How do I convert HEIF to GIF?

Upload your HEIF file above. It is converted to GIF automatically (change the output format or quality in the Settings tab if you need to), then click Download. There is nothing to install.

Does converting HEIF to GIF lose quality?

GIF is limited to 256 colours per frame, so photos lose colour detail; graphics with few colours convert cleanly.

HEIF is the open standard behind HEIC. Samsung phones and several Canon, Sony and Fujifilm cameras can save HEIF photos, which are compact but not yet widely accepted.

Is the HEIF to GIF converter free?

Yes. Convert, preview and download a single result without creating an account. Premium adds batch conversion (many files into one ZIP) and larger uploads.

Convert HEIF to GIF — GIFs for Chat, Email and Web

Convert HEIF to GIF online for a simple GIF for chat, email and the web. No software to install. Preview one free or batch-convert with Premium.

Drop your HEIF file or click to browse

Why convert HEIF to GIF?

GIF is supported far more widely than HEIF, so the file is easier to open, share and upload.
GIF is made for short animations, stickers and flat-colour graphics.

What to expect when converting HEIF to GIF

GIF shows at most 256 colours per frame, so photos and gradients are dithered and may show banding.
High-dynamic-range and wide-colour detail is converted to standard 8-bit colour.

HEIF vs GIF

Feature	HEIF	GIF
Full name	High Efficiency Image File Format	Graphics Interchange Format
Origin	Developed by MPEG and finalised in 2015 (ISO/IEC 23008-12)	Introduced by CompuServe in 1987
Compression	Lossy (usually HEVC)	Lossless, but limited to 256 colours
Transparency	Rarely used in camera photos	On/off only (one transparent colour)
Animation	No	Yes
Colour	8 or 10 bits per channel, wide colour	Up to 256 colours per frame
Where it opens	Recent phones and cameras; many PCs, apps and websites need extra software	All browsers, email apps and messaging apps
Best for	storing high-quality photos in less space on phones and cameras	short animations, stickers and flat-colour graphics
Main drawback	many computers, apps and websites can’t open it	only 256 colours and on/off transparency

In short: choose HEIF for storing high-quality photos in less space on phones and cameras; choose GIF for short animations, stickers and flat-colour graphics.

Saving a HEIF photo as a GIF, and what 256 colors do to it

A GIF is a poor home for a photograph, so this conversion is for the cases where something insists on a .gif file: an old forum avatar field, a chat tool that takes nothing else, or a slideshow program from another era. The converter builds a palette of at most 256 colors for the picture and dithers everything in between, which turns smooth skies and skin into fine speckle patterns.

Dithering is far less visible on a small image, so once the GIF is made, shrink it to the size it will be shown at. GIF has no quality slider; the palette is the compression. Transparency plays no part here, since camera photos are fully opaque.

If you are after motion, turn several HEIF shots into JPGs first and then build an animated GIF from the stills, where speed and quality are yours to set. And wherever JPG is accepted at all, a JPG of the same HEIF will look better in a smaller file.

Signs the GIF needs another try

Banding or speckle across a sky, a wall or other plain areas.
Skin that looks blotchy when viewed at full size.
A file larger than the upload field allows.

Frequently asked questions

How do I convert HEIF to GIF?: Upload your HEIF file above. It is converted to GIF automatically (change the output format or quality in the Settings tab if you need to), then click Download. There is nothing to install.
Does converting HEIF to GIF lose quality?: GIF is limited to 256 colours per frame, so photos lose colour detail; graphics with few colours convert cleanly.
HEIF or GIF: which should I use?: Use HEIF for storing high-quality photos in less space on phones and cameras. Use GIF for short animations, stickers and flat-colour graphics. Keep in mind the main drawback of GIF: only 256 colours and on/off transparency.
What is a HEIF file?: HEIF is the open standard behind HEIC. Samsung phones and several Canon, Sony and Fujifilm cameras can save HEIF photos, which are compact but not yet widely accepted.
Is the HEIF to GIF converter free?: Yes. Convert, preview and download a single result without creating an account. Premium adds batch conversion (many files into one ZIP) and larger uploads.

What you can do with HEIF to GIF

Review the main capabilities before you begin.

Convert HEIF files to GIF online
Keep animation when the source is an animated GIF or WebP
Switch to any other output format in Settings
Batch-convert many HEIF files into one ZIP
Preview the result before you download

Use this tool

Settings reference

Available controls for HEIF to GIF.

Settings

Output formatDropdown: Chooses the file type you download. The page opens on its own output format; switch to any other format before converting.Options: JPGPNGWebPAVIFGIFTIFFBMPICOPDF
QualitySliderRange: 20–100 · Default: 90: For JPG, WebP, AVIF and image-to-PDF output: higher keeps more detail but makes a bigger file; 60–80 suits most photos. Documents (Publisher, XPS, EPS…) become PDFs with every page and sharp text, with no quality setting.
Lossless modeOn / Off: For WebP and AVIF output: keeps every pixel exactly (best for logos, graphics and transparency) at the cost of a larger file.
Background fillColor picker: For JPG, BMP and image-to-PDF output, which can’t store transparency: the colour that fills transparent areas (white by default).