Whether it’s a Discord call or chat, you can express your emotions really well. All thanks to Discord GIFs that help users to express their emotions easily and fast too. However, these GIFs seem to not work at times, even after recent updates to the app. If you are also struggling with Discord GIFs not working, then you have landed on the right page. In this guide, you will learn all the possible solutions to fix this issue.
How to Fix Discord GIFs Not Working
Discord allows users to send and receive GIFs (Graphics Interchange Format) in their chats and messages. You can troubleshoot your network connection and keep the Discord app updated to solve Discord GIFs not working problem. Keep reading this guide to know the full troubleshooting methods to fix the said issue.
Quick Answer
Try to disable hardware acceleration and update Discord app to fix Discord GIFs not working issue. You can also clear the Discord cache data.
Why are Discord GIFs Not Working?
On Discord, the GIFs might stop moving or loading while you are chatting due to a number of reasons. Some of these prominent reasons are listed below:
- Internet connection problems
- Uploading GIFs bigger than the required size
- Wrong GIF file extension
- Corrupt Discord app cache
- Outdated version of Discord app
- Reduced motion setting turned on
- Uploading GIFs without Discord subscription
Method 1: Ensure Strong Internet Connection
Internet connectivity issue is one of the most common reasons that stop GIFs from loading. Therefore, you should reolve an unstable or weak internet connection on your device. If you find such an issue, please refer to our guide on Slow Internet Connection? 10 Ways to Speed up your Internet! for more information.
Method 2: Relaunch Discord App
Using the Discord application on a computer can increase the chances of background apps interfering with Discord working and therefore, Discord GIFs not working. So, to avoid this problem, restart the Discord app on your device. This can be done by ending Discord-related processes in Task Manager. You can check our guide on How to End Task in Windows 10 for that.
Once you have closed the Discord application from working, you can re-launch it on your PC and check if the GIFs are working fine now.
Also Read: How to Join a Discord Server with an Expired Link
Method 3: Re-Login to Discord
There are times when Discord servers and your account do not synchronize correctly which can result in the dysfunction of the app, in this case leading to GIFs being unable to load. So, you can try re-logging into your Discord account to fix this issue.
1. Hit the Windows key, type Discord, and click on Open.
2. Now, click on the settings gear icon at the bottom to open the User Settings of the app.
3. Next, click on Log Out at the bottom.
4. Then, click on Log Out on the prompt message.
5. Finally, launch Discord again to re-login.
Here is YouTube video for your reference:
Also Read: How to Change Username Color on Discord
Method 4: Update Discord
App updates of Discord are essential to install regularly as they come with performance upgrades as well as several bug fixes. If you are wondering, why GIFs not working on Discord, then it may be due to an outdated app. So, update Discord on your Windows PC with the help of the instructions given below:
1. On your PC, press the Windows key, type %LocalAppData%, and click on Open.
2. Now, locate the Discord folder and double-click on it.
3. Then, double-click on the Update option and wait for it to get installed on your device.
Once the update has been installed, launch Discord and check if the GIFs are working fine now.
Method 5: Clear Discord Cache
Clearing cache files of Discord that have piled up over time is another way with which you can fix GIFs not loading issues on the platform. These cache files become corrupt over time and can stop Discord from working properly as well. Therefore, you should clear the cache files of Discord as given below:
1. First, press Windows + R keys together to open the Run dialog box.
2. Now, type %APPDATA%/Discord/Cache in the box and hit the Enter key.
3. Then, select all files and hit the delete button to remove them.
Finally, launch the Discord app to check if the GIF issue has been fixed.
Also Read: How to Change Age on Discord
Method 6: Resize GIFs
GIF file size is of utmost importance when it comes to sending GIFs on Discord chat. The limit to send emoji GIFs on Discord is 256Kb. For animated avatars, the maximum limit is 8 MB. Therefore, if you are facing issues while sending GIFs, make sure you are not exceeding this limit. You can fix Discord GIFs not working by resizing the GIF. To do so, select 256kb for emoji GIFs and 8MB for avatar GIFs.
Method 7: Play GIFs Automatically
GIFs might also not work on Discord chat if the auto-play function gets turned off automatically. This usually happens after an update. So, you can manually turn on this option if it has been turned off with the help of the following steps:
1. Open the Discord app on your computer.
2. Now, select the settings icon at the bottom of your screen.
3. Then, click on the Accessibility option from the left pane.
4. Now, toggle on Automatically play GIFs when Discord is focused and Play animated emoji.
You can now send GIFs without any issues.
Also Read: Fix Discord Email is Already Registered Error
Method 8: Turn Off Reduced Motion
Reducing Motion on Discord decreases the amount and intensity of animations. Along with it, this motion if turned on, also affects hover effects and other moving effects across Discord. So, to get rid of Discord GIFs not working, turn off Reduced Motion option on the platform with the help of the steps given below:
1. Open the Settings of the Discord account on your PC.
2. Then, open the Accessibility tab from the left pane.
3. Now, toggle off Enable Reduced Motion.
Method 9: Upload GIFs as Files
In case you are still struggling to get the GIFs working on Discord, you can also upload them as files. Discord servers can mistakenly consider a GIF as an image when uploaded from the gallery. Therefore, uploading them as files might help you out in fixing the issue.
Method 10: Try Third-Party GIFs
Usually, Discord users post GIFs from the gallery or hard disk. After an update of the app, you might face difficulty in loading GIFs from these locations. Therefore, if you are pondering, why GIFs not working on Discord, the reason might be the location. So, try utilizing the GIFs app in such a situation. There are many GIF apps available on the internet that integrate well with Discord. So, if you have not tried one yet, it is time to take the help of these third-party GIF apps.
Method 11: Reinstall Discord
Finally, as a last resort, you can reinstall the Discord application on your system. This helps in freshly downloading app files of Discord by removing the corrupt ones. Also, the fresh installation also helps to get rid of minor bugs and glitches in the app. So, uninstall Discord from your device first and then proceed with its reinstallation with the help of the following steps:
1. Hit the Windows + I keys together to open Settings.
2. Then, select Apps settings from the list.
3. Next, in Apps & features, click on Discord, and select Uninstall.
4. Now, follow the on-screen instructions for removing the app.
5. Once done, press the Windows + E keys simultaneously to open File Manager.
6. Then, navigate to the following path.
C:\Users\USERNAME\AppData\Local
7. Access the Discord file and right-click on it to select Delete from the menu.
8. Finally, open the browser to visit the Discord website and click on Download for Windows.
9. Then, launch the DiscordSetup.exe file to install it on your PC.
You can now launch Discord to send GIFs freely without facing any issues.
Also Read: Discord to Use ChatGPT on All Servers
Method 12: Use Discord Web Client
In case you are still facing an issue in loading GIFs on the Discord app then try using the Discord web client on your system for a change. To fix Discord GIFs not working, try using a browser to launch the Discord application and then send GIFs from it.
Recommended: How to Hide Words in Discord
This brings us to the end of our guide on Discord GIFs not working. Do let us know if you have found our guide helpful. Also, don’t forget to mention your other queries or suggestions by leaving them in the comments box below.
tried every single one and nothing fixed the problem….