# GIF Reverse: Play Your Animation Backwards

> A free online tool that plays an animated GIF or WebP backwards by putting its frames in the opposite order, with each frame keeping its own delay, and can make a boomerang that plays forward and then backward.

GIF Reverse plays your animated GIF or animated WebP backwards by putting the frames in the opposite order. Each frame keeps its own delay, and the loop count stays the same. The pictures themselves are not changed, and your original file is not changed either.

## Key facts

- Input: a GIF or animated WebP with more than one frame, up to 5 MB without an account (10 MB signed in) and 16 MP (4096 x 4096) per frame; up to 100 frames and 16 MP in all without an account (300 frames and 64 MP signed in).
- Settings: Boomerang (off by default) and the save type (GIF or animated WebP, with a quality setting for WebP); each frame keeps its own delay and the loop count stays the same.
- A boomerang of n frames has 2n - 2 frames (12 frames become 22), and its output is checked against the animation limits before it is made, so a 60 frame GIF can be reversed but its 118 frame boomerang is refused without an account.
- In our test a generated 12-frame GIF of 10 KB with delays from 40 ms to 260 ms became a reversed GIF of 12 frames with the delays from 260 ms down to 40 ms (13 KB), and a boomerang of 22 frames (20 KB); a GIF result has at most 256 colors; results vary with the file.
- API: POST the GIF to https://api.aiipworld.com/v1/image-jobs?op=gif_edit&action=reverse with boomerang, format and quality, and poll GET /v1/jobs/:id.
- Free without an account: 30 files per day per visitor, no watermark. Signed in, each job costs 1 credit, plus 1 credit for each started 5 MB of result beyond the first 5 MB and 1 credit for each started 10 MP of frames beyond the first 10 MP, counted on the result (100 free credits every month).
- Files are deleted automatically: 10 minutes after conversion without an account, 1 day with a free account.

## How it works

1. Choose a GIF or animated WebP file. The page reads the file header and shows the frame count, playing time and size.
2. Leave "Boomerang: play forward, then backward" off for a plain reverse, or tick it to play the animation forward and then backward.
3. Pick "Save as": same as the original, GIF, or WebP. For WebP, set the quality slider (default 80).
4. Start the job and wait for the result panel to show the frame count, playing time and size.
5. Download the result. Download links are short-lived, so save the file when it is ready.

## GIF reverse: how to play a GIF backwards

To reverse gif files, upload one animated GIF or animated WebP file and start the job. The tool puts the frames in the opposite order, so the last frame of your animation becomes the first. The result is a new file, and your original stays as it was.

The result panel tells you what was made, for example "N frames in reverse order, X s. Each frame kept its own delay." Check it before you download. Results vary with the file.

## What a GIF reverse changes and what stays the same

Reversing GIF files changes only the order of the frames. Each frame keeps its own delay, so the timing of each moment is kept, only played in reverse. The loop count stays the same, and the pictures are not changed.

- Changed: the order of the frames.
- Kept: each frame's delay, the loop count and the pictures.
- Not changed: your original file.

## Boomerang: forward, then backward

The boomerang option plays the animation to its last frame and then back to its first. It does not repeat the first and last frame, so a GIF of n frames becomes 2n - 2 frames. For example, a GIF of 12 frames becomes 22 frames.

A GIF of 2 frames stays at 2 frames, because the loop already goes back. The boomerang is useful when you want a smooth back-and-forth motion. Expect the result to be longer and larger than a plain reverse.

## Frame delays and timing

Each frame keeps its own delay, so a frame that was shown for a long time is still shown for a long time. Only the order changes. In our test, delays that grew from 40 ms to 260 ms were reversed to run from 260 ms down to 40 ms.

A frame delay of 10 ms or less is played by browsers as 100 ms. The tool counts it as 100 ms in the playing time it shows. Measurements were made on generated test files, not real photos or documents.

## GIF or animated WebP output

With "same as the original", the result stays a GIF. You can also choose animated WebP. A GIF holds at most 256 colors per frame, so the frames are saved again with a 256-color palette, and a gradient can look banded. Each GIF pixel is fully transparent or fully opaque.

Animated WebP is lossy, so the quality slider controls the trade-off between size and detail. The default quality is 80. In our test, a 12 frame reverse saved as WebP came out at 10 KB.

## Why a boomerang can be refused

The limits are checked on the output. A boomerang has 2n - 2 frames and their pixels, so it can be refused even when the plain reverse of the same file is fine. Without an account, the limit is 100 frames for a boomerang.

