No GIF option in the app
YouTube is turning GIF comments on account by account.
Fix: Update the app and check again over the next days. On a computer you can post GIFs today with the extension.
Rolling out now · Updated October 14, 2026
YouTube GIF comments, now on desktop too
YouTube started rolling out GIF comments in October 2026. The YouTube app gets a GIF option in the comment box; the desktop site doesn't have one yet. GIF Comments is a free browser extension that adds that button on your computer, and the GIFs you post are ordinary YouTube GIF comments that everyone can see.
Free · v1.1.0 · Chrome, Edge, Brave, Firefox · Store listing in review, install in 1 minute
GIF Comments is installed. Open YouTube and click Add a comment.
On a phone? Here's how GIFs work in the YouTube appComments · Try the GIF button
GIF← tap it
the ending of this video
A demo on this page. The extension puts the same GIF button on YouTube.
- Everyone sees itReal YouTube GIF comments, not a trick only extension users can see
- All of TenorSearch millions of GIFs, or pick a mood in one tap
- Free, no accountNo sign-up, no tracking, no ads in the extension
Step by step
How to comment GIFs on YouTube
The app has GIFs built in once your account gets the update. The desktop site needs the extension.
GIF comments in the YouTube app
Update the YouTube app
GIF comments only show up in recent versions of the app on iPhone, iPad and Android.
Open the comments
Tap the comments under any video, or the comment button on a Short.
Look for GIF
When the feature has reached your account, a GIF option sits in the comment box. Tap it and search.
Tap a GIF to post it
You can type text first; it is posted together with the GIF.
GIF comments on youtube.com with the extension
Install GIF Comments
Free, for Chrome, Edge, Brave and Firefox. No account and no setup.
Open a YouTube video
Click Add a comment under any video, or Reply under a comment. Shorts work too.
Click the GIF button
It sits next to the emoji button. Search Tenor, or pick a mood like LOL or Clap.
Pick one and press Post GIF
Anything you typed goes with it. Your GIF shows for everyone, on phones and computers.
For Chrome, Edge, Brave and Firefox
The YouTube GIF extension for desktop
GIF Comments for YouTube adds the button YouTube's desktop site is missing. Pick a GIF, press Post GIF, done.
Free · v1.1.0 · Chrome, Edge, Brave, Firefox · Store listing in review, install in 1 minute
The Chrome Web Store and Firefox Add-ons are reviewing the listing. Until it goes live, you load the download yourself. It takes a minute:
- Download the ZIP and unzip it.
- Open chrome://extensions (edge://extensions in Edge, brave://extensions in Brave).
- Turn on Developer mode in the top right corner.
- Click Load unpacked and choose the unzipped folder (the one with manifest.json inside).
- Open YouTube. Pages that were already open get the button without a reload.
- Download the Firefox ZIP. You don't need to unzip it.
- Open about:debugging#/runtime/this-firefox.
- Click Load Temporary Add-on and choose the ZIP.
- Firefox removes temporary add-ons when it closes, so repeat this after a restart until the Firefox Add-ons listing is live.
- Search all of Tenor, or tap a mood: LOL, Wow, Clap, Facepalm…
- Preview before posting, so a misclick never posts the wrong GIF
- Recent and Saved tabs for the GIFs you use most
- Your text and the GIF go out as one comment, in videos, Shorts and replies
- Only shows GIFs YouTube accepts (rated G)
- Not a fan of GIFs? A Hide GIFs switch folds them all into a "Show" chip
Troubleshooting
Why can't I post GIFs on YouTube?
Six reasons, from the most common. Find what you see on your screen.
No GIF button on youtube.com
The desktop site has no GIF button yet, even on accounts that have GIFs in the app.
Fix: Install GIF Comments. It adds the button next to the emoji button.
"YouTube turned this GIF down"
YouTube only takes GIFs that Tenor rates G, suitable for all ages.
Fix: Pick another GIF. The extension already hides GIFs with other ratings, but a few slip through unrated.
Comments are turned off
The creator closed comments, or the video is set as made for kids, where comments are always off.
Fix: Nothing to fix here; GIFs can only go where comments are open.
The GIF button is missing in a box
GIFs can only be added to new comments and replies, not while editing a comment or writing a channel post.
Fix: Delete and post again, or reply instead.
You can't comment at all
You're signed out, or on a supervised account that can't comment.
Fix: Sign in with an account that can comment.
