Many people like to create animated GIFs from videos nowadays. Why do GIF images become so popular? An animated GIF is a graphics file that displays a short animation. GIFs are great as these animated images can really kill time and liven up our communication when you see that increasing people send or share GIF images on WhatsApp, Snapchat, WeChat and so on.
If you get some GIFs on your computer or Smartphone, how can you play these animated images? However, many people complain the GIF playback. For example, the default image viewer of Windows, Windows Photo Viewer can only open still image instead of the animation. To view the GIF animation, you have to open Internet Explorer to play them. Actually, you need one GIF Viewer to help you. What is the best GIF viewer for you? Some GIF players enable you to pause and control the animation speed, while some only allows you to view GIF in loop. Some advanced GIF animation software can even let you edit GIF files with features like Rotate, Flip, image adjustment (contrast, hue, brightness, sharpness, etc.). Most of GIF players support not only GIF format, but also other image format like JPEG, PNG, TIFF, WMF, BMP, EMF and more. In this article, we will list best GIF player for Windows/Mac/iOS/Android.
- Part 1. Best GIF Viewer for Windows Computer
- Part 2. Top GIF Player for iMac or MacBook
- Part 3. Best GIF Viewer App for Android and iOS
- Part 4. Play GIF Online with Web Browser
- Part 5. FAQs of GIF Player
Part 1. Best 6 GIF Viewer for Windows 10/8/7
In this part, we list 6 reputable GIF viewers for you. You can choose and download one GIF player for free and play your GIF file!
No. | Program | Screenshot | Price | Features |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 |
| ![]() | Free |
Free DownloadFree Download |
2 |
| ![]() | Free |
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3 |
| ![]() | Free |
|
4 |
| ![]() | Free |
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5 |
| ![]() | Free |
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6 |
| ![]() | Free |
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Note: Besides these GIF viewer introduced above, there are other software that can play GIF image file on the Windows computer, such as GIF View, 7GIF, imageOpen, FreeVimage, DIMIN Viewer n5, ImageGlass, PicViewer, JPEGView, Universal View and so on.
Part 2. Top 3 GIF Player for Mac OX S (macOS High Sierra included)
If you are a Mac user, how can you play or view GIF file? Different with Windows, it is convenient for GIF playback on Mac OS as Mac has Mac Blu-ray Player, QuickTime Player and Preview. These 3 GIF player can help you view GIF image with ease.
1. Mac Blu-ray Player - Best All-in-one GIF Player for Mac
Price: Free
Platform: Mac
1Launch Mac Blu-ray Player on your Mac.
2Click "File" and select "Open File." Search for and locate the animated GIF file.
3Click "Open." Then GIF image will start playing automatically.
2. QuickTime Player - Mac Native GIF Animation Player
Price: Free
Platform: Mac
1Launch QuickTime Player on your Mac.
2Click "File" and select "Open File." Search for and locate the animated GIF image you want to play.
3Click "Open." The GIF file will be playable in the middle of the player.
4Click "Play." Then GIF image will begin playing.
3. Preview - Animated GIF Viewer for Mac
Price: Free
Platform: Mac
1Open the animated GIF in Preview.
2Click "View" > "Thumbnails" (if thumbnails aren't already showing).
3If you want to show or hide the frames in the animation, click "Show All" or "Show Less" next to the file's name in the sidebar.
Part 3. Best 2 GIF Viewer apk for Android and iOS 15/14/13/12/11
1. GIF Player - GIF browser for Android phones and tablets
Price: In-app purchases
Platform: Android
Features:
- 1. Browse and play animated GIF images on Android;
- 2. View and download hilarious GIFs;
- 3. Search for funny GIFs on Señor Gif and Gif Bin;
- 4. Share your favorite GIFs with your friends.
2. GIF Viewer - Animated GIF Player Album for iOS devices
Price: Free
Platform: iOS
Features:
- 1. Playback GIF in a photo album;
- 2. GIF Frame viewer;
- 3. Import GIF file from PC;
- 4. Direct share GIFs to the social network.
