How to convert a GIF to MP4
A GIF of the same clip is usually much bigger than an MP4, and some platforms will not accept a GIF at all. Here is how to convert it.
Why convert a GIF to MP4 at all
GIF stores every frame with limited color compression, which makes an animated GIF file far larger than a video of the same clip using modern video compression. Some platforms and messaging apps also handle a GIF differently from a video, or don't accept one at all in certain upload spots, which is the other common reason to convert.
On an iPhone or Android
Neither platform's Photos app has a built-in GIF-to-video converter; a GIF saved to the camera roll stays a GIF unless something converts it. Some messaging apps automatically convert a GIF to a short video internally when sending it, but that conversion isn't something you control or can save as your own file.
On a Mac or Windows
There is no built-in converter in Preview, Photos, or File Explorer on either platform for turning a GIF into a video file; both mainly treat a GIF as an image that happens to animate, not as source video to re-encode.
A direct converter to MP4
Stayput's GIF to MP4 tool converts animated GIFs to MP4 video directly in the browser, in a batch, without uploading the files. The resulting MP4 is typically a fraction of the original GIF's size and plays correctly as a video on Instagram, WhatsApp, X and in slide decks where a GIF sometimes doesn't behave as expected.
Questions
Why is a GIF so much bigger than the same clip as MP4?
GIF uses an older, less efficient compression scheme with a limited color palette per frame; MP4 uses modern video compression designed specifically to keep motion video small.
Does converting a GIF to MP4 lose the animation loop?
A converted MP4 can be set to loop the same way a GIF does in most players and platforms, though the setting to loop it depends on where it is played, not the file itself.
Will an MP4 look the same quality as the original GIF?
Generally as good or better, since MP4's compression preserves more color detail than GIF's limited palette, while also producing a smaller file.
Can I convert several GIFs to MP4 at once?
Yes, a browser-based batch converter can process multiple GIF files in one go rather than one at a time.