YouTube has taken the wraps off its new tool that will enable users to make GIFs using YouTube videos.
The new tool seems to be in testing currently and is basically a built-in GIF creator. The novel feature can be spotted under the share menu and will let users select a five-second long clip from the video and share it.
Users can also add text (about two lines long) to the top and bottom of the GIF. The tool also lets users trim the portion of the video they wish to convert into a GIF. The user can then save the file to their PC.
Not all the videos seem to have the built-in GIF creator at the moment, but it is enabled on the PBS Idea Channel.
How do you create a GIF with a YouTube video?
Step 1. Click the share button on any YouTube video on the PBS Idea Channel.
Step 2. Select the GIF option available.
Step 3. Choose your start and end point on the video (maximum 5 seconds).
Step 4. Create any captions or input any text at the top and bottom.
Step 5. Once ready, click the "Create GIF" button.
The built-in GIF tool for YouTube is quick and easy to use. The GIFs will be hosted by YouTube itself. However, a major downer is that one cannot choose a longer video duration for the GIF.
Plenty of third-party tools are currently available that aid in the creation of GIFs from YouTube videos. However, since Google is jumping into this area with the built-in GIF tool, it seems that other GIF creation tools will have severe competition.
It is not yet known what Google plans for the rollout of this feature, but a site-wide implementation seems to be in the pipeline.
