What is an SVGA file?
An SVGA file (.svga) is a compressed animation format that stores image layers, how they move frame by frame and optional sound in a single file. SVGA players redraw it in real time on Android, iOS, Flutter and the web, which is why live-streaming and voice-chat apps use it for gifts, entry effects and avatar frames.
How an SVGA file works
SVGA was created for SVGAPlayer, an open-source animation player first built at YY. An SVGA 2.0 file is a compressed binary (Protocol Buffers) that contains:
- Images — the pictures used by the animation, stored once and reused.
- Frames — for every frame, each layer's position, scale, rotation and opacity.
- Audio — optional sound clips with the frame they start on.
- Settings — canvas size, frame rate and length.
Because the player moves and fades layers instead of storing every full frame like a video, SVGA animations can stay sharp, keep a transparent background and remain small enough to download instantly when a viewer sends a gift. Older SVGA 1.x files were ZIP archives with a JSON description; current players read both.
SVGA vs Lottie vs MP4 vs WebP/GIF
| Feature | SVGA | Lottie | MP4 | WebP / GIF |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Transparency | Yes | Yes | No (needs alpha tricks) | Yes (GIF: 1-bit only) |
| Embedded sound | Yes | No | Yes | No |
| Swap images / text at runtime | Yes | Partly (text, images) | No | No |
| Made from | After Effects, image sequences or video | After Effects (vector) | Any video | Video or image frames |
| Best for | Gifts, entry effects, avatar frames | UI and vector icons | Long clips | Stickers, simple loops |
How to add SVGA gifts to your app
- 1Add an SVGA player
Install SVGAPlayer for Android or iOS, the flutter_svga package for Flutter, or SVGAPlayer-Web for browsers.
- 2Ship or host the .svga file
Bundle the file with your app or put it on your CDN so it can download when a gift is sent.
- 3Play it on the gift event
When your server reports a gift, load the file into the player and start it over the live video or voice room.
- 4Personalise it (optional)
Replace named images or text at runtime, for example the sender's avatar and name in an entry effect.
Where to get SVGA animations
You can make your own in After Effects with the SVGA exporter, convert an MP4 video with sound using the free MP4 to SVGA converter, or buy ready-made ones. SVGA Market sells SVGA gifts with sound like Witch And Dragon Casting Spell, and designs custom avatar frames and entry effects for live-streaming apps.