Part 4. Play GIF on Internet Explorer/FireFox/Google Chrome/Safari
As we mentioned before, Windows Photo View doesn't allow you to play GIFs. You can use Internet Explorer or other browsers like FireFox, Google Chrome, Safari and more on Windows PC or Mac computer to View GIF images. And in this part, we will take Internet Explorer for Windows as an example and show you how to play GIF image on this browser.
1Right-click the GIF image and you can see the menu.
2Click "Open With", and this tab will show a list of software install on your computer.
3Choose "Internet Explorer". And soon, your selected GIF will be playable in Internet Explorer window.
Note: You can also directly drag the animated GIF file to the browser window.
Part 5. FAQs of GIF Player
Why won't GIF play on my computer?
Perhaps the built-in photo viewer doesn’t support animated GIFs. You can try your browser as a GIF viewer or install a third-party image viewer.
Can VLC play GIFs?
Yes. VLC Media Player is a multimedia file player. you can play and exit GIFs in VLC Media Player.
How can I create a GIF from video?
Open Aiseesoft Video Converter Ultimate on your computer. Navigate to Toolbox section, and select GIF Maker tool. Add the video from your local computer, and then edit the video according to your needs. After editing, click Generate GIF to create a GIF from video.
In this article, we mainly list some GIF viewer for Windows, Mac, Android, iOS and online. Have you found your preferred GIF player to play the animated GIF files? Our site also provides some tips of green video software if you are interested in how to edit green video.
Bonus Tips
Not only want to play or view animated GIF files, but also try to make your own GIF animation? You can try this video to GIF converter which can help you make GIF from other video formats with ease. You can also play and preview the GIF before converting. Let's start to make your own GIF animation now!
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May 29, 2020 12:37 / Updated by Jenny Ryan to Player
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FAQs
What is the best free GIF app? ›
- GIF Camera:
- GIF Me Camera:
- GIF Creator:
- GIF Maker:
- GIF Pro:
- GIF Studio:
VLC doesn't support playing animated GIFs. When you open a GIF with VLC, the GIF just displays it as a static image.
How do I play a GIF file on my Mac? ›- In the Preview app on your Mac, open the animated GIF.
- Choose View > Thumbnails (if thumbnails aren't already showing). To show or hide the frames in the animation, click the arrow next to the file's name in the sidebar.
The best alternative is ezgif.com, which is free. Other great apps like Giphy are Gfycat, Tenor, Coub and Clash.
How can I play GIFs in media player? ›You only need to right click on the GIF file on your computer, select Open with > Windows Media Player. If there is no Windows Media Player option in the list, go to Choose default program > Other programs. Scroll down, find and select Windows Media Player. There is a Repeat button on the lower playback navigation bar.
Can Windows 10 play GIFs? ›Internet Explorer in Windows 10 allows you to open and view animated GIF images. To open a GIF image, click the File menu in Internet Explorer (press Alt key to see the menu), click Open, click Browse, change the file type to All Files, select the GIF, click Open, and then click OK button to view the GIF.
What program will play a GIF? ›GIFs have wide compatibility — they can be opened through most major image and video editing programs. GIFs are also easy to open through web-based browsers, including Chrome, Firefox, and Internet Explorer. In the case of Internet Explorer, simply click on the File menu and then Open.
How do I play a GIF in Chrome? ›You need to click on an animated GIF's thumbnail in order to play it. However, there is a way by which animated GIFs can be played automatically in Google images search results on the Google Chrome browser. You can use a free extension called Google GIFs Chrome Extension or Google gifs autoplay to do that.
What is the best GIF app for Mac? ›GIPHY Capture is the best way to create GIFs on your Mac. This free app is simple, powerful, and easy enough for pretty much anyone. Create your GIF with just a couple clicks.
Why won't GIFs play on my computer? ›If your GIF file is not playing or looping, it might be because the file is too large. If it's more than 1080 pixels high or 1920 pixels wide, you'll need to reduce the size. There are a number of free, online tools of varying sophistication that you can use.
Is there a free GIF app? ›
The world's largest library of free GIFs, Clips, & Stickers! GIPHY for iOS is the fastest, simplest way to search and share sort form content and animated reactions across all of your favorite social channels such as Facebook Messenger, Instagram, Snapchat & more.
