Twitter announced Wednesday that it will roll out a searchable library for GIFs, after users shared 100 million of the animated images on the social media platform in 2015.
Twitter will use GIF databases Giphy and Riffsy. This comes just a day after Giphy announced $55 million in Series C funding. Twitter’s service will be available to iOS, Android and desktop users.
“So much can be expressed with GIFs, and the key is to find just the right one in the moment that quickly and efficiently expresses your emotions,” said David McIntosh, CEO and co-founder of Riffsy, in a press release. “We’re excited to explore this partnership with Twitter and watch Twitter users discover and share their favorite GIFs in their daily lives.”
Until now, users had the option of sharing GIFs on Twitter from giphy.com and riffsy.com or their respective apps. Now users will be able to share GIFs without having to leave Twitter.
The GIF library will be searchable with keywords or browsable categories like YOLO or Happy Dance.
This new feature comes as Twitter has been announcing or weighing other changes, including eliminating its 140-character limit and created an algorithmic timeline, rather than the straight reverse chronological timeline it is known for.
ljanjigian@tribpub.com
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