The rules
Which GIFs work in YouTube comments
Tenor GIFs only
YouTube's GIF comments pull from Tenor, the GIF library Google owns. GIPHY links and GIFs from your computer can't be posted.
Rated G, for all ages
YouTube refuses GIFs with any other rating. The extension asks Tenor for G-rated results only.
Text and a GIF together
Type your comment, then add the GIF. Both go out as one comment.
Videos, Shorts and replies
Top-level comments and replies both work. Editing a comment or writing a community post doesn't take GIFs.
Not a fan?
Can you turn off GIF comments on YouTube?
Not in YouTube itself. As of October 14, 2026, YouTube hasn't given viewers a setting to hide GIF comments, on the app or on the website. Creators got new comment moderation tools in the same update, so a channel can hold or remove comments it doesn't want.
On a computer you can: GIF Comments has a Hide GIFs switch. Click the extension's icon in the toolbar and turn it on. Every GIF in YouTube comments folds into a small "GIF hidden · Show" chip, so you read the text and open only the GIFs you want. Turn it off and they're back. It works on comments that load while you scroll, too.
Privacy
Is the YouTube GIF extension safe?
It asks for as little as it can: YouTube to add the button, Tenor to search GIFs, and storage for your saved GIFs.
Only on YouTube
It runs on youtube.com (and on this site, only to say it's installed). It can't see any other site.
Talks to YouTube and Tenor, nothing else
Search goes to Tenor without your cookies. There's no server of ours in between, and no analytics in the extension.
Never touches your login
YouTube's own page sends the comment, with YouTube's own sign-in. The extension adds the GIF to that request and doesn't read your password or cookies.
Your favorites stay on your computer
Saved and recent GIFs and the Hide GIFs setting live in the browser's extension storage and are deleted when you remove the extension.
How it works: when you post, the extension types a one-time marker into the comment box and presses YouTube's own Comment button. Right before YouTube's page sends the comment, the marker is swapped for the GIF's Tenor ID, the same field the YouTube app uses. If anything is off, the comment is stopped, so the marker can never be posted as text. GIF Comments is not made by YouTube and may stop working if YouTube changes its site; read our privacy policy.
Questions
YouTube GIF comments FAQ
Can you post GIFs in YouTube comments?
Yes. YouTube announced GIF comments at Made on YouTube in September 2026 and began rolling them out in October. In the YouTube app the GIF option appears in the comment box once your account has it. On a computer, the free GIF Comments extension adds a GIF button.
How do I comment a GIF on YouTube on PC?
The desktop site has no GIF button yet. Install GIF Comments for Chrome, Edge, Brave or Firefox, open a video, click Add a comment, then click GIF next to the emoji button, pick a GIF and press Post GIF.
Why don't I have GIF comments on YouTube?
YouTube is turning the feature on gradually, so some accounts get it before others. Update the YouTube app and check again in a few days. On desktop the button doesn't exist yet; the extension adds it. See why you can't post GIFs for the other causes.
Do other people need the extension to see my GIF?
No. The extension posts a normal YouTube GIF comment, the same kind the app posts, so it shows for everyone on phones, tablets and computers.
Is the YouTube GIF extension free?
Yes, it's free, with no account, no sign-up and no ads inside the extension.
Is it against YouTube's rules?
The GIF is posted through YouTube's own comment system with YouTube's own sign-in, and YouTube still checks every GIF. It is not an official YouTube product, though, and it can stop working if YouTube changes its site. Use it at your own risk under YouTube's Terms of Service.
Can I upload my own GIF to a YouTube comment?
No. YouTube's GIF comments only take GIFs from Tenor, and only ones rated G. Uploads and GIPHY links aren't supported, by the app or by the extension.
Does it work on YouTube Shorts?
Yes. The GIF button shows up in the comment box of Shorts on desktop as well as regular videos, including replies.
Can I turn off GIF comments on YouTube?
YouTube itself has no switch for viewers as of October 14, 2026. On a computer, the free GIF Comments extension has a Hide GIFs switch: every GIF in the comments folds into a small "GIF hidden · Show" chip, and you can still post GIFs yourself.
Is there a GIF extension for YouTube on Android or iPhone?
Phones don't need one: GIF comments are built into the YouTube app and arrive with app updates. The extension is for desktop browsers.
Say it with a GIF, on any YouTube video
Free for Chrome, Edge, Brave and Firefox. Your GIFs show for everyone.