Turn a short UI moment into something easy to share. Start with our browser-based GIF converter, or use the guide below to decide when a video or an AI-cleaned demo is a better fit.
Open the GIF converterKeep the moment that explains the action.
Choose a supported MP4, MOV, WebM or M4V, select the start and end, then adjust width, frame rate and colors. Preview the result and download a looping GIF for a README, changelog or support reply.
Formats are containers; codec support still matters. H.264 MP4/MOV and VP8/VP9 WebM are the starting point. See the converter for current limits.
A looping image works when the action is short and the surrounding page supplies the explanation. Keep video when narration, reading time or a longer walkthrough matters. Use AI cleanup when the take itself needs work before you share it.
| What you need | Animated GIF | Original video | DemoRefine AI cleanup |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best fit | One UI action that benefits from looping | A full walkthrough or a longer explanation | A rough take with pauses, mistakes or distracting cursor motion |
| What changes | Choose a clip and its export settings | Keep the recording as it is | Review reversible AI suggestions before export |
| Sound | No audio in a GIF | Can retain narration already in the video | Use the demo review to assess the exported result |
| Where processing happens | On your device in the GIF converter | Depends on your player or sharing platform | Upload to DemoRefine for server processing |
| Start here | Convert a clip to GIF | Use your existing video player or sharing workflow | Try the demo video maker |
The GIF converter is the independent free tool available in this directory. AI cleanup is DemoRefine's main Private Alpha product; its access and planned tiers are explained on the pricing page.
Put the exact menu selection beside a written instruction. Trim navigation before the action so readers can see the step without hunting through a full recording.
Loop the click sequence that triggers a bug. Add the expected behavior in the ticket text; keep longer diagnostic evidence as video when a tiny GIF would hide details.
Show how a new filter, setting or interaction behaves. A focused loop can sit next to the changelog entry while a longer video stays available for the full walkthrough.
Attach the before-and-after behavior of a UI fix to a pull request. Use two short clips when that is clearer than compressing several unrelated actions into one GIF.
A 5–10 second selection is a useful starting point. Begin at 640 px and 10–12 fps. Reduce the clip length or width before increasing compression settings that make interface text hard to read. The converter estimates size, but the actual GIF can differ because the content and color palette matter.
The GIF converter downloads its engine, then decodes and encodes on your device. It does not upload the video. Small categorical diagnostics are described in its privacy section. The main AI cleanup product accepts uploaded recordings for server processing. Choose the workflow that fits the material you intend to share.
A MOV or MP4 file may contain a codec this first version does not support. HEVC, ProRes and HDR recordings need a supported H.264 export first. Browser, device memory and file complexity also affect conversion. The converter reports an unsupported file rather than silently uploading it elsewhere.
The converter starts with a video file. If a recording will not open, check the codec inside it as well as the filename: an MP4 or MOV extension alone does not establish compatibility. Use your device's recorder, then bring a supported file to the GIF converter.
Find the MP4 in
Videos → Captures
Open the app you want to capture. Use Windows + G to open Game Bar, or press Windows + Alt + R to start recording. Press the same recording shortcut again to stop. Game Bar saves the clip as an MP4 in the Captures folder under Videos.
In the converter, choose that file and select the action you want to show. The file still goes through the converter's compatibility check; an MP4 extension does not guarantee that every recording will decode.
Official instructions: Microsoft's Xbox Game Bar recording guide
When available, choose
SDR → H.264
Press Shift + Command + 5 to open the recording toolbar. Choose the entire screen or a selected portion; recording a selected window is available on macOS Tahoe 26 or later.
Open Options before recording. On supported Macs running macOS Tahoe 26 or later, the capture-format choices are SDR (Most Compatible), which uses H.264, and HDR, which uses HEVC.
| Capture option | Codec | For this GIF converter |
|---|---|---|
| SDR (Most Compatible) | H.264 | Choose this option |
| HDR | HEVC | Re-export as SDR H.264 first |
This choice matters even if both files play normally on your Mac. The GIF converter accepts supported 8-bit SDR H.264 files and explicitly rejects HEVC and HDR input. When the capture-format selector is available, choose SDR before you record. If it is absent, do not assume your Mac has the same controls; check the saved file in the converter instead.
Options also controls the microphone, visible mouse clicks and save location. Recordings save to the desktop by default, with a .mov filename. Stop from the menu bar or press Command + Control + Esc. QuickTime's File → New Screen Recording command (Control + Command + N) may open the same toolbar or its older recording window.
Official instructions: Apple's Mac screen recording guide
In QuickTime Player, use File → Export As. For a 1080p or 4K export, select Greater Compatibility to use H.264 when the format menu is shown. QuickTime also documents H.264 for 720p and 480p exports. The exported file is still a .mov; changing its filename to .mp4 is not a codec conversion.
Choose an SDR H.264 export when the source is HDR, then reopen it in the converter. A smaller output frame size in the GIF settings does not make an unsupported source codec decodable.
Export reference: Apple's QuickTime export formats and compatibility options
Start short, then set
480 or 640 px
Start Screen Recording from Control Center. If the control is missing, add it first. After stopping, find the clip in Photos and save or transfer a copy you can select in a browser.
Official instructions: Apple's iPhone and iPad screen recording guide
Look for Screen record in Quick Settings; you may need to add the tile. Stop from the recording notification. Google documents the saved clip under Photos → Collections → On this device → Movies; controls and folders can differ by phone.
Official instructions: Google's Android screen recording guide
For either phone, begin with a short selection and set the GIF width to 480 or 640 px. If device memory or browser support prevents conversion, try the copy in a desktop browser. Moving the file does not change its codec: if the converter reports HEVC or another unsupported format, re-export as supported SDR H.264 before retrying.
Follow the specific error instead of changing the file extension. For HEVC, ProRes or HDR, make a supported 8-bit SDR H.264 export. Keep the input file within 200 MB. A longer supported source can be opened within that file-size limit, but the selected range must be 60 seconds or less; use the converter's start and end fields before generating.
GIF conversion stays on your device, including a failed attempt. The converter does not fall back to uploading your recording to a conversion server. Open the GIF converter, choose the corrected file and try a short range first.
The Screen Recording to GIF Converter is the one independent tool currently available here. It trims and converts a supported recording locally, with controls for width, frame rate and color count. The main DemoRefine app is a separate AI cleanup workflow. This directory will list additional tools when they are available.
Keep the video when the viewer needs narration, a longer explanation or enough time to read detailed interface text. GIFs have no audio, and a busy scene can become a large file. A short GIF is useful for a single repeating action; an MP4 is often more practical for the complete demo.
No. It describes this GIF converter, which processes the video in a browser worker on your device. Categorical diagnostic events do not contain the recording or its frames. DemoRefine's main AI cleanup workflow uses uploaded recordings and server processing. Read the converter's privacy explanation before choosing which workflow to use.
No account or paid plan is required to open a supported file, adjust the conversion settings and download the GIF. There is no export watermark. File, clip and browser limits still apply. This tool's free access is separate from the main AI product's Private Alpha and its planned paid tiers.
The converter lets you select one continuous time range and change how that range is encoded. It does not detect mistakes, remove pauses or rebuild cursor motion. For a rough take that needs those changes, use the main AI cleanup workflow and review the suggested fixes before exporting a video.
Open a recording, select the action and see whether a GIF is the right way to show it.