In a world dominated by text communication, sometimes words just can’t say enough. The internet has become increasingly reliant on emoji, stickers, and GIFs to convey emotions. Google’s Gboard app has all of these communication methods, but the latest beta update makes it even more personality to the mix. You can now create a GIF of yourself without leaving the Gboard app.
As shown in the screenshot above, there is a new “MY GIFS” button in the GIF search interface. Gboard will ask for permission to use the camera and open up a full-screen camera viewer. You can add a filter if you’d like and then record a 3-second clip. The GIF is saved to the “My GIFs” tab for quick access in the future. The feature was added in version 7.2 in beta, but it doesn’t work on all phones yet. It works on Pixel devices and I was able to use it on the LG V30.
Google rolled out this feature for iOS way back in January, but for some reason, it has taken a long time to arrive on Android. This update also includes a new sticker gallery (complete with blobmoji). You can check out the update by opting in to the beta from the Play Store link below. Go forth and GIF.
Gboard - the Google Keyboard (Free, Google Play) →