Office Compatibility Issues

How to Fix Animated GIFs Not Playing in Word Files on SharePoint

Elise Williams Oct 9, 2026 869 views

Question details

User's embedded animated GIFs in a Word document stop playing when the file is opened in a web browser via SharePoint.

How to Fix Animated GIFs Not Playing in Word Files on SharePoint

Product: Microsoft Word, SharePoint
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Viewing a Word document containing animated GIFs hosted on SharePoint using a web browser.
Observed behavior: The animated GIFs play normally in the Word desktop application but appear as static images when viewed in Word for the Web.

Before you start

Determine if the document is being opened in the Word desktop application or Word for the Web, and verify the version of Microsoft Office you are currently using.

Solution 1Recommended

Open the Document in the Word Desktop Application

Since Word for the Web has limited support for animated GIFs, opening the document in the full desktop application will restore animation playback.

Word for the Web does not natively support the playback of embedded animated GIFs in the same way the desktop client does. To see the animations, you must force SharePoint to open the file in the desktop app.

Navigate to the file

Locate the target Word document inside your SharePoint document library in your web browser.

Access the context menu

Instead of clicking the file name (which defaults to opening in the web app), click the three dots (ellipsis) next to the file name.

Open in desktop app

Select 'Open' from the dropdown menu, then choose 'Open in app' to launch the full Microsoft Word desktop application.

Open the Document in the Word Desktop Application

Version Compatibility: Animated GIFs are supported natively in Microsoft 365, Word 2021, and Word 2019 desktop apps. Older versions like Word 2010 may not play GIFs directly in the editor.

Solution 2

Re-insert the GIF Using the Online Pictures Feature

Sometimes local GIF insertions lose animation properties when uploaded; inserting them via URL or online features can occasionally improve compatibility.

Free Microsoft Office alternative

Try WPS Office for Seamless Document Viewing and Editing

If you are frustrated by compatibility limitations and rendering issues in web-based document editors, WPS Office provides a lightweight, highly compatible desktop alternative. Enjoy full feature support for your documents without paying expensive subscription fees.

1. Download WPS Office: Visit the official WPS website to download and install the free WPS Office suite on your computer.
2. Open your Word file: Launch WPS Writer and open your .docx files directly from your local drive or cloud storage.
3. Enjoy seamless viewing: View, edit, and manage your rich media documents with high compatibility and performance.

Free, lightweight, and fast document processing.Highly compatible with Microsoft Word (.docx), Excel, and PowerPoint formats.Robust rich media support for images, objects, and advanced formatting.Familiar user interface requiring zero learning curve.

microsoft office alternative - wps office

Frequently Asked Questions

Why do GIFs play in the Word desktop app but not in Word for the Web?

Word for the Web is a simplified version of the desktop application designed for browser performance. It lacks native rendering support for animated GIFs, displaying them as static images instead.

Will saving the document as a PDF preserve the GIF animation?

No, saving or exporting a Word document as a PDF will flatten the GIF into a static image, as the standard PDF format does not natively support embedded GIF animations.

Are there specific Office versions that do not support GIF animations at all?

Yes, older versions such as Word 2007 and Word 2010 do not support animated GIFs directly within the document editor. Historically, users had to save the file as a web page and view it in a browser to see the animation.

Office App Problems