Your Reddit conversations are about to become a bit more animated, thanks to a new feature. On Wednesday, Reddit and Giphy announced in a blog post that users will now be able to add GIFs in the comments for certain subreddits. “It brings an added layer of personal expression to Reddit comments, and a more seamless, on-platform experience,” the company said in a statement. Rather than linking out to a GIF when you’re in the chat section, you can simply add one of Giphy’s animated images to express yourself (we see you, Fire Elmo). But there are some conditions.
The feature is available in SFW (safe for work) and non-quarantined subreddits, though Reddit moderators must opt in to use it. It’s up to them to enable GIF usage for their communities, and this applies to new or existing subreddits. Depending on whether a mod opts in or out, Redditors may or may not have access.
How does it work? Users can choose from Giphy’s designated library of GIFs and pop one directly into their comment, along with text. This feature was previously available only to Powerups subscribers, but Reddit decided to expand it for all users on the platforms.
Inline GIFs on Reddit may not be everyone’s cup of tea, so if users have concerns about how the images affect their conversations, they should contact the subreddit’s moderator. Currently, users themselves can’t directly opt in or out of the GIF feature.