Start with the downloaded original
Open the GIF you downloaded in a browser, not only in a file list or a message preview. If it animates there, keep that file: the next check belongs to the destination app or transfer method.
If it does not animate, return to the source sequence. Confirm that it contains visibly different images, that the timing is not an unexpectedly long pause, and that you generated a fresh result after the last change. A single-frame GIF is an image, not a multi-frame animation.
Follow the file through the sharing process
Work through one transfer at a time so you can identify the step that changes the result.
- Download the generated .gif file and open that exact original locally.
- Attach the original file using the destination’s file or image picker, rather than sending a screenshot of the preview.
- Open the received attachment and check its actual format and animation.
- If the destination presents only a still preview, look for an option to open or download the original attachment.
- Compare a second destination before deciding that you need to rebuild the GIF.
Do not fix a format problem by renaming it
Changing a .jpg or .png extension to .gif does not create animation. Use a tool that encodes an animated GIF, then save the resulting file. Likewise, taking a screenshot records one visible moment, even if the thing on screen is moving.
For this site’s GIF tool, choose the matching input mode before selecting files: photos, video, or an existing GIF. Check both the generated preview and the downloaded result. Keep the sources and a successfully animated original for later comparison.