How to Save a GIF from Twitter in 5 Steps

Twitter is useful for a lot of things from getting the news to sharing content with your friends or followers. For every word typed, there are a dozen GIFs posted although they aren’t exactly easy to save. Wondering how to save a GIF from Twitter? We’ll show you how whether you’re using a smartphone, laptop, or tablet.

Why GIFs are Hard to Download from Twitter

Social media sites like Twitter make it easy for users to share photos and GIFs with their followers. You can share classics or make your own GIFs to post online, but saving the ones you like can be challenging on some platforms. Twitter is one of them, and that’s because of the format.

When you post a GIF to Twitter, it’s not saved as a GIF at all. The format is changed into a video. That means you’ll need to download the GIF from the service and convert it to GIF format. If you know the name of the GIF you want to save, you may be able to skip the conversion and download it through Giphy. Otherwise, you’ll want to follow the steps in our guide.

How to Save a GIF from Twitter on your Computer

Saving a GIF from Twitter to a laptop or desktop PC isn’t quite as simple as it is from a mobile device, but is something you can accomplish in 5 steps.

1. Copy the Link

Find the GIF you want to download on Twitter. For this example, we’re using a GIF of this nasty stiff arm from the Raiders vs. Patriots game. When you find the GIF you want to save, right-click and copy the link as shown.

2. Use a Video Downloader

Once you have the link, you’ll need to use a YouTube video downloader. There are many, but two of the more popular options are Twitter Video Downloader and TwDownload.

Choose a site, copy the link over, and select the download button.

3. Choose a Format

From this page, you can select a format and save the video as a GIF to your PC. The options will vary by service, but you’ll have multiple sizes to choose from in the mp4 format. Click the download button next to the size you want to download and save the video to your computer.

4. Convert Video to GIF

Now that you have the Twitter GIF saved as a video on your PC, you’ll need to convert it back to GIF format. The easiest way to do this is through EZGIF, a web-based program that lives up to its namesake.

Click on Choose File and select the video from your PC. Select Upload video to proceed to the editing phase.

5. Edit and Save GIF

If you want to make alterations to your GIF, now’s the time to do it. That includes trimming the video, adding subtitles, or cropping it. Make your selections, and scroll down until you see the Convert to GIF button to save the GIF to your computer.

How to Save a GIF from Twitter on Android

While millions of people use Twitter from a desktop or laptop, even more use the Twitter mobile app. To save a GIF from Twitter on an Android smartphone or tablet, you’ll need to download an additional app. We chose Tweet2gif, but there are dozens of Twitter and YouTube video downloaders for Android.

1. Copy Tweet Link

From the Twitter app, find the GIF you want to save on a Tweet and select the Share icon and choose copy link.

2. Open Video Downloader App

Open the app you chose to download videos from Twitter. You will need to accept permissions so the app can save the GIF to your phone, and some will have settings that allow you to make adjustments beforehand.

3. Load and Save GIF

When you are satisfied with your selections, copy the link over and follow the directions. With Tweet2gif, you simply need to copy the link and click Download GIF to save the GIF to your phone or tablet.

How to Save a GIF from Twitter on iPhone

iPhone and Android run different operating systems, so you’ll have different apps to choose from on iOS. The most popular choice to download Twitter videos as GIFs is an app called GIFwrapped.

1. Locate and Share GIF

Find your favorite cat GIF or any short clip you like on Twitter that you want to save as a GIF and select Share Tweet. Tap Copy link to Tweet to proceed.

2. Open GIFwrapped

Fire up the GIFwrapped app on your iPhone or iPad. Look for the search section and copy over the link you save into this area before tapping Search.

3. Save to Library

After you tap on search, the GIF should show up in the app. Look for the Save button on the lower left-hand side of the page to bring up a pop-up window that allows you to save the GIF to your Library.

The Wrap-Up

Saving GIFS from Twitter is something anyone can do as long as they have the right tools. While the company could make the process easier, there are multiple ways to save and convert any GIF you see on the platform. If you’re curious about how to clear up your tweets or make a clean start with your profile, we have that covered as well.

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