New, GIF-like Facebook profile pictures will be able to move for 7 seconds and then revert to stationary images, as you might have known if you or a friend work at Facebook and have been experimenting with the feature. According to Re/code, employees have already made some cute, quick video profiles with their internal or "dogfood" versions of Facebook, which is the grossest possible industry jargon for a version of software not yet available to the public. Moving profile pictures are also available to select users, and Facebook made the announcement official today.
What's more, temporary photos are going to be available as predicted. You know, like the ones some people still have from Pride this summer that might remind you of sad Christmas decorations in April.
“When more than 26 million people used our Celebrate Pride filter, it was more apparent than ever that people use their profile picture to show who they are— even if it’s just for a moment in time,” Facebook product managers Aigerim Shorman and Tony Hsieh said. “Profile pictures are not just static portraits. They represent what’s going in your life right now and what’s important to you, and we want to give people the tools to better express themselves in this way.”
This time, though, you'll be able to determine the length of time your photo has an added filter — say, for the duration of the World Series.
There are more changes, too, particularly to mobile. Re/code has the full story of how data has changed what Facebook shows you, and it sounds like it's based on what you look for in other people's profiles more than what you'd like to share with other people from your own profile. "Your profile is now less about what you want, and more about what your friends want," they write.
Previously: Facebook Rolling Out Temporary Profile Pics