iOS 8 Safari Supports Animated PNG Images - MacRumorsOpen MenuShow RoundupsShow Forums menuVisit ForumsOpen Sidebar
Skip to Content

iOS 8 Safari Supports Animated PNG Images

by

Animated_PNG_example_bouncing_beach_ballWith the release of iOS 8, Safari has gained the ability to display Animated PNGs (APNGs). Originally proposed in 2004 as a replacement to animated GIF images, APNGs offers more color and transparency support over GIFs.

The Animated Portable Network Graphics (APNG) file format is a non-standard extension to the Portable Network Graphics (PNG) specification. It allows for animated PNG files that work similarly to animated GIF files, while supporting 24-bit images and 8-bit transparency not available for GIFs. It also retains backward compatibility with non-animated PNG files.

The APNG specification, however, was rejected by the PNG group in 2007, so support for the format has been rather limited. In fact, the format has been declared dead due to the lack of official adoption. Firefox was the only major browser that provided standard support for APNG, until iOS 8.

The beach ball image in this article is animated when viewed in iOS 8 or Firefox. Edit: and OS X Yosemite.

Thanks Parasprite

Top Rated Comments

155 months ago
at least the beachball isn't spinning.
Score: 29 Votes (Like | Disagree)
155 months ago
Excellent. Now can we get started on webm support?
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
doelcm82 Avatar
155 months ago
Amiga!!!
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
155 months ago
Money was spent on stupid gifs and not on quality infrastructure #bendgate

I was being a little sarcastic lol, although this is cool though.

bendgate isn't a issue, my iPhone 6 holding up perfectly fine over here and its the best smartphone I ever used .
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
155 months ago
Thank you Apple, this is true innovation
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
xplora Avatar
155 months ago
The beach ball is also animated in Safari 8.

That being on OS X Yosemite, I can confirm that too, it was bouncing here.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

Apple Event Logo

Apple Working on All-New Operating System

Wednesday July 29, 2026 11:39 am PDT by
Apple is developing an all-new operating system that is essentially a mix of tvOS, watchOS, and iOS, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. In a report this week, he said the operating system will feature a grid of icons, widgets, and apps, along with customizable clock faces. The new software platform is intended for Apple's long-rumored smart home hub. With built-in facial recognition,...
imac video apple feature

Apple Made Its Second-Biggest Acquisition Ever This Year

Wednesday July 29, 2026 12:03 pm PDT by
Apple this year acquired Israeli startup Q.ai for close to $2 billion, according to the Financial Times. That would make this Apple's second-biggest acquisition ever, after it paid $3 billion for the popular headphone maker Beats in 2014. This is also the largest known Apple acquisition since the company purchased Intel's smartphone modem business and patents for $1 billion in 2019. Q.ai...
Dynamic Island iPhone 18 Pro Feature

iPhone 18 Pro: Twelve Changes Coming to Apple's Next Flagship

Thursday July 30, 2026 3:43 am PDT by
We're less than two months out from the launch of Apple's premium next-generation smartphone lineup, and while we're not expecting a dramatic change in terms of functionality, there are still several enhancements rumored to be coming to the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max. One thing worth noting is that Apple is reportedly planning a major change to its iPhone release cycle this year,...

🔗 Related Apple News & Rumors

Stay updated with the latest Apple ecosystem news and verified rumors