Convert a HEIC photo to a single-frame GIF
Make a still GIF from a HEIC photo. Choose between 2 and 256 colours and resize it. GIF was not designed for photos, so expect banding and a rough look.
Drop HEIC photos here, or pick them from your device
Stays on your device. Nothing is uploaded.
Processing on this device
How to use it
- Add a HEIC photo.
- Choose the number of colours, from 2 to 256. More colours look better and make bigger files.
- Resize if needed, since GIF files from large photos get heavy.
- Convert and download.
What it keeps
- Composition and aspect ratio.
- Visible orientation.
What it removes or changes
- The photo is reduced to a palette of at most 256 colours. Gradients, skies and skin show banding.
- The output is a single frame. No animation is created.
- File metadata is not kept.
Limits
- Photographic quality will suffer by the nature of the format.
- GIF size can exceed the original JPG, because it compresses photos poorly.
- This does not create animated GIFs from several HEIC files.
Compatibility
GIF opens everywhere, including old forum software, chat apps and email clients. That is its only real advantage here. If you want a small, good-looking picture, use JPG or WebP. Use GIF when a specific place demands it, or for flat-style stylised effects.
Privacy
Colour reduction and GIF writing happen in your browser. The photo is not uploaded.
GIF or JPG for a photo
For nearly all photos, JPG wins on size and looks. GIF only wins where it is the one format accepted, or for deliberately posterised art. With 256 colours at most, smooth areas such as sky break into bands, so test the preview before you commit.
Troubleshooting
The GIF looks blotchy.
Increase the number of colours to 256, or choose another format.
The file is too large.
Resize it smaller, or reduce the colours.
I wanted an animation.
The tool produces one frame only.
Frequently asked questions
How many colours can I use?
Anywhere from 2 to 256 colours. More colours look better but make a larger file.
Is it animated?
No. The result is a single still frame. The tool does not create animated GIFs.
Why does it look worse than the photo?
GIF cannot show more than 256 colours at once.