Is there a free GIF app for Android? ›GIF Maker
Once you've made your custom GIF on the app, you can use it on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, messaging apps and others social media spaces, like any other GIF. It's available on Android and iOS for free.
- GIFMaker.me.
- Gifs.com.
- Imgur.
- Picasion.
- GIPHY.
- Ezgif.com.
- GIMP.
- ScreenToGif.
- And I Oop by Jasmine Masters: 711.8M Views. ...
- Angry by Shameless: 555M views. ...
- Hi by Nick Jonas: 584.9M views. ...
- Happy Good Morning by Samm Henshaw: 282.3M views. ...
- Happy Cheering by Bluesbear: 661.2M views. ...
- Keanu Reeves' Thank You by Netflix: 477.4M views.
Free-animation GIFs - Get the best GIF on GIPHY.
How do I download a GIF directly? ›- Open your browser and go to the website containing the GIF you want to download.
- Click on the GIF to open it. Press down to open a pop-up window.
- Select Save Image or Download Image from the list of options.
- Exit the browser and open your photo gallery to find the downloaded GIF.
PNG is the most universally used image format on the internet. It offers high color depth, partial transparency, good compression and image quality. APNG is basically PNG, only animated. That is why it is superior to GIFs.
What are the 3 types of GIF? ›For simplicity, we classify the different types of GIFs into 3 major categories: video-based, animation-based, and stickers. Video-based GIFs are the most traditional GIF that you're probably familiar with. They feature short clips of video content.
Are GIF and Giphy the same? ›GIPHY is the platform that animates your world.
GIPHY is not just GIFs... we are Stickers, Arcade, Clips, and much more.
GIF Viewer for Android
For Android users, here we recommend OmniGIF to let you view your GIFs saved on your mobile phone. Other than viewing GIFs, OmniGIF also lets you edit and create GIFs. With its GIF player, you can view GIFs frame by frame or change the playing speed.
How do I play a GIF on Windows? ›
- Right-click on the file.
- Select Open with.
- Select Choose default program.
- Expand Other Programs.
- Select Windows Media Player.
- Always use the selected program to open this kind of file is selected by default. ...
- Click OK.
Android smartphones have a built-in image viewing application called Gallery. When you connect your Android smartphone to your computer and transfer a GIF file to your phone's storage area, you can open the Gallery appliation and view that GIF file.
Do GIFs work all browsers? ›You can play a GIF file you find and save in browsers like Safari, Chrome, and Firefox without having to install additional software.
How do I view GIFs on my computer? ›- Save a GIF to the desktop. ...
- Right-click the GIF to pull up the options menu.
- Select the "Open With" option. ...
- Press the "Choose Program" button at the bottom of this screen.
Get GIPHY - All the GIFS - Microsoft Store.
Is there a GIF extension for Chrome? ›GIPHY for Chrome. All the GIFs and Stickers from GIPHY.com in a compact extension. Just search, then drag and drop!
How do I download a GIF in Chrome? ›– Click on the GIF to get its detailed page. – Then right-click on it and choose the “Save image as…” option. – Select a folder to save the GIF and rename the GIF file. – Press the Save button to save the GIF.
Can you use GIFs from Google? ›Google Images Now Lets You Share GIFs Directly Into Messaging Apps, Social Media.
What app does Apple use for GIFs? ›Use #images in the Messages app to find and share GIFs with your contacts. Here's how: Open Messages, tap. , and enter a contact or tap an existing conversation.
Does Apple have a GIF maker? ›Follow these steps: Launch the Shortcuts app — it comes pre-installed on your phone with iOS 12 and later. Search for and download the Convert Burst to GIF shortcut. While you're at it, also download the Convert Video to GIF shortcut.
Why can't I open a GIF file? ›
To play animated GIF files, you must open the files in the Preview/Properties window. To do this, select the animated GIF file, and then on the View menu, click Preview/Properties. If the GIF does not play, try re-saving the animated GIF in the collection in which you want to put it.
