Google+ users can now add some flare to their profiles with animated GIF avatars. Google announced the new platform on it’s official Google+ page along with instructions on how to complete the process.
Once you have a Google+ account you can setup your GIF image by simply clicking on your profile picture and choosing the GIF you want to use.
Here is the full GIF profile pic creation process:
- Download any video you want to make a GIF from. You can download YouTube videos with KeepVid.
- Trim the source video to the 2 to 3 seconds you want the GIF to be made from.
- Open with Photoshop. File > Import > Video Frames to Layers.
- Fix it up (quality-wise) and save.
Google has been GIF happy lately, the company recently added the ability to search for GIF files via its main Google.com search portal.
With Vine, Viddly, and Imgur serving up GIF type files with gusto it was only a matter of time before Google+ attempted to integrate GIFs of its own and this is a pretty unique way to do so.
Google has been busy on Tuesday, also releasing upgrades for iOS and Android with photo editing and filters, and a new redesign that more closely matches its desktop setup.
Here is Google engineer Matt Stein showing off the new GIF profile setup.
