ChatGPT animated GIF creation is now a built-in capability, OpenAI announced, giving users a way to produce short looping visuals from a written prompt or an uploaded without leaving the chatbot. The feature arrives as part of the Images 2.6 model rollout and is available across ChatGPT and Codex on web, desktop, and mobile apps.
Before the update, ChatGPT could not generate GIFs natively in a single step. The new toolset changes that by letting users request a GIF directly, then refine the result inside the same conversation.
What users can do with the new GIF tools
According to OpenAI, the GIF feature supports more than one-shot generation. Users can adjust how fast the animation plays and edit individual frames. A company example shows a request for a GIF of a dancing cat, after which ChatGPT offers options to change playback speed and inspect the animation frame by frame.
The editing controls are presented directly within ChatGPT, so the process of making a GIF and fine-tuning it does not require a separate application. Users can also share the finished GIF with others. The combination of prompt-based creation, input, speed adjustment, frame-level editing, and sharing gives the tool a broader set of options than a simple generate-and-download feature.
Images 2.6 brings speed and wider availability
The GIF capability is rolling out alongside Images 2.6, which OpenAI says also delivers faster generation in ChatGPT. The model is being made available to all ChatGPT and Codex users across the web, desktop, and mobile apps.
OpenAI is also introducing two API variants, GPT-.6 Flare and GPT-.6 Sunburst. The company describes these as offering faster and higher-quality generation for developers using its API.
The update comes as generation volume continues to climb. OpenAI says users now create more than 4 billion images per week across ChatGPT and its API, up from the 3 billion per week the company reported in September. That figure covers both ChatGPT and the API, reflecting demand beyond the consumer chatbot alone.
Why the GIF addition matters
GIFs occupy a distinct niche compared with still images. They are short, looping, and often used for quick visual communication, which makes native support inside ChatGPT a practical extension of the existing tools. By allowing speed changes and frame edits, OpenAI is positioning the feature for users who want more control than a single generated provides.
The rollout also fits into a broader pattern of ChatGPT handling more media tasks directly. The Images 2.6 release combines the GIF maker with faster generation and API options, tying the consumer-facing feature to infrastructure updates that affect developers as well.
For now, the GIF tools are part of the Images 2.6 rollout rather than a standalone product. Users on supported platforms can access the feature through ChatGPT and Codex, while developers can use the new API models for generation.
