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How to make a GIF screen recording on Mac

A short looping GIF is the perfect way to show a feature in a pull request, a README, a help article, Slack or a tweet — it plays instantly and needs no play button. Here's how to make a GIF screen recording on a Mac that's small, sharp and loops cleanly.

GuidesBy Himanshu Singh · 20 October 2026 · 2 min read

Rules for a good GIF

• Short: 3–10 seconds. One action.
• Small area: record just the part of the screen that matters, not your whole display.
• Loops cleanly: end where you started, so the jump back isn't jarring.
• Lower frame rate: 10–15 fps is plenty for UI and keeps the file small.
• No sound: GIFs don't have audio.

Method 1: built-in recorder + ffmpeg (free)

1. Press Shift-Command-5 → Record Selected Portion, and drag a tight box around the action.
2. Record, stop, and trim in the thumbnail preview.
3. Install ffmpeg (for example with Homebrew: brew install ffmpeg).
4. Convert with a palette for better colours:

   ffmpeg -i in.mov -vf "fps=12,scale=800:-1:flags=lanczos,split[a][b];[a]palettegen[p];[b][p]paletteuse" out.gif

Change 800 for the width and 12 for the frame rate.

Method 2: export a GIF from ScreenToast

1. Record an Area around the action.
2. Trim to the moment. Auto Polish's zoom and smooth cursor make even a small GIF easy to follow; delete the zoom if the area is already tight.
3. Press ⌘E and choose GIF.
4. Copy the result straight to your clipboard and paste it into GitHub, Slack or your docs.

CleanShot X also records straight to GIF, if you mostly need quick clips.

GIF or MP4?

For websites, ScreenToast's Web preset makes an MP4 that starts playing at once, which loops like a GIF at a fraction of the size.

Frequently asked questions

Can a Mac record a GIF directly?

The built-in recorder saves .mov only. Convert it with a tool, or use a recorder with GIF export such as ScreenToast or CleanShot X.

Why is my GIF file so big?

GIFs store every frame with a limited palette, so long, large or busy recordings get huge. Keep it short, small and at a lower frame rate — or use an MP4 where the platform allows.

How do I convert a screen recording to GIF for free?

With ffmpeg in Terminal: ffmpeg -i in.mov -vf "fps=12,scale=800:-1:flags=lanczos" out.gif — or use a free converter app.