# Video to GIF — Convert video to GIF on Mac

Make a crisp, looping GIF with an optimised palette. Part of OneMacTools, 151 private tools in one native Mac app (macOS 26 or later); category: Video. Runs on your Mac; nothing is uploaded.

Turn a video or part of one into a looping GIF. A two-step palette keeps colours clean and the file small. Choose the frame rate and width, and optionally a start and end time.

Page: https://www.onemactools.com/tools/video-to-gif · Download: https://www.onemactools.com/download · Pricing: https://www.onemactools.com/pricing

## How to use it
1. **Install FFmpeg once.** If needed, OneMacTools offers to install FFmpeg through Homebrew with one click.
2. **Drop your video.** Drag in a screen recording or clip. Or right-click it in Finder and choose Quick Actions › OMT: Make GIF from Video, which uses your last settings.
3. **Pick the part and size.** Set a start and end time to use only part of the video, and choose the frame rate and width.
4. **Click Make GIF.** A colour palette is built from the clip first, then the GIF is made with it, so colours stay clean.
5. **Use the GIF.** The GIF loops forever and is saved in a new dated folder in Downloads › OneMacTools. Preview it with the eye button or Show in Finder. Your video is unchanged.

## Options
- **Frame rate:** 10, 15 (the default) or 24 frames per second. Fewer frames mean a smaller file; 24 gives the smoothest motion.
- **Width:** 320, 480 (the default), 640, 800 px or Original. The height follows the video's shape.
- **Start:** Where the GIF begins, such as 0:05. Leave it empty to start at the beginning.
- **End:** Where the GIF ends, such as 0:12. Leave it empty to go to the end of the video. It must be after the start.

## Tips
- GIFs get big fast. Keep them to a few seconds by setting a start and end time.
- For UI demos and screen recordings, 10 or 15 fps at 640 px is usually plenty and stays readable.
- GIFs are limited to 256 colours, so they suit screen recordings and simple graphics better than colourful video footage.
- If the GIF is still too big, run Compress & Resize GIF on it, or share a short MP4 instead.
- Where a site accepts video, GIF to MP4 makes the same animation a fraction of the size.

## Questions
**How do I make a GIF from a video on a Mac?**
Drop the video onto Video to GIF, set a start and end time if you only want part of it, and click Make GIF. Or right-click it in Finder and choose Quick Actions › OMT: Make GIF from Video.

**How do I keep the GIF small?**
Use 10 or 15 fps, a width of 480 px or less, and set a start and end time so only the part you need is included.

**Can I turn a GIF back into a video?**
Yes, with GIF to MP4, which is usually 80–95% smaller than the GIF.

**How do I make a GIF from a screen recording?**
Record with Screen Recorder or QuickTime, drop the recording here, and set the start and end around the part you want to show.

**Will the GIF loop?**
Yes. Every GIF is set to loop forever, as most sites and chat apps expect.

**Why do the colours look a little grainy?**
GIF can only show 256 colours per image. A palette is built from your clip to make the best use of them, but smooth gradients in video can still look slightly speckled.