The long wait is over, Pinterest rolled out support for GIFs. Pinterest plans to keep the same clean, static look and feel but users will no longer have to click through to the source to view the animation. With the click of the ‘Play’ button they can view the animation right there within Pinterest. The 10 million GIFs that are already scattered across the site will retroactively become animated.
Pinterest Now Supports GIFs: Are you ready for the added animation in your Pinterest feed?
Tiffany: I love a good GIF as much as the next girl. But, my Pinterest stream is so clean and calm, with its modern furniture, food porn and backyard oases. I hate to think of it being cluttered with a lot of animation. A full page of moving Pins could get really chaotic and ruin the simplicity of the site. I will stick to Buzzfeed for my GIFs and keep Pinterest simple.
Andy: I feel like this was a long time coming and think it’s a logical next step for Pinterest. I doubt it will have as big of an impact on Tumblr as others may think, but I look forward to seeing what happens.
Brooke: I think that it’s a great decision to include GIFs. As content gets more saturated and images are used to stand out, this will only push the envelope. I feel much like this about it: http://replygif.net/203.
Lydia: A good call for Pinterest, as GIFs become the more popular way to express emotion online. Where emoticons can sometimes be misinterpreted due to their static nature, animated GIFs make it easy to convey one’s mental state or reaction properly.
Annie: I am a fan of GIFs, but not in all places. However, I think Pinterest is a perfect place for GIFs. With social media sites I normally check on my phone (Facebook, Twitter), I wouldn’t want the implementation of GIFs because I find it annoying and distracting if I have to press the play button on my phone for them to work. Looking forward to seeing them on Pinterest though!
Kate: Nice move, Pinterest. I think it was an appropriate next step for them especially with the increase in animated content. Especially since the GIFs don’t automatically play as you scroll through your home feed, only when you click ‘Play.’
Mignon: This makes me sooo happy. Finally our friends on Pinterest will be able to understand what we’re trying to say without having to leave their home feed!
Valerie: I’m thrilled Pinterest now supports GIFs. Everyone/thing should support them. How are we to properly express our emotions without GIFs and the websites/platforms that support them???
