GIF are everywhere… well, almost, because until now Facebook had remained a safe haven where images stood still. Until now, because for a few days now, Facebook has started to let GIFs play on Facebook profiles.
Also Read: GifYouTube – Make Your Own Video GIFs
Whether you are a fan of the animated GIFs or not, you should be prepared to see them appearing on your Facebook timeline. The good news is that it only works on personal profiles for now, so brands will have to stick with not using them… for now.
GIFs will not auto-play on Facebook though. Instead a big “GIF” symbol will appear on the still images, until you decide to click on it. Test it for yourself:
https://www.facebook.com/GeoffDesreumaux/posts/10205877544690095?pnref=story
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To add a GIF on your Facebook timeline, simply copy/paste the image URL and wait for Facebook to upload it! Oh, and they work in comments too… even when commenting on posts from Brand pages.
A Facebook spokesperson confirmed the news earlier today:
[quote]We’re rolling out support for animated GIFs in News Feed. This is so you can share more fun, expressive things with your friends on Facebook.[/quote]
So good news or #BreakingBad news? Time will tell I suppose. But if you have some friends who are GIF maniacs, you might want to stay away from Facebook for a few days, until the novelty dies out at least.
On the other side, this could open doors for the more creative users who could start designing very cool stuff… remember when we told you about cinemagraphs?
[box]If it is not working on your end yet, be patient, Facebook is rolling it out and it should be available to everyone soon.[/box]
Thanks for the tip Oliver Jenkins!