The animated GIF is almost 30 years old, but it remains a staple of Internet humor. At long last, YouTube is testing a feature that may allow people to quickly and easily convert snippets of online videos into looping, six-second animated GIFs.
YouTube hasn’t officially announced this feature, but Andy Baio (@waxpancake on Twitter) spotted the option Thursday. When you click the “Share” option on a video, you will now have a “GIF” option after “Share,” “Embed,” and “Email.” YouTube appears to be testing GIF making only on specific channels, like PBS Idea Channel and Good Mythical Morning.
At this point it’s unclear whether YouTube will limit GIF-making opportunities to select channels or offer the feature site-wide. Or even if it will keep the feature at all. For now, though, it’s certainly easier to make GIFs on the site than it’s ever been.
GIF courtesy of Giphy (origin unknown); screenshot from YouTube
