Nowadays, we used to express our comments by using GIF. We feel that it is more fun to use it. If you notice either in Facebook-owned WhatsApp app or in the Facebook app itself, you have the option to add GIF for your comments. Even in the Messenger also you can add the GIF using the GIPHY. GIPHY is one of the most popular GIF sharing websites and now Facebook is acquiring it for a whopping $400 million (RM1.7B).
This news was first reported by Axios on their website. It seems Facebook is planning to acquire the world’s famous GIF-making website and integrate it into the Facebook-owned Instagram app. We can assure you also that if Facebook acquires GIPHY then, even WhatsApp and the Facebook app also GIPHY will be integrated to it.
As for now, WhatsApp is using the GIF library from Tenor. For Messenger wise, you can select the GIPHY plugin for now to use it. According to VP of product for Instagram, Vishal Shah says that there wouldn’t be any changes on the website of GIPHY. You can still access it and make your own GIF or share GIFs with your friends. The only changes in Instagram would be, soon you can send GIF in Instagram Stories and Instagram Direct Messages too.
According to Facebook, one of the main reason for it to integrating the GIPHY API to Instagram mainly is because GIPHY has at least 25% of its traffic sources directly from Instagram itself. The remaining 25% is from other Facebook apps. And the rest 50% are from different sources such as Twitter or Reddit. Many people are using GIF nowadays. Even when we need to post an Instagram Stories, we mostly use a GIF to give more emotions in the Instagram Stories.
In conclusion, sooner, you can expect a major update for the Instagram app. This deal is 100% confirmed now and Facebook has already released its official statement regarding this acquisition.