In our test, a 60 frame GIF reversed without problems. Its boomerang had 118 frames (2 x 60 - 2) and was refused with the message that the limit is 100 frames. Signed in, the limit is 300 frames, and the same rule applies.

## Files that are refused

This tool accepts GIF and animated WebP only. The file needs more than one frame. A one-frame GIF or WebP is refused with the message "reverse needs an animation with more than one frame."

PNG and JPG files are also refused. If you want to make a GIF from pictures, use the JPG to GIF tool on aiipworld.com. The file type is read from the first bytes of the file, not from its name.

## Limits: size, frames and credits

Without an account you can process up to 5 MB per file, and 16 MP (4096 x 4096) per frame. Signed in, the file limit is 10 MB. Animation limits for the input are 100 frames and 16 MP in all without an account, and 300 frames and 64 MP signed in.

Signed in, each job costs 1 credit, plus 1 credit for each started 5 MB of the result beyond the first 5 MB. Extra credits also apply for each started 10 megapixels of frames beyond the first 10 megapixels, counted on the output. A result larger than 20 MB fails. Failed and timed-out jobs are refunded in full. You get 100 free credits every month.

## GIF reverse from code

Send a POST request to https://api.aiipworld.com/v1/image-jobs?op=gif_edit&action=reverse. The body is the raw GIF or WebP bytes, not JSON or multipart. Set Content-Type to image/gif or image/webp, and send your key as Authorization: Bearer `<API key>` or x-api-key.

Optional query parameters are boomerang (true or false, default false), format (same, gif or webp) and quality (1 to 100, default 80, WebP only). Send timeout_sec=60 for animations. The API returns 202 with a job_id, and you poll GET /v1/jobs/:id. The page shows a ready cURL, Node and Python example built from your chosen settings. See /docs/ for the general API. Errors include 400 invalid_params, 413 file_too_large, 402 insufficient_credits and 429 rate limited.

## Privacy: what happens to your file

Your file is sent to our server and processed there. The uploaded file is used only to make the result. The working copy of the upload is deleted as soon as the job ends, whether it succeeds or fails.

In the free web tool, the result is deleted after 10 minutes, and no history is kept. Download links are short-lived. You must have the right to use what you upload, as set out in our Acceptable Use Policy. Anonymous use needs a human check by Cloudflare Turnstile.

## Questions

### Can I reverse a GIF for free?

Yes, you can reverse a GIF for free without signing up, with up to 30 jobs per day per visitor.

### How do I make a GIF play backwards?

Upload the GIF, leave the boomerang option off, and start the job. The frames are put in the opposite order, and you can download the result when it is ready.

### What is a boomerang GIF?

A boomerang GIF plays forward to its last frame and then backward to its first, without repeating the end frames. A GIF of 12 frames becomes 22 frames.

### Does reversing change the quality?

Reversing does not change the pictures, but GIF output is saved again with 256 colors, which can make gradients look banded. Animated WebP output is lossy and is controlled by the quality slider.

### Do the frame delays stay the same?

Each frame keeps its own delay. Only the order of the frames changes, so the first frame plays with the delay that the last frame had.

### Why was my boomerang refused?

A boomerang is refused when its output is over the frame or pixel limits. In our test, a 60 frame GIF gave a boomerang of 118 frames, and the limit without an account is 100 frames.

### Can I reverse an animated WebP?

Yes, animated WebP files are accepted, and you can save the result as GIF or WebP.

### Why was my file refused?

The file may be a PNG or JPG, which this tool does not accept, or an animation with only one frame. The file type is read from its first bytes, not its name.

### Can I reverse several GIFs at once?

No, the tool handles one file per job, so you cannot reverse gifs in a batch. Run each file on its own.

### Can I reverse a GIF in my own code?

Yes, you can send a POST request to the GIF reverse endpoint with the raw file bytes and your API key. The page shows ready cURL, Node and Python examples.

## Related

- [GIF Speed Decrease: Change the Speed of a GIF](https://aiipworld.com/tools/gif-speed/index.md)
- [GIF Trimmer: Trim a GIF by Frame or Time](https://aiipworld.com/tools/gif-trimmer/index.md)
- [GIF Cropper: Crop Animated GIF Files Online](https://aiipworld.com/tools/gif-cropper/index.md)
- [Add Text to GIF](https://aiipworld.com/tools/add-text-to-gif/index.md)
- [GIF Frame by Frame: Split a GIF into Frames](https://aiipworld.com/tools/gif-to-frames/index.md)
- [GIF Resizer: Resize Animated and Still GIFs Online](https://aiipworld.com/tools/resize-gif/index.md)

Page: https://aiipworld.com/tools/reverse-gif/