GIF viewer
Open a GIF to watch it, pause it and step through it frame by frame. See how many frames it has, how long it runs and whether it loops.
Play · pause · frame by frame · 0.5× to 2×
- Size
- 24 × 24 px
- Frames
- 8
- Length
- 800 ms
- Frame time
- 0.1 s each
- Loop
- Loops forever
- Colours
- Up to 4
- File
- 805 bytes · GIF89a
How to view a GIF frame by frame
- Choose your GIF, or drag it onto the box. It opens in your browser; nothing is uploaded.
- Pause it, then use the arrow buttons to go back or forward one frame at a time. The counter shows the frame number and how long that frame stays on screen.
- Change the speed to 0.5× to watch a fast GIF closely, or 2× to skim a long one.
To keep a frame as an image, open the GIF in GIF to PNG or GIF to JPG and pick the same frame number.
What the GIF details mean
| Detail | What it tells you |
|---|---|
| Frames | How many pictures the animation is made of. 1 means a still image. |
| Length | How long one pass of the animation takes, adding up every frame time. |
| Frame time | How long each picture stays on screen. 0.1 s per frame is 10 frames per second. |
| Loop | Whether it loops forever, repeats a set number of times, or plays once and stops. |
| Colours | The size of the colour list. GIFs allow at most 256 colours per frame. |
| File | File size, and the GIF version: 89a is the 1989 version that added animation and transparency; 87a is the original. |
Why does my GIF play slower than it should?
Usually because its frame time is set too short. A GIF stores each frame time in hundredths of a second, and browsers treat 0 and 0.01 s as a mistake: they show those frames for 0.1 s instead. A GIF meant to race along ends up playing ten times slower. Image viewers and chat apps vary, so the same GIF can run at different speeds in different places.
Example: a 30-frame GIF set to 0.01 s
- Intended length: 30 × 0.01 s = 0.3 s
- What browsers play: 30 × 0.1 s = 3 s
Fix: set the frame time to 0.02 s or more in your GIF maker. 0.02 s (50 frames per second) is the fastest that plays as set. This viewer warns you when a GIF has frames set to 0 or 0.01 s.
How to open a GIF on Windows, Mac, iPhone and Android
- Windows 10 and 11: double-click the GIF to open it in Photos, which plays the animation. The older Windows Photo Viewer shows only the first frame.
- Mac: select the GIF in Finder and press the space bar; Quick Look plays it. Preview instead lists the frames down the side, which is handy for checking them one by one.
- iPhone and iPad: saved GIFs play in the Photos app, and are collected in the Animated album.
- Android: Google Photos and most gallery apps play GIFs.
- Anywhere: drag the GIF into a browser tab, or open it here to pause and step through it.
GIF vs WebP vs MP4
| GIF | Animated WebP | MP4 video | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Colours | 256 per frame | Millions | Millions |
| Transparency | On or off | Smooth | No |
| File size for the same clip | Largest | Smaller | Smallest |
| Plays in | Almost everything, including most email | Browsers and newer apps | Video players; not email |
That is why sites like Giphy often serve your “GIF” as an MP4 or WebP behind the scenes, while email and older apps still rely on real GIFs.
Frequently asked questions
How many frames does my GIF have?
Open it in the viewer above: the Frames line shows the count, and Length shows how long one pass takes. Pause and step through to see each frame.
Why does my GIF stop after a few loops?
The GIF itself sets how many times it repeats. Most loop forever, but some are saved to repeat a set number of times or play once. The Loop line shows which; re-save it with looping set to forever in a GIF maker to change it.
Can I save one frame of a GIF?
Yes. Note the frame number here, then open the GIF in GIF to PNG (keeps transparency) or GIF to JPG (smaller files) and download that frame.
Is my GIF uploaded anywhere?
No. The GIF is opened and decoded in your browser, so the file never leaves your device.
More GIF tools: GIF to PNG · GIF to JPG · GIF to Base64
Sources
- W3C: GIF89a specification: frame delays in hundredths of a second, colour tables and the 87a/89a versions.
- MDN: image file type and format guide: GIF, animated WebP and their browser support.
- Chromium and Firefox image decoders: both play frames with a delay of 10 ms or less at 100 ms.
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