Twitter wants its users to share more GIFs and the microblogging platform is testing a dedicated GIF button on mobile.
Twitter is one of the most popular social networking services online. The company claims that it has more than 320 monthly active users. The dedicated GIF button may help Twitter to keep existing users entertained and also attract new users to the service.
According to report, several Twitter users have seen a dedicated GIF button that appears between the poll and camera icons inside the Twitter for Android app.
Phil Pearlman, a Twitter user who used the GIF button, says that Twitter is giving customers the option to select trending GIFS to share via the dedicated GIF button. However, Twitter has not yet officially confirmed if it is testing the novel feature for its apps.
Pearlman was able to take screenshots of the button before it mysteriously disappeared from the app.
If people aren't seeing it yet twttr is testing way cool gif feature. cc @bluechoochoo pic.twitter.com/LuTsVeUiSs
— Phil Pearlman (@ppearlman) February 4, 2016
Pearlman is not the sole Twitter user who saw the dedicated GIF button on the Twitter app. Other users have also reported seeing the button on the Twitter app.
GIFs are gaining quite a lot of popularity in social media. In June 2014, Twitter announced that users can share and view animated GIFs online as well as on mobile. Some other social networking services such as Tumblr and Pinterest also support GIFs.
GIFs have more of a fun and entertainment value. However, GIFs also potentially holds commercial value for companies to promote their brands and products.
Instant messenger app Kik, which has more than 275 million registered users across the world, has announced the launch of branded GIFs on its platform. Branded GIFs will allow companies to promote their brands on the chat app for a charge. It remains to be seen if Twitter is adding the dedicated GIF button only for fun or also to increase revenue.
It is seen quite often that companies such as Twitter test certain features but do not reveal details about them until close to launch. Twitter users will have to wait until Twitter officially announces the dedicated GIFs button for its mobile app.
While Twitter customers hope that the company will launch the dedicated GIF button as soon as possible, it is worth noting that the service may or may not be available for all the platforms such as Android, iOS and Windows Phone at the same time.
