WhatsApp is one of the most popular messaging apps in the world, with over 2 billion users. One of the fun features of WhatsApp is the ability to send GIFs in chats. But where do these GIFs come from – does WhatsApp use Giphy or Tenor as its GIF provider?
The Short Answer
WhatsApp uses both Giphy and Tenor as sources for its GIF library. Users can search for and share GIFs from both providers within WhatsApp.
Background on Giphy and Tenor
Before explaining the details, some background on Giphy and Tenor:
- Giphy is a popular GIF hosting and sharing platform founded in 2013. It has partnerships with many social media and messaging companies like Facebook, Twitter, Slack, and more. Giphy claims to host over 300 million GIFs.
- Tenor is also a GIF platform, founded in 2014. Tenor was acquired by Google in 2018. Like Giphy, it partners with many messaging and social apps. Tenor says its library includes over 20 million GIFs.
Both Giphy and Tenor operate on a similar model – they partner with apps and websites to power their GIF search and sharing capabilities. The platforms make money from these partnerships and from advertising.
WhatsApp’s Integration
WhatsApp integrated Giphy’s API in their app back in 2017. This allowed users to search Giphy’s entire library of GIFs and share them within WhatsApp.
In 2020, WhatsApp added Tenor as a second GIF provider. Now when users search for GIFs within WhatsApp, they see results from both Giphy and Tenor.
Using two providers gives WhatsApp users access to a larger collection of GIFs. Giphy and Tenor have overlapping but different libraries, so dual integration improves the choice of GIFs.
How WhatsApp’s GIF Search Works
When a WhatsApp user taps the GIF button in a chat, here is what happens behind the scenes:
- The app makes a call to both the Giphy and Tenor APIs to search their libraries for GIFs matching the user’s query.
- Results from both sources are returned and merged into a single list.
- This combined list of Giphy + Tenor GIFs is displayed to the user.
- When the user selects a GIF, the app inserts it into the chat message.
So in summary, WhatsApp uses the search capabilities of both platforms to offer users more GIF results.
How to Tell Giphy vs Tenor GIFs Apart
When browsing GIFs within WhatsApp, how can you tell if a given GIF comes from Giphy or Tenor?
There are a couple ways to differentiate them:
- Watermark – Giphy GIFs have a small Giphy watermark in the bottom right corner. Tenor GIFs are watermarked with the Tenor logo.
- Dimensions – Giphy GIFs are often perfectly square at widths of 200px, 264px, and 360px. Tenor GIFs have more variability in dimensions.
Here’s a quick visual guide to telling them apart:
| Giphy GIF | Tenor GIF |
|---|---|
The Giphy watermark is small and unobtrusive, in the lower right. Tenor’s mark is larger and along the bottom.
Do Users Have a Preference?
Is one GIF source preferred by WhatsApp users over the other?
There’s no clear consensus based on reviews and online discussions:
- Some prefer Giphy for its square formats and crisp quality.
- Others like Tenor for having more cartoon/anime and emoji-style GIFs.
- Many users don’t have a strong preference and are happy to use both.
It seems to be a split based on people’s specific tastes and what style of GIF they tend to search for.
Since the integration of both providers, there haven’t been widespread requests for WhatsApp to remove either one. The dual search appears to satisfy users by increasing overall GIF selection.
A Few User Reviews
Here are some comments that illustrate user opinions on Giphy vs Tenor in WhatsApp:
“I like that Whatsapp has Giphy and Tenor, more choice.”
“Tenor’s anime GIFs are better but Giphy is overall quality.”
“Don’t care as long as I can find a good GIF to send to my friends!”
Conclusion
To summarize:
- WhatsApp uses both Giphy and Tenor as sources for its GIF search feature.
- Integrating both providers gives WhatsApp users access to a larger collection of GIFs.
- Giphy and Tenor GIFs can be identified via watermarks and dimensions.
- There is no strong consensus among users about preferring one over the other.
Having both Giphy and Tenor allows WhatsApp to offer the best of both platforms to its billions of users. The dual search integration improves the GIF experience and provides more options for everyone.
So while Giphy may still be the first name you think of for GIFs, remember that Tenor is now part of the fun for WhatsApp users too!
Thank you for reading! Let me know if you have any other questions.