Can you really create an animated GIF with Preview ?

Hello Big Macs,

I know this old question will read like "Is the Earth really not flat ?" to some of you but I just can't figure it out... Online, including here, I have found instructions on how to save a GIF file from two JPGs in Preview. Simple enough, but this new GIF file - which does show 2 frames when I open it with Preview - does not animate anywhere, not in Finder, not in Safari, not in a Gmail I sent myself...

So I did more search and Google or this website would dig out archeological artifacts according to which Macs wouldn't play animated GIFs, or you couldn't make them on a Mac, they'd be old-fashioned, not secure, consuming a lot of energy... And then what about sending them and making sure they will be seen on the other end ?

Could anyone clarify this ? Will downloading some GIF freeware simply solve the issue ?

Cheers