Facebook opens profile expression kit as it looks to add more Snapchat-style filters

By Lulu Chang September 25, 2016

lawsuit orlando shooting facebook twitter — Image used with permission by copyright holder

It’s getting harder and harder to tell your various social media networks apart. And now that Facebook is engaging in new efforts to make your profile picture look more like a Snap photo or a Vine video or a Boomerang GIF, it’s only becoming more confusing.

Late last week, the social network opened up its Profile Expression Kit to all developers “so people can create fun and personality-infused Facebook profile pictures and videos in the apps they are already using to create and edit photos and videos.” Because why not just make one, giant, indistinguishable app from a bunch of other apps that already exist?

The Profile Expression Kit was first introduced at Facebook’s F8 conference, where upon “a small number of beta partners” were given the opportunity to “share photos and videos created in third-party apps directly into their Facebook profiles.” But now that the floodgates have officially been opened, your profile “picture” may be much more than that.

As TechCrunch notes, media like Beauty+ enhanced selfies, MSQRD face filters, Lollicam stickers, and Flixel cinemagraphs can all be set as your default … get ready for some super colorful profiles.

Of course, Facebook will still review developers’ submissions before allowing them to go live on the site. “Before Profile Expression Kit will work, your app must go through our app review process,” Facebook notes. In order to win the company’s approval, your app will have to “have the primary purpose of creating and editing photos or videos, … encourage people to take selfie photos and videos with the front-facing camera,” and “not include ads or commercial content, such as logos and watermarks, in photos and videos.”

So if you’re interested in getting started, just read Facebook’s documentation, download the SDK, integrate the SDK into your app, and submit your app for review.

Topics

Former Digital Trends Contributor

Fascinated by the effects of technology on human interaction, Lulu believes that if her parents can use your new app…

Social Media

Bluesky barrels toward 1 million new sign-ups in a day

Social media app Bluesky has picked nearly a million new users just a day after exiting its invitation-only beta and opening to everyone.

In a post on its main rival -- X (formerly Twitter) -- Bluesky shared a chart showing a sudden boost in usage on the app, which can now be downloaded for free for iPhone and Android devices.

Computing

How to make a GIF from a YouTube video

woman sitting and using laptop

Sometimes, whether you're chatting with friends or posting on social media, words just aren't enough -- you need a GIF to fully convey your feelings. If there's a moment from a YouTube video that you want to snip into a GIF, the good news is that you don't need complex software to so it. There are now a bunch of ways to make a GIF from a YouTube video right in your browser.

If you want to use desktop software like Photoshop to make a GIF, then you'll need to download the YouTube video first before you can start making a GIF. However, if you don't want to go through that bother then there are several ways you can make a GIF right in your browser, without the need to download anything. That's ideal if you're working with a low-specced laptop or on a phone, as all the processing to make the GIF is done in the cloud rather than on your machine. With these options you can make quick and fun GIFs from YouTube videos in just a few minutes.
Use GIFs.com for great customization
Step 1: Find the YouTube video that you want to turn into a GIF (perhaps a NASA archive?) and copy its URL.

Social Media

I paid Meta to ‘verify’ me — here’s what actually happened

In the fall of 2023 I decided to do a little experiment in the height of the “blue check” hysteria. Twitter had shifted from verifying accounts based (more or less) on merit or importance and instead would let users pay for a blue checkmark. That obviously went (and still goes) badly. Meanwhile, Meta opened its own verification service earlier in the year, called Meta Verified.

Mostly aimed at “creators,” Meta Verified costs $15 a month and helps you “establish your account authenticity and help[s] your community know it’s the real us with a verified badge." It also gives you “proactive account protection” to help fight impersonation by (in part) requiring you to use two-factor authentication. You’ll also get direct account support “from a real person,” and exclusive features like stickers and stars.