Google makes finding GIFs easier by adding image search filter

Finding GIFs just got a whole lot easier thanks to Google.

The Mountain View, Calif., company announced Tuesday that it has added a new filter to its image search that lets users look for animated GIFs, which are a series of looping images that together look like a short video clip.

When users search for “scaredy cats,” for example, they can click on the “Search tools” button, then switch “Any type” to “Animated” and all their results will be animated GIFs of easily scared cats. Users can click on each item thumbnail to expand the image and see the GIF in action.

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Google announced the new filter on its Google+ account Tuesday morning, enlightening users about the origins of the image file format.

“Gifs have been around since 1987 and have become the de facto standard for short animations on the Web, from pony glitter text (goo.gl/iZoEZ) to grumpy cat memes (goo.gl/bC9um),” the company said in its post.

Although GIFs are more than 25 years old, the image format has enjoyed a recent renaissance thanks to websites that make it easier to share and create that type of file. The social network Tumblr, in particular, has become a haven for GIFs.

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