You can now send GIFs within Instagram’s Direct Messages: Here’s how

Instagram will now allow users to send GIFs in Direct Messages. The update is now available for Android and iOS users.

The company mentioned in a blog post, “Now you can message your friends with GIFs in Instagram Direct. From “LOL” to “I love you,” you can express yourself in countless visual ways when you’re messaging your friends.”

After you type in the search bar, simply tap “random” to send a random GIF associated with what you’ve searched. The trending GIFs will be powered by GIPHY.

Shopping enthusiasts also have a reason to rejoice, as Instagram is all set to add a shopping tab to the Explore page. The new development in the app will allow you to browse through a dedicated feed of retail merchandise from various sellers. Instagram will also allow the sellers to add stickers to their Stories, allowing the buyer to purchase the item by tapping on it.

According to a report, the chief operating officer of Facebook, Sheryl Sandberg, in a statement said that 90 million Instagrammers tap posts to reveal shopping tags on the app. More than 25 million businesses already have an account on Instagram, with about 2 million of them advertising with Facebook. Whit the latest changes, the photo and video-sharing social networking service app is undertaking a significant push into e-commerce.