How to make a GIF from pictures
- Choose how long each picture shows and the GIF’s width.
- Add your pictures by choosing them or dropping them on the box above.
- Put them in order with the arrows, then press Make GIF.
- Download the animated GIF.
Timing guide
| Each picture shows for | Feels like |
|---|---|
| 0.2 s | Fast flip-book animation |
| 0.5 s | Lively slideshow |
| 1 s | Calm slideshow, easy to read |
| 2 s | Slow, for pictures with text |
Ideas
- Before and after: two pictures alternating, such as a room makeover or photo edit.
- Stop motion: a series of photos taken as you move objects slightly between shots.
- Step by step: screenshots of a process, one step per frame.
- Product spin: photos taken all around a product.
- Photo booth: a burst of photos from a phone.
Tips
- Use pictures of the same shape and size for a smooth animation; the crop tool can help.
- Keep the width at 480 pixels or below for GIFs you’ll send in chats or emails, so they load quickly.
- For many photos or a long slideshow with music, a video works better: try MP3 to MP4 or a slideshow tool.
Keeping the file small
GIF file size grows with the number of frames and the picture size. Ten photos at 480 pixels wide usually make a GIF of a few megabytes, which is fine for chats and websites. Many email services and forums limit attachments, so for large sets choose 320 pixels or fewer pictures. Pictures with large flat areas of colour, such as drawings and screenshots, make much smaller GIFs than detailed photos.
Privacy
Your pictures are combined into a GIF in your browser by gifenc, an open-source GIF encoder. Nothing is uploaded.
Questions
How many pictures can I use?
As many as you like; 2 to 30 is typical. Every picture becomes one frame, so more pictures make a longer and larger GIF.
What if my pictures are different sizes?
The GIF takes the shape of the first picture. Others are fitted inside it without cropping, on a white background. For a clean result, crop all pictures to the same shape first.
Can I make it loop forever?
Yes, the GIF always loops continuously, which is how GIFs are normally shown in chats and on websites.
Why do photos look grainy in the GIF?
Each GIF frame can show only 256 colours. The best 256 are chosen for each frame, which suits drawings, screenshots and most photos, but smooth gradients can look slightly banded.
Last reviewed 9 November 2026