How do I enable GIFs? ›- Open your default messaging app.
- Tap on the smiley face emoji on the keyboard.
- Tap on the GIF button.
- Tap on the search bar and look for your desired GIF.
- Tap on the GIF to preview and send.
Android devices have not had built-in animated GIF support, which causes GIFs to load slower on some Android phones than on other OS.
Is GIPHY GIF free? ›Its-free-to-use GIFs - Get the best GIF on GIPHY.
Is GIF tenor app free? ›Tenor's GIF bot is also the most-used chat bot on Facebook Messenger, and its iMessage app is the no. 2 free app on Apple's messaging “App Platform,” behind GamePigeon.
Is GIPHY a safe app? ›GIPHY is dedicated to providing a fun and safe way to search, create, and share the best GIFs on the internet.
Is ImgPlay free? ›Make and share GIFs & Videos with easily and fun-fully with ImgPlay! 👇Download Free!
Can you see GIF on Android? ›If you have an older version of Android or want to try another library of GIFs, try the GIPHY app, which you can download from Google Play. You don't need a login unless you want to save favorites; otherwise, you can browse and share GIFs freely.
Does Ezgif have an app? ›Using EzyGIF GIF EDITOR you can create GIF image from videos, multi images, live photos, slo-mo videos etc, and share created GIF by FACEBOOK, INSTAGRAM, WHATSAPP, MESSENGER and other social networking apps. Get the app NOW!
What is the number 1 animation app? ›1. Moho. Platforms: Windows, macOS. One of the best animation movie app for motion graphics and tools for working with 2D vector animation and other animation effects is Moho.
Which is the No 1 animation software? ›
- Moho Pro. The best animation software for Mac and a powerful rigging tool. ...
- CelAction2D. The best professional animation software for Windows. ...
- Procreate. The best animation software for iPad. ...
- Autodesk Maya. ...
- Cartoon Animator 4. ...
- Adobe Character Animator. ...
- Clip Studio Paint. ...
- Adobe Animate.
GIPHY Capture
Simple, powerful, free, and easy enough for pretty much everyone and even a few small mammals.
- GIPHY.
- Tenor.
- Reddit.
- Gfycat.
- Imgur.
- Reaction GIFs.
- GIFbin.
- Tumblr.
Free-to-use GIFs - Get the best GIF on GIPHY.
What app can open a GIF? ›You can open a GIF file in a variety of image viewing and editing applications, including Microsoft Photos (Windows), Apple Preview (macOS), Adobe Photoshop (Windows, Mac), and GIMP (cross-platform).
What's the best GIF maker? ›- GIFMaker.me.
- Gifs.com.
- Imgur.
- Picasion.
- GIPHY.
- Ezgif.com.
- GIMP.
- ScreenToGif.
What might not be obvious, however, is that each search and GIF you send with Giphy is also a “beacon” that allows the company to track how and where the image is being shared, as well as the sentiment the image expresses.
What is GIF short for? ›GIF is an acronym for Graphics Interchange Format, a file format that supports both static and animated images. GIFs rose to popularity as a way to react on social media without words. Facebook and Twitter both support animated GIFs.
How do I download a GIF directly from Google? ›Search for a GIF on Google Images via your mobile browser. Once found, tap on the GIF to open it as much as possible (so you are not viewing it in search results). Hold your finger down on the GIF until a menu pops up. From the menu, click on “Save Image.”
How can I download GIFs from GIPHY for free? ›Step 1. Find the GIF you want to download, click its thumbnail to open the details page. Step 2. Right click on the GIF and select Save image as.
Is Giphy a safe site? ›
GIPHY is dedicated to providing a fun and safe way to search, create, and share the best GIFs on the internet. GIPHY GIFs, once indexed, can be seen by anybody using GIPHY; therefore, it's important to be mindful of the type of GIFs that are appropriate for the site.
Is making GIFs illegal? ›Yes, like any original creative work GIFS are subject to copyright.
Are all Giphy GIFs public? ›You can also change your GIF from Public to Private. Private GIFs cannot be seen by anyone but you when you are logged in and can't be shared. This step is optional but highly encouraged.