Your Favorite Social Platforms Are Losing Some of Their Best GIFs

Google has shut down the Tenor GIF API, which many social media apps used for GIF messaging and post replies. As of June 30, Google third parties can no longer request new API keys or access the API with existing keys.

Google says it is focusing its resources on strengthening its core products and retaining Tenor as a GIF source within its own services, such as Gboard, Google Messages, Google Chat, and the standalone Tenor website and keyboard apps.

The change will impact platforms like X, WhatsApp, Discord, Bluesky, Telegram, Facebook Messenger, and others that used Tenor for baked-in GIF searches. Users on these apps are seeing empty results or different GIF catalogs because the apps didn’t update in time or switched to alternatives. GIF histories and “recently used” sections may reset when integrations change, and some popular Tenor GIFs that people regularly share no longer appear in the new search results. Thankfully, Giphy—Tenor’s primary competitor, up until now—has a larger catalog anyway.

Developers now need to add other GIF services to their apps or build their own solutions, as well as update moderation policies.