How to view a .GIF file online
No app, no account, no upload.
Open your .GIF
Drag a .GIF file onto the viewer, paste one with Ctrl+V, or choose it from your device.
View and inspect
Zoom in close, pan around, rotate or flip it, and read the exact color of any pixel.
Save a copy
Download it as PNG, JPG or WEBP with your rotation applied, at the quality you choose.
What is a .GIF file?
Everything worth knowing about Graphics Interchange Format.
A GIF file is a raster image in Graphics Interchange Format, best known for short looping animations. Every web browser and operating system opens GIFs natively: double-click the file, or drag it into a browser tab. The main practical concern is file size: animated GIFs are large, and converting to MP4 or WebP shrinks them by up to 95%.
Programs that open .GIF files
- Windows
- GIMP, IrfanView, Windows Photos, Web browser (Chrome, Edge, Firefox)
- macOS
- Preview, Web browser (Safari, Chrome)
- Linux
- GIMP, Web browser
- Web
- ezgif.com
| Full name | Graphics Interchange Format |
|---|---|
| Developer | CompuServe (Steve Wilhite), 1987 |
| First released | 1987 (GIF87a); GIF89a (animation, transparency) in 1989 |
| Category | Images |
| MIME type | image/gif |
| Signature | 47 49 46 38 39 61 ("GIF89a" (also "GIF87a" - bytes 47 49 46 38 37 61)) |
Related tools
More free tools for working with images.
Frequently asked questions
Is my .GIF file uploaded to a server?
No. The viewer decodes your .GIF file with your browser's own image engine. Closing the tab removes it completely.
How do I open PSD, TIFF, RAW or HEIC files?
HEIC and HEIF (iPhone photos) open right here — we decode them with libheif. PSD, TIFF, JPEG 2000, camera RAW, HDR and texture files have their own viewers, linked above; the Image Viewer sends you to the right one automatically.
What does the Photo details panel show?
The EXIF data your camera or phone saved in the photo: camera and lens, shutter speed, aperture, ISO, the date it was taken and, if location was on, where. Files you save from this viewer don't include this data, which is handy when you share photos.
Is there a file size limit?
There's no fixed limit; it depends on available memory. Very large images (over 40 megapixels) are previewed at reduced resolution so the viewer stays fast, but the reported dimensions are always the original ones.
How does the color picker work?
Point at any pixel to see its HEX and RGB value with a magnified view of the surrounding pixels. Click to copy the HEX code and save it to your palette.
Should I save as PNG, JPG or WEBP?
PNG keeps every pixel and transparency, which is best for screenshots and graphics. JPG makes photos small. WEBP is usually the smallest of all and works in every modern browser.
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