Tenor officially shut down its GIF API, and WhatsApp is rolling out its replacement to avoid interruptions on Android and iOS. Now, WhatsApp is migrating Tenor users to GIPHY. Nothing about this change is visible to users, and WhatsApp has not shared any announcement about the deprecated provider.
| Key Points | Details |
|---|---|
| Feature: | GIPHY as the main GIF provider |
| Status: | Rolling out |
| Availability info: | WhatsApp is migrating Tenor users to GIPHY on Android and iOS right now. |
| Thanks: | Traiti, for testing and reporting. |
| Previous news: | WhatsApp shares new username updates with business partners! |
WhatsApp previously used both GIPHY and Tenor as GIF providers
In the post about the WhatsApp beta for Android 2.26.21.7 update, we explained how WhatsApp relies on two different GIF providers: GIPHY and Tenor. GIPHY is a large platform that offers an extensive library used by many social apps. Tenor focuses on fast keyword-based discovery and expressive reaction GIFs. WhatsApp split its users between these two providers to avoid dependence on the same source. With two providers active, WhatsApp also prevents either one from getting overloaded.
Tenor officially shut down its API
Tenor announced the deprecation of its official API months ago, and set July 1, 2026 as the deadline. Now, that deadline just hit. Services that relied on Tenor's API can no longer access its content in the same way. For WhatsApp, this means that some users cannot search for GIFs through Tenor. To avoid any interruption, WhatsApp had to find a replacement before the shutdown took effect.
WhatsApp chose GIPHY to replace Tenor, not Klipy
We already anticipated that WhatsApp would replace Tenor with Klipy. That didn't happen, at least for now. Instead of switching to Klipy, WhatsApp decided to choose GIPHY. As a result, WhatsApp is now migrating all users who used Tenor to the other existing provider. We verified this directly: users who previously searched GIFs through Tenor now see GIPHY as their active provider. The transition happened without any announcement or visible change within the app. To test, just send a GIF in a chat so you can see which provider WhatsApp assigned to your account.
Why WhatsApp may have chosen GIPHY over Klipy
GIPHY has a long track record as one of the most established GIF platforms available. Since WhatsApp already has GIPHY fully integrated, it is the safest option. Instead, Klipy is a newer service that WhatsApp was still testing at the time of this change. At that moment, an untested provider was simply not the right choice for millions of users on the same day Tenor went down. By moving everyone to GIPHY, WhatsApp can continue to refine the experience with Klipy.
What this means for users who relied on Tenor
For most users, nothing changes when they search for GIFs. Users can still find new GIFs right within the keyboard, and the experience feels exactly the same as before. WhatsApp is simply changing where the app can pull GIF results from. Note that GIPHY and Tenor use different ranking systems, so some users may notice unexpected results for the same search terms. However, this transition keeps GIF search working without changing anything else.
Klipy could still arrive as a third GIF provider in the future
WhatsApp hasn't abandoned Klipy. The codebase still references it, and nothing suggests WhatsApp dropped the plan to introduce it as a third provider. Once WhatsApp completes testing, it will likely distribute some users from GIPHY to Klipy in a future update. WhatsApp did the same with GIPHY and Tenor before. This would allow WhatsApp to have two active providers again, and it would reduce the current dependence on GIPHY alone. For now, GIPHY handles everything, but Klipy could still take over part of that load in the future.
WhatsApp is rolling out GIPHY as the main GIF provider on Android and iOS
WhatsApp is rolling out the migration from Tenor to GIPHY on both Android and iOS today. Users do not need to update the app or change any settings. WhatsApp handled the transition on the server side. Anyone who previously used Tenor for GIF search now uses GIPHY by default.
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