First it was Twitter, which was followed by Facebook, to finally be integrated into Telegram and WhatsApp. The Animated GIFs have become popular recently, and we can find them both in the aforementioned applications and looking elsewhere on the Internet.
Remember that an animated GIF is nothing more than a frame succession animated, in other words, a short video without sound. But what happens if you want to create your own animated GIF? It really is not as complicated as it may sound. You dare?
With up to 256 colors and clearly distinguishable by having no sound and having infinite loop playback, lThe easiest way to create an animated GIF is from a video, and convert it to that format. For this purpose there are several ways, although we are going to base ourselves on the simplest ones.
Giphy
Giphy is but one web where users can upload and share our GIFs favorite cartoons. But, in addition, his secret weapon is that allows you to create an animated GIF through any YouTube video simply and easily.
We have a search engine at the top of the page, where we can enter the terms by which we want to find a specific GIF, but we can also create an animated GIF from a YouTube video with the «Create» button, located at the top, just above the search bar.
Once the «Create» button has been pressed, we will go directly to the bottom of the page, to the section on "Add any URL", in which text box we will copy the link from Youtube video that we want to convert. The only limitation is that the original video does not exceed 15 minutes duration. Once the address is copied, Giphy will recognize it directly, and will open the editor.
Inside the editor we find, in order, a preview of our GIF on the left side, while on the right side we will have two sliders, with which to adjust both the duration of our GIF, and the moment we want it to start. Once both parameters have been adjusted, we will click on the continue button, located in the lower right corner.
In this second step, we will have the possibility of decorate our GIF. We can add text, animations, filters or stickers so that the final GIF better fits what we are looking for. We just have to select the options we want to add, being separated into three sections: text, stickers and drawings.
Once everything we want has been added, pressing the button "Continue to upload" in the lower right, we will access the last step. We will only have to enter the tags, which are the tags by which the Giphy search engine filters GIFs, and click on the button. Upload to Giphy.
The upload process takes a few seconds, and once uploaded to their servers, Giphy offers us the option of being able to share the GIF created in various ways. Besides power download it to our computer, allows you to save it in the favorites of our Giphy account, if you have one. It also offers us the possibility of copy its direct link or insert it on your website, so that it is as you see below:
Its size will be reduced, since being a GIF and not a complete video, it is created at a specific size. Once you have it created and downloaded, you can share it with whoever you want in the way you like the most.
Yes, as you read it, WhatsApp also offers us a quick and easy way to create a GIF from a video to share it with our contacts.
The process has only one step, although we must know the main limitation of this system: the video that we want to convert to GIF will have to have a maximum of 6 seconds. This does not mean that we cannot use longer videos, but we must reduce it to those 6 seconds.
We just have to select the video that we want to convert, and carry out the same steps as if we were to send it directly to one of our contacts or groups. The only caveat is that, in the preview, as you see in the image above, we will have to select the GIF option in the selector in the upper right corner. In this way, you can easily send a video as a GIF.
Telegram
In Telegram we also have the possibility of convert any video we want to send into a GIF animated. Although the difference here is that we have no limit on the size of the video, so we can make the conversion with any video that we have recorded or that we have on our device.
In the same way as in WhatsApp, we just have to press the small button in the shape of a speaker in the upper left corner of the video preview. In this way, we will get the notice that when sending it without sound, will loop as a GIF, as you are seeing in the image above. Without a doubt, they are the simplest methods to convert a video into an animated GIF.