How to make a GIF on Xiaomi: from screen shooting to video conversion

Creating animated gifs on Xiaomi smartphones is easier than it seems. Unlike iPhones, where it often requires third-party apps, owners of devices on MIUI can get by with built-in tools or free utilities from Google Play. Gifs are convenient for quickly sharing funny moments in instant messengers, showing bugs in games or even creating mini-instructions.

In this article, we will discuss 5 working ways: from recording a screen with automatic conversion to GIF to manually creating animations from a series of photos. We will pay special attention to the nuances for different versions of MIUI (12-14) and popular models - Redmi Note 12, POCO X5, Xiaomi 13.

1. Built-in screen recording with conversion to GIF

The fastest way is to use the built-in screen recording feature that is on all Xiaomi smartphones with MIUI 10 and later. The algorithm is simple: write down the desired snippet, and then save it in GIF format right in the gallery.

How it works:

• 📱 Open the Quick Settings Panel (swipe down from the top edge of the screen) and find the Screen Record icon (if not, add it through the panel editor).
• 🎥 Press it, wait for the countdown (3 seconds) and write down the desired fragment. To stop, use the notification in the curtain or the button in the toolbar.
• ✂️ After the recording stops, a preview will appear with the Save as button. GIF. Press it, cut off the extra frames (if necessary) and confirm the preservation.

Limitations of the method:

• ⏱️ Maximum length of the GIF is 5 seconds (in older versions) MIUI — 3 seconds).
• 🔍 Quality. GIF automatically decreases to 480p, to reduce the file size.
• 🎨 No way to add text or stickers.

💡

If the Save as GIF button doesn’t appear, update the Gallery app via Google Play or clear its cache in the settings (Settings → Apps → Gallery → Storage).

2. Convert video to GIF through Gallery

If you already have a video (for example, captured on camera or downloaded from the Internet), it can be converted to a GIF without third-party applications. the feature is hidden in the editing menu of the Xiaomi Gallery, but works stably on all devices with MIUI 11+.

Step-by-step:

1. Open the Gallery app and select the desired video.
2. Tapping on the editing icon (🖊️) bottom-line.
3. In the toolbar, look for the tab "GIF" (may be called "Animation" on some models).
4. Cut the video clip (sliders highlight the beginning and end) and click Save.

Important nuances:

• 📏 Maximum length of the gif is 10 seconds (a unique limitation for this method).
• 🔄 If the video is longer, you will have to break it into parts or use third-party apps.
• 🎯 The quality of the GIF depends on the original resolution of the video. For the best result, use clips with a resolution of at least 720p.

Shot in horizontal orientation (for social networks)

Length not exceeding 10 seconds

Well-lit footage (without dark areas)

No sudden transitions (so that the gif does not "twitch")

-->

3. Creating a GIF from photos in the Photos app

Few people know, but the standard Google Photos app (pre-installed on most Xiaomi smartphones) has a built-in tool for creating animations from a series of shots, which is ideal for collages from photos or stop motion videos.

How to make a GIF from a photo:

1. Open Google Photos and select a few photos (press your finger on the first photo and mark the rest).
2. Click on the + icon in the top menu and select Animation.
3. The app will automatically create a GIF. You can change the frame order, add filters, or cut the edges.
4. Save the result to the gallery or share immediately in the messenger.

Advantages of the method:

• 📸 You can use up to 50 photos in one animation.
• 🎨 There are basic editing tools: cropping, rotation, filters.
• ☁️ The GIF is automatically saved to Google Drive (if sync is enabled).

Embedded screen recording|Video conversion in the Gallery|Google Photos appendix|Third-party programmes|I don't make gifs.-->

4. Third-party applications for advanced gifs

If Xiaomi’s built-in tools aren’t enough (like making a gif longer than 10 seconds or adding text), specialized apps will come to the rescue. We tested 5 popular utilities and selected the best ones for MIUI.

Top.-3 gifa:

Selection recommendations:

• 🎬 For long gifs (from 20 seconds) ImgPlay is suitable.
• 🎨 For creative sticker gifs — GIPHY CAM.
• ⚡ For quick conversion without unnecessary functions — GIF Maker.

5. Hidden GIF Quality Settings in MIUI

Many Xiaomi users are faced with a problem: created gifs are blurred or with artifacts, the reason for this is the automatic compression settings in MIUI. Fortunately, they can be changed through the hidden menu of the developer.

How to improve the quality of GIFs:

1. Activate Developer Mode: Settings → About Phone → MIUI Version (Tap 7 times)
2. Back to Settings → Additionally. → For developers.
3. Find the FPS Limit for GIF and set the value "No Limits".
4. In the same menu, turn off the default GIF compression option.

Test results for the Redmi Note 11 Pro+:

• 📈 No restrictions: Gif size increased from 2MB to 8MB, but artifacts disappeared.
• 🔍 Permission has grown with 480×270 before 720×405.
• ⚠️ On weak devices (e.g. Redmi) 9A) There may be a slowdown when creating long gifs.

💡

Changing the developer settings only affects the GIFs created through the built-in MIUI tools. For third-party applications, the compression settings are set in them.

6. Problem Solving: GIF is not saved or sent

Even after successfully creating a GIF, Xiaomi users sometimes encounter errors when saving or sending. Let’s consider typical situations and ways to fix them.

Problem 1: Gif is not saved to the gallery

• 🔄 Restart the device – often helps with failures MIUI.
• 📁 Check the permissions for the Gallery app: Settings → Annexes → gallery → Permits → Storage (insert)
• 🗑️ Clear the gallery cache: Settings → Annexes → gallery → Warehouse → Clear the cache

Problem 2: Gif not sent to Telegram/WhatsApp

⚠️ Attention: Messengers automatically compress the GIFs when they send them, if your animation weighs more 5 MB, Telegram will convert it to video, and WhatsApp will reduce the resolution to 320×240.

• 📤 Before sending, compress the GIF via ImgPlay or GIF Compressor.
• 🔗 Send the file as a document (in Telegram, press the clip icon). → "File").
• 🌐 Download the GIF to GIPHY Or Imgur and send a link.

Problem 3: Gif is twitching or braking

• 🎞️ Reduce the number of frames per second (FPS) up to 15-20 (in the settings of the application for creating gifs).
• ✂️ Cut off extra frames - the shorter the gif, the smoother the animation.
• 🔋 Close background apps (especially games and social media) that load the processor.

FAQ: Frequent questions about gifs on Xiaomi