How to Download Twitter GIFs

Twitter GIFs Aren't Really GIFs

Before we get into the how, here's a fun fact. When you upload a GIF to Twitter, the platform converts it into a short MP4 video. So every "GIF" you see on Twitter is actually playing as a video file behind the scenes.

Why does this matter? Because it means downloading Twitter GIFs works exactly the same way as downloading Twitter videos. Same process, same tool, same result. You'll get an MP4 file that loops and plays just like the original GIF.

For a deeper dive into Twitter's video formats, check out our formats and quality guide.

How to Save a Twitter GIF

Here's the step by step process. It works on phones, tablets, and computers.

1. Find the tweet with the GIF you want to save.
2. Tap or click the Share button on the tweet.
3. Select Copy Link to copy the tweet URL.
4. Go to tweeload.com in your browser.
5. Paste the link into the download field and click Download.
6. You'll see the GIF (as an MP4 video) ready to download. Click the download button to save it.

The downloaded file will be an MP4 video. It plays in any video player and most apps that support video. If you specifically need it as a .gif file, you can use a free online converter to change the MP4 to GIF format after downloading.

Downloading GIFs on Android

On Android, the process is straightforward. After tapping the download button on Tweeload, the file saves directly to your downloads folder. You can find it in your Files app or Gallery.

If you download GIFs from Twitter frequently, the Tweeload Android app lets you share tweets directly to the app for faster saving.

Downloading GIFs on iPhone

On iPhone, after the video loads in your browser, tap the share icon in Safari and select Save Video to add it to your camera roll. You can also choose Save to Files if you prefer to keep it in your file manager.

The Tweeload iOS app also works great for this and saves directly to your camera roll.

Tips for Twitter GIF Downloads

• GIFs on Twitter are usually short, so file sizes are small. Most are under 5 MB.
• The quality of the download depends on the original upload quality. Tweeload grabs whatever Twitter has available.
• If the GIF is from a private account, it can't be downloaded. The tweet needs to be from a public account.
• Some tweets that look like GIFs might actually be short videos. Either way, Tweeload handles both the same way.

That's really all there is to it. Since Twitter treats GIFs as videos internally, you can use the exact same download process you'd use for any Twitter video.