Back to browse
Steal-a-GIF – A browser tool to export GIFs from locked down platforms

Steal-a-GIF – A browser tool to export GIFs from locked down platforms

by lizhang·Jun 15, 2026·6 points·0 comments

AI Analysis

●●SolidSolve My ProblemCozy

Browser-based GIF extraction with background removal when platforms block downloads.

Strengths
  • Runs entirely in browser — nothing uploaded, which matters for privacy-sensitive content.
  • Auto-tighten crop and background removal work on iMessage, TikTok, XHS recordings.
Weaknesses
  • Single-purpose utility — useful but narrow scope limits long-term engagement.
  • Screen recording workflow is more friction than direct download would be.
Category
Target Audience

Social media users, Slack users who want custom stickers

Similar To

EZGIF · CloudConvert · ScreenToGif

Post Description

Hi HN! I was super frustrated at apps like tiktok and wechat preventing me from saving or downloading the animated gifs, so I made a little tool to turn a screen recording into a slack-sized emoji. Hope you get some value from this!

Similar Projects

Productivity●●Solid

GIF tools – open your network tab, not a single byte leaves

Everything actually runs locally — the site even dares you to open the Network tab or disable Wi‑Fi while converting video→GIF. It's not a new category (ezgif, ffmpeg.wasm clones exist), but packing 26 discrete, offline tools into a single, no-account interface is legitimately useful for people who care about privacy. Would be more notable with batch processing, scripting hooks, or clear provenance for the WASM modules, but as a browser utility it nails the core promise.

WizardrySlickSolve My Problem
nkr_hn
103mo ago