Twitter seems to be getting in on the GIF game after competitors Tumblr and Facebook started implementing the popular format in the past year. For now, it is just in the testing stages but users could have a dedicated button to share their favorite reactions.
TUMBLR BEAT FACEBOOK AND TWITTER TO GIFS FIRST
Back in 2015, Tumblr released a GIF making the feature. GIFS were notoriously hard for many users prior to the release of their new tool. Now, cropping images, looping, and zooming on images is far easier. Traditionally, a lot of Tumblr content was from well-known video sources, but with this tool, a GIF can be made easily with the users content.
FACEBOOK FOLLOWS SUIT
A recent development on Facebook now allows animated GIF files to show up on timeline updates. It’s not so much of a creator like with Tumblr, but more of a way to share links. Sites like Giphy.com and Imgur.com are popular sources for users but there a wealth of others out there in order to find a specific link. Once a user has that link and posts it on Facebook, the GIF would play by itself if the auto-play feature is enabled.
TWITTERS FRESH TAKE
Twitter tested out their new experiment by bestowing certain users with the gift of GIF. Essentially, the button acts as a portal to GIFS that can be based on trends or even moods. Picture Shia LaBeouf applauding himself or the famous Captain Picard facepalm. Just as quickly and mysteriously as this button came about, Twitter yanked it from its ranks. Similar the other features, Twitter will most likely work with popular sources like Giphy. Seeing as this is just a playful experiment for the time being, users are left to their own devices. It will be interesting to see if they completely steal the methodology of Tumblr and Facebook or give it their unique Twitter twist.
