Facebook apparently is testing an experimental feature on Messenger that will make it easier to find GIFs. Currently, searching for GIFs involves tapping the “more” tab (
) and looking for the specific GIF that you want to use on an installed GIF app on Messenger like Riffsy and GIPHY. These embedded GIF apps on Facebook was thanks to the platform Facebook announced for Messenger that helps developers easily create apps that integrate in Messenger. This is how currently you add GIFs on Messenger: By installing GIF apps like Giphy separately and searching for the GIF that you want.
Thanks to this new search feature Facebook is testing, it will be easier for the over 700 million monthly users Messenger has to search and share GIFs on the platform. Apparently, only a select group of people who use Messenger in Canada can see the search icon to look for GIFs and also the search feature will be expanded to other apps in the future.
According to the Facebook spokesperson who talked to Mashable, the company thinks Messenger is the best way to express oneself and are constantly thinking of ways to improve. Messenger has been evolving slowly to become a powerful platform: You can now sign up for it without a Facebook account, you can send your location separately, video calling on the platform is now worldwide & Has an impressive 700 million users.
Integrating a search feature for GIFs is actually an excellent idea for GIF lovers (like me) because in the actual sense, looking for the perfect GIF or any other internet meme is actually not that easy. I’d wish Twitter, WhatsApp or even Facebook itself adopt integration of GIFs in their apps which are curated by companies like Giphy and the rest. I hope this small, yet incremental feature is later on rolled out worldwide to the other Messenger users.
via : Mashable
