Tumblr is featuring GIFs through a site dedicated to the animated pictures. The Yahoo-owned micro-blogging platform has launched Tumblr TV, where site users can more easily discover and search for trending GIFs, as well as create their own channels.
Tumblr TV introduces site visitors to a stream of full-screen GIFs on the home page, complete with hashtags and video controls along the bottom of the layout. Users can use the search function at the top of the page to look for GIFs; results are displayed in grid, list, and TV views (the latter of which is the full-screen design format displayed on the Tumblr TV home page).
An interesting aspect of Tumblr’s new GIF-focused initiative is how users are able to create their own YouTube-like “channels” on the platform (putting even more fuel onto the rumors that Tumblr is Yahoo’s answer to YouTube). Tumblr fans who want to post GIF after GIF can add their username to the end of the full Tumblr TV URL to create their channel. The format looks like tumblr.com/tv/your-username.
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GIFs are not a new invention on the internet, but it seems they’ve been getting far more dedicated attention in the last few months from various social media sites. In December 2014, YouTube started testing out a GIF creation tool on select creators’ channels. Facebook now auto-plays GIFS on users’ feeds; likewise, Twitter users will see GIFs start to play as they run across them on their feeds.
You can check out Tumblr’s new GIF-centric site and get your own channel set up at tumblr.com/tv.
