes to FFmpeg instead. To get a MOV that plays everywhere, convert it with MOV to MP4 or re-encode HEVC with HEVC to H.264.
Convert a Mac screen recording to GIF
Press Shift-Command-5, record the whole screen or a selected area, and macOS saves a .mov to the desktop by default. Drop that file here. Screen recordings make lean GIFs because most of the screen stays still between frames, and unchanged pixels cost almost nothing to store.
- Record only the area you need. A smaller capture beats shrinking a full-screen recording, and you can still trim the edges later with crop GIF.
- Use 10 fps for clicks and typing. Interface demos rarely need more, and it keeps the file small.
- Keep text readable. Choose 640 px, 800 px or Original, and switch dithering off under Advanced settings so flat colours stay clean.
- Want to skip the MOV? Screen to GIF records your screen in the browser and saves a GIF directly.
Make a GIF from an iPhone video
Keep the selection to a few seconds: at the default 480 px and 15 fps, a 3-second clip with average motion is about 1.3 MB as a GIF. Then pick the route that matches where the video is.
On the iPhone
Open this page in Safari, tap the drop zone, choose Photo Library and pick the video. After Create GIF, the file goes to Files; open it, tap Share and Save Image to add it to Photos, where it plays in the Animated album.
On a Mac
AirDrop the video to the Mac or drag it out of the Photos app onto the desktop, then drop the MOV here. For a Live Photo, use File → Export → Export Unmodified Original in Photos to get its MOV part.
On Windows
Copy the clip over USB or from iCloud Photos, then drag it into Chrome or Edge here. It converts even if the Windows Photos app cannot play it.
Tips & troubleshooting
Want new iPhone clips to open everywhere? Settings → Camera → Formats → Most Compatible records H.264 instead of HEVC.
Add a caption or a meme line with add text to GIF once the GIF is made.
GIF still too large for a chat? Run it through the GIF compressor with a target size.
Other formats, such as MKV or AVI, go through the general video to GIF converter.
MOV to GIF Converter FAQ
How do I make a GIF from an iPhone video?
Open this page in Safari on the iPhone, tap the drop zone, choose Photo Library and pick the video. Select a few seconds, press Create GIF and save the result from Files to Photos with Share → Save Image. Nothing is uploaded.
How do I convert a Mac screen recording to GIF?
Record with Shift-Command-5, which saves a .mov to the desktop, then drag that file onto this page. Use 10 fps and switch dithering off for interface recordings; they stay sharp and small because most of the screen does not change.
Why will my MOV not open?
Most often the video is HEVC and the computer has no HEVC decoder, which is common on Windows. This converter does not depend on that: if your browser cannot decode the clip, it switches to FFmpeg automatically and still makes the GIF.
How do I make a GIF from a MOV smaller?
Shorten the selection first, then lower the width to 320 or 480 px and the frame rate to 10 or 15 fps. If it must fit an exact limit, finish with the GIF compressor.
Does the GIF keep the sound from my MOV?
No. GIF is a silent image format, so the audio track is dropped. Keep the MOV, or convert it to MP4, if the sound matters.