Why convert HEIC to GIF?
GIF is over 35 years old, and that's exactly its strength: anything that shows images at all can show a GIF. Older forum software, intranet tools, email signature builders, embroidery and craft programs, and plenty of web forms that pre-date HEIC still list GIF as an accepted type. The trade-off is color. A GIF can hold only 256 colors, while a photo has millions, so the converter picks the best 256 for each image and blends them with dithering to hide the difference. Keep the size modest — GIF is meant for small images, not 12-megapixel prints.
How to convert HEIC to GIF
- Add one or more HEIC photos with the button or by dropping them onto the box.
- Keep the default maximum size of 1280 px, or go smaller for avatars and signatures — GIF files grow quickly with dimensions.
- Leave dithering on for photos. Turn it off for screenshots or graphics with flat colors, where it gives cleaner edges and a smaller file.
- Download each GIF or the whole set as a ZIP.
Convert HEIC to other formats
- JPG HEIC to JPG Opens on every device, app and website.
- PNG HEIC to PNG Lossless — best for editing and design.
- PDF HEIC to PDF One document from one or many photos.
- WebP HEIC to WebP Smallest files for websites and blogs.
- AVIF HEIC to AVIF Next-gen format, about half the size of JPG.
- TIFF HEIC to TIFF Lossless for printing, publishing and archives.
- BMP HEIC to BMP Plain bitmap for legacy and embedded software.
Frequently asked questions
Will the GIF be animated?
No — a HEIC photo is a single image, so you get a still GIF. Turning an iPhone Live Photo into a moving GIF is something we're working on as a separate tool.
Why do the colors look slightly grainy up close?
That's dithering. GIF can store only 256 colors, so the converter mixes neighboring pixels of the available colors to imitate the ones it can't store. From a normal viewing distance it reads as a smooth gradient; without it you'd see visible bands across the sky.
Why is my GIF bigger than the original HEIC?
GIF's compression is designed for flat graphics, not photographs, so a photo GIF is usually several times the size of the HEIC. Reducing the maximum size is by far the most effective way to shrink it.
Can a GIF have a transparent background?
GIF supports only on/off transparency, and iPhone photos don't contain any transparency to begin with, so the result is fully opaque. For transparent images, PNG is the right choice.
Should I use GIF or JPG for a photo?
JPG, whenever you can. It keeps all the colors at a fraction of the size. Choose GIF only when the place you're uploading to specifically asks for it.