My family's What'sApp chat channel is about to get a little bit more festive.
Earlier this week, the popular global chat app quietly added the ability to send and receive animated GIFs to its app for iPhone.
The easiest way to get started on the fun is to pick from one of the integrated options (supplied by partners). Or, you could GIFify any video that comes in at six seconds or shorter, which will loop it. The same goes for iPhone Live Photos, which come in at about three seconds each.
This latest version of WhatsApp Messenger includes toggle buttons and GIF sharing options when you select a video or Live Photo to shoot to your lucky chat recipients. It seems to only be available for iOS users for the time being, but I'd expect it to come to Android pretty soon.
Although a little late, it's good to see WhatsApp join the party. Expressing yourself through short, animated images is already available in apps like Facebook Messenger and even Apple's default messenger.