Instagram now lets users comment on posts and reels with GIFs. Prior to the feature drop, the app only allowed users to reply using text or emoji, while GIFs could only be posted as replies to Stories. Instagram started out as a photo-sharing app more than a decade ago, but has since morphed into one of the most popular social media apps in the world. The app has continued to add new features in recent years as it fights to compete against upstarts like TikTok.
To reply with a GIF on Instagram, users need to tap on the comment button below a post and then hit the ‘GIF’ button to the right. This will allow users to search for an appropriate GIF from the app’s extensive library. Once all the GIFs matching the keyword are displayed, tap on the chosen GIF and hit the ‘Send‘ button to post it. As of Feb. 2023, the feature is only available to a handful of users around the world, so it might be while before it is rolled out to all users everywhere.
The ability to add a GIF to comments was the logical next step for Instagram, as the feature was already available for Stories. It is expected to bring a whiff of fresh air to Instagram’s comments section, as it will help users engage with others in a more playful way, and even add some humor to the conversation. Adding GIFs to comments will also help users make their comments stand out more often than not.
That said, injudicious use of GIFs could also be annoying, as some Instagram users are finding out. According to some social media users, the new feature has resulted in people spamming the comment section with meaningless GIFs that are cluttering up the app and making it difficult to scroll through the comments. Either way, that’s the inherent risk with GIFs anyway, so it’s not immediately clear if Instagram can do anything to prevent GIF spamming.
Meanwhile, alongside GIFs in replies, Instagram also rolled out several new features in the first few weeks of 2023. The most notable among them is ‘Quiet Mode,’ which stops notifications and sends automatic replies to DMs. Another new feature allows users to mark recommended posts as ‘Not Interested,’ thereby preventing Instagram from showing similar posts in the future.
Source: Instagram