A new Facebook feature will allow users to comment with GIFs to posts and statuses.
Facebook is constantly changing the way we communicate with each other online, and the social media network seems to be shifting more from text-heavy posts to rich media with each update.
Starting June 15, users will be able to respond to Facebook comments and statuses with GIFs. You’ll see a little GIF button and will be able to select your animated response from a cache of GIFs found on Giphy and other popular GIF sites.
To use the feature, all you have to do is click the GIF button when you’re in the comment section of a post and search for the perfect animated response.
If you want to call someone out on their nonsense and don’t feel like typing much, you can just find an image that will express your sentiments.
Facebook actually introduced a similar GIF function last year, but it was only available on their Messenger app. According to Facebook, more than 13 billion GIFs were sent last year with that function. This translates to roughly 25,000 GIFs sent per minute using Facebook Messenger. On New Year’s Day, more than 400 million GIFs were sent via Messenger. We suspect that it’s a lot easier to send your friends and family an animated image than to type it out – especially when you have a hangover, or if you’re still drunk (hello, New Years), so it only makes sense to let people use the feature in the comment section for posts.
Facebook rolled out this new feature on the 30th anniversary of the Graphics Interchange Format (GIF). Facebook is using the special occasion to revisit the age-old debate of the true pronunciation of GIF with a poll.
According to Steve Wilhite – creator of the GIF – there really is no debate. He says the correct pronunciation is “jif.” The debate was settled when David Karp, founder of Tumblr, presented Steve Wilhite with a Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2013 Webbys.
