Twitter, now X, did as soon as provide this as an choice (sort of), and a few customers do nonetheless have transferring profile photographs in consequence. However the capability to really add a GIF as your X avatar has been unavailable, in any type, for greater than a decade.

However that could possibly be about to vary.

Based on a brand new put up from X engineer Andrea Conway, the X workforce is no less than discussing the choice of bringing again animated profile photographs.

It’s solely a ballot for now, however Conway has shared varied insights on coming X options over the past 12 months, and all of them have ended up being rolled out at some stage. So it does appear doubtless that that is on the product workforce’s radar, although some customers are fairly against the choice.

To make clear, X/Twitter has by no means formally enabled customers to add GIFs for his or her profile picture, however there was, at one stage, a workaround that enabled customers to add a GIF inside sure dimensions that might then work as an animated avatar in-stream.

Former Twitter chief Dick Costolo apparently oversaw the closure of this loophole again in 2012, making it not possible to add GIFs, however customers that had already performed so have been in a position to hold them. Which is why, from time to time, you come throughout an animated profile picture, though you’ll be able to’t really add one your self.

Some customers declare that it’s too distracting, whereas it might additionally pose issues for display readers and different accessibility instruments. However there could possibly be a variation of this the place customers can add an animation to their profile picture, when a customer hovers over the image perhaps, or faucets via to their profile particularly.

Or it might go full LinkedIn, and add video intros on profiles (which LinkedIn eliminated as an choice earlier this 12 months)

I imply, Elon is eager to tackle LinkedIn within the job stakes, so perhaps?

It looks as if a minor consideration, but it surely might have an effect, and it could possibly be coming someday quickly. 

Additionally price noting, app researcher Jane Manchun Wong famous that X was engaged on re-adding GIFs as a profile picture choice in December final 12 months. So it has been no less than into consideration for a while.