Everything is evolving. That’s true for your conversations as well. The emojis/stickers you used to spice up your chat have now evolved into moving pictures, i.e., GIFs.
And Discord is well known as the den of GIFs. But sometimes, GIFs don’t show or load in Discord!
And in this article, I’ll explain what exactly you have to do when GIFs don’t work on Discord and how to play them automatically.
Why are GIFs Not Working on Discord?
Due to a bad internet connection, Discord GIFs might not play or won’t show. Plus, GIFs larger than 8 MB won’t load if you’re a regular Discord user. Moreover, the old Discord cache files sometimes get corrupted, creating problems like GIFs won’t play or show.
Whatever the case, you’d want to check off some essential points before starting the troubleshooting.
Here’s why the gifs are not working on discord:
Uploading GIFs Bigger than 8 MB; For smooth performance and a lag-free experience, Discord limits the GIF file size to less than 8 MB. So, in case your GIF file exceeds that size, it will refuse to upload. However, the file won’t show or the GIF won’t play even if you have successfully uploaded the large file.
NOTE: For Discord subscribers, the file limit is higher (according to your subscription level).
Internet Connection Problem; A poor internet connection leads to the GIF not loading correctly, and the Discord server gets a corrupted GIF file that it can’t play. So, for a lousy internet connection, GIFs are not working.
Wrong GIF File Extension; Animated files are usually .gif extension files but sometimes these can be .webp or other file formats. However, Discord doesn’t support .webp extension files yet. So, if you upload one can be the main behind GIFs not showing in Discord.
Corrupted Discord Cache File; Old Discord cache files can easily get damaged or corrupted; when they do, the app shows unusual problems like GIFs not working on Discord correctly.
Uploading GIF as Avatar without Discord Subscription; If you’re trying to upload a GIF file as an avatar, ensure you have a Discord Nitro Basic subscription because the free tier doesn’t allow you to use GIFs as an avatar. You can always buy a Discord Nitro subscription from Google Play or without a credit card.
So, these are the common reasons Discord isn’t showing any GIFs. Like this GIF issue, sometimes Discord fails to load images, and there are specific reasons for that. Well, as for now, let me show you the fixes for GIF not loading issue in Discord.
How to Fix GIFs Not Loading on Discord
To fix the broken GIFs on Discord, ensure you have a stable internet connection. Also, quit the app and restart it. Then check the GIF size and verify that it’s less than 8 MB. Enable the Always Animate & autoplay GIFs and disable Reduce Motion from Discord settings.
Below I’ve provided the methods broadly that will solve GIFs loading issues on the Discord app.
Here are the methods to fix Discord GIFs not loading:
1. Re-Enter Credentials & Restart Discord
Sometimes, your Discord profile doesn’t sync properly; hence GIFs don’t work or upload to the Discord server. In such scenarios, a simple re-login can fix the problem.
Here’s how to re-enter Discord credentials:
- Launch Discord.
- Click on the Settings icon at the bottom-left corner beside your profile icon.
- Scroll down on the left menu bar and choose Log Out.
- Click on the Log Out button.
- Close the Discord app and quit it from the taskbar hidden icons tray.
- Open Discord again, sign in, and check whether the GIFs work correctly.
2. Allow Discord to Play GIFs Automatically
Sometimes the auto-play function gets turned off automatically, especially after an update. So you have to enable the option again manually.
Here’s the process to allow Discord to play GIFs automatically:
- Launch Discord on your device.
- Click on the Settings icon.
- Choose Accessibility from the left side menu.
- Toggle on Automatically play GIFs when Discord is focused & Play animated emojis and choose Always animate.
It will allow Discord to play gifs automatically without a click, hover, or tap.
3. Turn off Reduce Motion
The Reduce Motion option stops Discord from loading GIFs automatically. So turning it off will fix the issue.
Here are the steps to turn off reduce motion in Discord:
- Open Discord.
