.gif
Low riskGraphics Interchange Format
A lossless raster format with a 256-colour palette and limited animation support. Still ubiquitous on social feeds and chat reactions.
MIME types
- image/gif
Category
image
What opens this file
- Any browser
- Preview (macOS)
- ezgif.com
- Photoshop
- GIMP
How to open by OS
Windows
- Any browser, the Photos app.
Mac
- Preview, Safari, or Finder quick-look.
Linux
- Any browser, Eye of GNOME.
Ios
- Photos and Messages.
Android
- Google Photos and the stock gallery.
Safety notes
- GIF is inert, but huge GIFs can lock up browsers (the classic 'GIF bomb'). Treat unsolicited very large GIFs with caution.
Common mistakes
- Saving photos as GIF dithers them into 256 colours. JPEG or WebP is the correct choice for photographic content.
- Animated GIFs are 5-10x larger than an equivalent MP4 — switch to WebP or MP4 for delivery.