Twitter timelines are about to get a lot more animated.
Twitter announced on Wednesday that it has started rolling out a new GIF button that lets users search for and add the animated images directly to tweets or direct messages on both its iOS and Android mobile versions, as well as for the Web.
The GIF button is located in between the photo and poll icons when in the window to compose a tweet, and will allow users to browse categories or search for keywords to find the perfect moving photos to help them express their reaction or how they are feeling. This includes searching for a particular kind of GIF, like cats or babies, or clicking on a category like "Happy Dance" or "Mic Drop."
All that's left to do is compose the text and hit send, and the GIF will be included in the tweet.
The GIFs are coming! Get ready to search and send GIFs in Tweets and Direct Messages: https://t.co/uk75stt1zN pic.twitter.com/1dDD1B4CW2
— Twitter (@twitter) February 17, 2016
Twitter partnered with with Giphy and Riffsy to provide the library of GIFs that will now be available to tweet directly from the social media platform.
The company said that over 100 million GIFs were shared on the platform last year. Twitter previously added support for GIFs two years ago, but this new native support feature will make it even easier for users to further express themselves and create funnier and more entertaining tweets.
"So much can be expressed with GIFs, and the key is to find just the right one in the moment that quickly and efficiently expresses your emotions," David McIntosh, CEO and co-founder of Riffsy, said in a statement. "We're excited to explore this partnership with Twitter and watch Twitter users discover and share their favorite GIFs in their daily lives."
The new GIF feature will start rolling out today, and is expected to be available for everyone over the "coming weeks."
Twitter is the latest social media network that offers native GIF support, adding to the list that includes Facebook Messenger and Peach, which has already integrated and embraced the ability to let users share the popular animated image feature.
Source: Twitter
