I used this feature WAAAAAAY more than the average person, to the point where I honestly would have avoided the 6.1.1 update like the plague had I known it would disappear. Are there any plans to add that functionality back into the phone?
Just like everyone else asking, no it's not coming back right now. Just because a few ppl used it, there still wasn't enough p using it to justify keeping it updated, so they just removed it all together.
Sounds like you're guessing tbh. The GIF function was a part of the Smart Select app, which is literally what was recently updated.
Furthermore, the app itself received several NEW functions that literally no one has used. From a business standpoint, it would make no sense to axe something because it "wasn't being used enough" in favor of introducing functionality that has absolutely no attachment rate at all.
Lastly, there was nothing to update in regards to the GIF functionality itself. It has worked the same way since it's introduction and was essentially Screen Recording while cropping and saving the result in a specific format.
