Do you have a GIF image file that will not open or display correctly? If so, our free-to-use GIF repair tool may be able to help. Our tool analyses the content of your GIF image file and is able to determine if the file pixel data is valid. Our tool will let you know what is wrong with your GIF file and attempt to fix it.
Or drag and drop your files here to upload.
A maximum of 20 files can be uploaded at once.
Here are 3 simple steps to repair your GIF using our fast and free repair tool.
No. Our GIF repair tool will not adjust the resolution or quality of the repaired image file.
Yes! Our GIF repair tool is 100% free to use.
No, you can repair as many files as you wish. We do not have any limits when using our GIF repair tool.
We aim to process GIF repairs as quickly as possible; this usually takes around 5 seconds; however, this may be longer depending on the file size and data needed to be repaired.
Once your GIF has been selected, it will undergo some initial checks to verify that the file has some basic information. If the initial checks pass, we then upload the file to our servers for more detailed analysis.
Yes, of course it is! Your GIF, once repaired, is deleted 15 minutes after upload, and any download link will expire after this time.
Yes! Our GIF repair tool will run on any system with a modern web browser.
| Extension | GIF |
| Full Name | Graphics Interchange Format |
| Type | Image |
| Mime Type | image/gif |
| Format | Binary |
| Opens With | Paint.Net |
GIF files have been around since the dawn of the internet and are a popular choice of format for storing images and animations. Images stored within a GIF file can be stored at low bits per pixel to reduce the size of the GIF file, leading to improved download speeds. Reducing the number of bits per pixel, if done correctly, can lead to no noticeable difference in image quality.
Along with static images, GIF files are also capable of storing short video or animation sequences. This capability has proved very popular, with animated GIFs being created and used on websites and social media. GIF files are also a popular format for storing and transmitting internet memes.
With newer and more capable formats such as PNG and WEBP taking over as the default standard for images and animations on the web, the GIF format is slowly declining in popularity. Support for GIF files within image editing software is still strong and will likely continue.
The data contained within a GIF image file is binary, and it is the first sequence of bytes within the file that contains the header data for the image, which contains information such as image width, height, colour depth, palette, and other metadata.
Knowing how this header data is formed and what the header data should be for each individual file type allows our tool to not only ensure the file is using the correct file extension but also that all the expected pixel data is present and correct.
Certain image file formats (oftentimes, but not always, older formats), such as GIF, can store pixel data using a reduced number of bits per pixel. For regular full-colour images, these are stored at 24-bits per pixel (1 byte per RGB channel, equating to roughly 16 million colours). Storing pixels using reduced bits per pixel can help reduce the final file size, and older legacy hardware was often limited by the colour depth of their displays anyway, making this practice worthwhile.
Palettes are also commonplace, allowing a limited number of colours to be used from the full 16 million colour space. The GIF often does this to significantly reduce file size while retaining pixel and colour detail. During the validation and repair process, our tool will not alter the pixel colour depth or, if present, any palette used by the image.
