WhatsApp was rumored to introduce GIF support and it is already available through a separate root-only app. Now beta version of WhatsApp for Android (v2.16.242 or later) has received option to send videos as GIF.
How does it work?
- Open a conversation thread
- Tap on the attachment icon
- Tap the camera button to record a video or or select a video from gallery
- Trim the video to 6 seconds or less
- Tap the camcorder icon in the upper right corner. You will now see a GIF icon instead
- Now you can send the video as GIF
GIF files are played inline. Once you have created a GIF, you can forward it to others. When your try to download the GIF file through desktop, it is saved as a MP4 file. If the user you send doesn’t have the latest beta version or in the stable channel, it shows as a normal video with audio. Hope WhatsApp will let users to send standard GIF files in chats in future.