It is now much easier and simpler to create GIF selfies using Google's own Gboard app for Android and iOS. The said feature has been around since September, but Google is now making it more visible and easily accessible.
Gboard Selfie GIF Button
The company has made a tiny design update to the keyboard app that brings the GIF creator button into the forefront. Whereas before it was relegated behind the emoji button, now it's located right above the keyboard layout, just beside the word suggestion bar.
Clicking it brings up two options: "Loop," which pretty much lets users create looping GIFs a la Boomerang, and "Fast-Forward," which lets users record one minute of footage that'll be converted into a sped-up GIF. After recording, users can copy and paste the resulting GIF into the message and send it to friends.
The new GIF selfie button placement is now live on the iOS version of the app, but Engadget reports the same can't be said for the Android variant. Gboard's Play Store page also doesn't have notes about the update, either, but it's easy to imagine that it'll arrive soon for Android folks out there. To those who still haven't installed Gboard as their default keyboard, better do it now lest you want to miss out on creating custom GIFs.
Creating GIFs
Creating GIFs on Android and iOS isn't entirely new — live photos can easily be turned into GIFs via Google's excellent Motion Stills app. But placing the feature so prominently on Gboard hopefully allows users who previously didn't know it was a thing in the first place to use the feature moving forward.
Placing the selfie GIF button in a more accessible place might be godsend for most Gboard users, as sending GIFs has become a popular communication tool in recent years, much like the vast widespread usage of emojis in messages, Twitter posts, and sometimes, even articles.
GIFs more often than not encapsulate an emotion properly like plain text isn't able to. It also helps that basically anything that has motion can be turned into a GIF, widening the spectrum of GIFs compatible with whatever a user wants to express. Also, some TV shows have GIFs for everything, oddly and amazingly enough.
Thoughts about making selfie GIFs using Google's Gboard app? Do you find GIFs useful as a communication tool? As always, feel free to sound off in the comments section below if you have anything to share!
