Twitter To Let Users Send Videos Via Direct Message, Rolls Out GIF Search Library

‘RT for a DM’ just got a whole new meaning. That’s because top creators can now deploy private videos to their Twitter followers via direct message, according to a recent announcement from the social media platform.

Beleaguered Twitter seems to be throwing new features at the kitchen sink in a bid to turn around stunting user growth (which stalled at 320 million in the Q4 2015 — the same number the company counted in the Q3 2015). And its latest capability certainly smacks of other private video messaging services, like Snapchat. The feature, which is rolling out globally today on iOS and Android, will enable users to capture and share videos within the Twitter app. On desktops, however, users can share videos but not create them, according to Twitter.

At the same time it announced video messaging, Twitter unveiled a new GIF search library so users can seamlessly accessorize their tweets. By clicking a new GIF button that appears when composing a new tweet or direct message, “You can search by keyword, or browse categories of different reactions like Happy Dance, Mic Drop, or YOLO,” the company announced on its blog.

The GIFs will be powered by GIPHY and Riffsy, Twitter said, both of which offer similar services, though only one of them just closed a $55 million fundraising at a $300 million valuation.