WhatsApp has released the GIPHY GIF provider feature for Android and iOS users, migrating former Tenor users to GIPHY on the server side. This confirms that WhatsApp chose GIPHY, not Klipy, ending months of beta reports that pointed to Klipy as the expected replacement, based on the AllBetaInfo team’s direct verification by sending a test GIF in an active chat. The change requires no app update and affects both platforms today. Tenor users now see GIPHY GIF results without changing any setting.
Why Tenor Shut Down Its API
Tenor shut down its GIF API on July 1, 2026, ending third party access to its GIF library. The company had already stopped accepting new developer registrations before the deadline. Apps that relied on Tenor for in app GIF search, including WhatsApp, had to secure a replacement before the cutoff to avoid disrupting GIF search for users.
Google owns Tenor and confirmed the API shutdown applies only to third party access. Tenor’s own website and Google’s first party products, including Gboard and Google Messages, keep their access to the GIF library.
How WhatsApp Used GIPHY and Tenor Together
WhatsApp previously split its GIF search between two providers, GIPHY and Tenor. GIPHY offered a large, established GIF library used across many social apps. Tenor focused on fast keyword based discovery and expressive reaction GIFs.
Running two providers let WhatsApp avoid relying on a single source. It also spread search traffic across both platforms so neither provider became overloaded during peak use.
Why WhatsApp Chose GIPHY Instead of Klipy
WhatsApp chose GIPHY as the replacement for Tenor, not Klipy, despite months of beta reporting that pointed to Klipy as the expected provider. The AllBetaInfo team verified this directly. Users who previously searched GIFs through Tenor now see GIPHY as their active provider when sending a GIF in a chat.
GIPHY was already fully integrated into WhatsApp before this change, since it served as one of the two existing providers. That made GIPHY the lower risk option for migrating millions of users on the same day Tenor’s API went dark. Klipy, by comparison, was still in earlier testing within WhatsApp at the time of this migration, which made it a less proven choice for an immediate, large scale switch.
What This Means for GIF Search on Android and iOS
Most WhatsApp users will notice no change in how GIF search works day to day. Users can still search for GIFs directly within the keyboard, and the process feels identical to before.
WhatsApp only changed where GIF results are pulled from. Since GIPHY and Tenor use different ranking systems, some users may see different results for the same search terms they used before. Users who already had GIPHY as their provider before this migration will not notice any difference at all.
Platform Availability for Android and iOS
This migration is rolling out on both Android and iOS at the same time, since WhatsApp handled the entire transition on the server side. No app update is required on either platform to receive GIPHY as the active GIF provider.
Anyone who previously relied on Tenor for GIF search on Android or iOS is being switched to GIPHY automatically today. The AllBetaInfo team confirmed this by sending a GIF in a live chat and observing GIPHY as the source, matching what WhatsApp has now rolled out across both operating systems.
Could Klipy Still Arrive Later
Klipy has not been dropped from WhatsApp’s plans entirely. References to Klipy remain present in the app’s codebase, which suggests WhatsApp has not abandoned the idea of adding it as a provider in the future.
WhatsApp previously ran GIPHY and Tenor side by side to split search traffic across two sources. A similar pattern could apply again once WhatsApp finishes testing Klipy, potentially moving some users from GIPHY over to Klipy in a later update. For now, GIPHY is handling all GIF search traffic that Tenor previously served.
Conclusion
WhatsApp completed a server side migration from Tenor to GIPHY on both Android and iOS as Tenor’s API shutdown took effect this week. The AllBetaInfo team will continue monitoring whether Klipy resurfaces as an additional GIF provider in a future update.
This correction matters because it replaces months of inaccurate beta predictions with a directly verified outcome, confirmed by testing GIF search on a live WhatsApp account.
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