Twitter to allow you to record a GIF directly from the iOS app's camera

Twitter may have reversed a really bad product decision, but on Tuesday it added a really good one: You can create GIFs directly from the app's camera on iOS. The new feature might be a useful way to share short clips on your timeline without having to upload a full video.

Here's a GIF I shot from my iPhone 12 Mini just before writing this story if you want to get an idea of ​​what one of these GIFs looks like:

Recording the GIF was easy. In the iOS app, I hit the new tweet button, tapped the photo icon, then the camera icon, made sure I was in GIF mode and pressed and held the record button. (Twitter has posted a helpful GIF of its own that demonstrates the steps.) My GIF loops, like Instagram Boomerangs, though you can have the GIF start from the beginning if you prefer.

However, like most GIFs in tweets, there doesn't seem to be a way to easily share them outside of the platform. If you right-click on the GIF, Twitter only shows the "Copy GIF address" option — there's no option to save a GIF to your computer or phone.

The feature is only available on iOS at this time. When asked if the feature will come to Android, Twitter spokeswoman Stephanie Cortez said Twitter will "gather feedback to inform future updates" but didn't provide a timeline on if or when that might happen.