Google Shuts Down Tenor API: GIFs at Risk on Discord and WhatsApp

Google has shut down the public API of Tenor, the GIF library that the company acquired in 2018 and which has powered animated image selectors on dozens of third-party apps for years. The website Tenor.com remains online and fully functional, but anyone relying on the API to integrate GIF search into their platform loses access starting today.

The official support page from Google explains the decision as part of an effort to focus resources on the company's main products, with the sunset of the API set for June 30, 2026. API and advertising distribution agreements related to Tenor also expire on the same date, while existing integrations are declared completely deprecated.

Google Shuts Down Tenor APIs: Who Loses the Service and Who Keeps It

The shutdown does not come entirely as a surprise: Google had stopped accepting new access requests to the API as early as January 2026, leaving existing integrations active until this week. Starting today, all of them cease to function, with the effective interruption anticipated from July 1 for those who have not yet noticed the change.

The most notable case involves Twitter/X, which has relied on Tenor for its GIF selector for years. The platform's product head, Nikita Bier, confirmed the migration to an alternative provider, a change that explains why the “recently used” section has been reset and why fewer options appear when posting.

Other affected platforms include Discord, WhatsApp, and Bluesky, all of which integrated the Tenor selector into their respective messaging composition boxes. Each will now have to rely on alternative libraries like Giphy or build their own catalog of animated content.

Everything remains unchanged for those using Google products: Gboard continues to offer GIF search via Tenor, as does the dedicated GIF Keyboard app on Android and iOS, as well as direct integrations in Google Chat and Google Messages. The Tenor.com website also maintains full catalog search, accessible as always via browser.

This move follows a broader trend in how Google manages its legacy public APIs, favoring channels that generate direct value for the internal ecosystem over infrastructure services provided for free to third parties. For developers relying on Tenor without a contingency plan, the enforced transition comes with very little operational notice.

It is unclear whether Google will offer a paid alternative for those who wish to continue integrating Tenor GIFs into their apps in the future. Currently, the support page does not mention plans of this kind, implying that the closure of the API is definitive and without a commercial reintegration pathway.