Windows 11: Microsoft explains why GIFs have disappeared from the emoji panel

The emoji panel in Windows 11 has stopped showing GIFs, replacing the results with the message "GIF service is not available." Microsoft has now clarified the source of the problem: it was not a bug in the operating system but rather the sudden shutdown of an external service that Windows depended on.

The panel, accessible with the combination Win + . (period), sourced animations from Tenor, the GIF search engine owned by Google. On June 30, 2026, Tenor definitively discontinued the API (as previously reported here) that was used by Windows 11, leaving the feature without its backend and generating the error displayed to users.

From Tenor to GIPHY: Switching Providers and How to Fix the Problem

Interestingly, Microsoft had already addressed the issue before it manifested on a large scale. The company actually integrated a new provider, GIPHY, in the cumulative update KB5095093, distributed on June 23, 2026, a week before Tenor shut down its servers. Users who install this update, according to Microsoft’s release status page, can see GIF results in the emoji panel again, now pulled directly from the GIPHY catalog. However, those who have not yet downloaded the update continue to encounter the error message, as the old link to Tenor no longer responds.

The problem affects Windows 11 versions 24H2, 25H2, and 26H1. Microsoft also reports that a large portion of the user base may encounter the error over time, simply because the less updated builds continue to point to a now-defunct Tenor infrastructure.

In any case, it is not a security flaw, but rather a disruption affecting a visible function used daily by millions of people in everyday conversations.

To restore the GIFs, simply install the latest optional update C available through Windows Update, accessible via Settings > Windows Update > Check for updates. Since it is an optional package, you may need to manually click on "Download and install," unless the option to automatically download updates as soon as they are available is already enabled.

The update KB5095093 not only fixes the GIF link but also introduces the feature to restore to a previous point, allowing users to roll back the operating system, applications, and files, and it fixes a minor issue that displayed internal file names instead of the original name in confirmation windows when deleting an item from the Recycle Bin.

For users of Windows 11 23H2 and Windows Server 2025, however, the fix is not yet available: Microsoft has not provided a precise timeline for the patch's arrival on these versions, leaving the issue unresolved for now on those systems.