Finding the perfect animated response is about to get a lot easier. That’s because YouTube is quietly testing a new tool that lets users turn snippets of YouTube videos into six-second GIFs. Here’s one we just created …
The tool is pretty simple. Users can select a portion of the video, enter text, and generate a GIF. YouTube then provides a direct link and an embed link.
For now, at least, it looks like the feature is only available on the PBS Idea Channel, first noted by Andy Baio. Beyond spicing up your in-office chatroom, YouTube’s motivation for adding the tool remains uncertain. But if your immediate GIF needs expand beyond what PBS can offer, don’t worry, there are several existing third-party tools available.