- Click on Settings.
- Choose Accessibility from the left side menu.
- Toggle off Enable Reduced Motion.
If you’re an iOS or iPadOS user, disable Reduce Motion from the system settings.
To do that, go to Settings > Accessibility > Motion > turn off Reduce Motion.
4. Clear Discord Cache
Damaged cache files can sometimes cause problems with the GIF file and others as well. So, delete the old cache and let Discord download new ones.
Here’s how to clear the Discord cache:
- Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open the Task Manager, choose Discord, and click on End task. Don’t bother if Discord isn’t running.
- Press the Windows + R key to open the Run program.
- Type %appdata% in the text field and press Enter.
- Open the discord > Cache folder.
- Press Ctrl + A to select all files in the Cache folder and remove them.
When you launch the Discord app, it’ll automatically download fresh new cache data from the server.
iOS and iPadOS users can delete the Discord cache files from within the app, and Android users can remove them from the storage settings.
5. Use the Discord web client
Occasionally, Discord exhibits problems in the app version, which is not the case for the web client; the GIFs loading issue is one of them.
If you’re trying to upload GIFs from the mobile or the desktop app and getting this problem, use a web browser. Users have reported that using the Discord web client has worked like a charm.
Go to discord and select Open Discord in your browser.
It’s not the most convenient way to send GIFs. But hey, if everything fails, this could be a legit alternative.
6. Use Third-Party GIF apps
Not all updates are bugs free. So a bug or glitch can obstruct GIFs from showing after updating Discord with a faulty one. In that case, instead of uploading GIFs from the gallery or internal storage, use a GIF app like GIFY to upload or share them.
It is a great alternative until the bug is patched from another update.
7. Upload GIFs as Files
Sometimes GIFs don’t play if you’re uploading from the camera roll. That’s why you must try to upload it as a file. The fact is Discord server considers the GIF as an image when you upload it from the camera roll. To resolve this, upload it as a file. [upload-file-discord]
Besides, you know that as a regular user or without subscribing to Discord’s Nitro packages, you can’t upload large file sizes to Discord. But not to worry, you can always bypass Discord file size.
8. Reinstall Discord
As with any software, a quick reinstallation often fixes the issue. Uninstall Discord and then head to Discord’s official page to download the desktop client. For smartphones, you can install it again from the App Store or Google Play Store.
FAQ
Can Discord Banner be GIF?
If you have a Discord Nitro or Nitro Basic subscription, you can upload a GIF as a profile banner. On the other hand, the animated server banner feature is currently unavailable. A Discord Nitro or Nitro Basic subscription offers many customization options.
Why are gifs not moving?
If the autoplay feature of Discord is turned off, gifs will not play unless you hover or click. Turn on ‘Automatically play gifs when possible’ from the Discord settings. However, bad internet connection is another cause behind this problem.
Why aren’t GIFs working on Discord?
Your GIFs aren’t working on Discord because of a bad internet connection or a software bug. Plus, GIF files size larger than 8 MB won’t show even if it gets uploaded. Also, corrupted Discord cache files can create issues with the GIF file.
How to enable GIFs on Discord?
While chatting on Discord, click on the GIF button from the message box at the bottom. If you’re using Discord on mobile (iOS, Android), tap the emoji icon and then swap to the GIF tab. Then you can select any pre-made GIFs from several categories and tap on them to send.
Can you use GIFs on Discord without Nitro?
Yes, you can use GIFs on Discord without Nitro. But you cannot upload a GIF file as your avatar or banner unless you get a Nitro subscription. There are two premium Nitro packages for Discord — Nitro and Nitro Basic. So, subscribe to any of these plans for using the GIF as an avatar.
How long can a Discord GIF PFP be?
The current file size limit for Discord uploads is 8 MB. So your profile picture or PFP should be within this limit. The extension of the Discord PFP can be jpg/jpeg, png, or gif. The best resolution for profile pictures on Discord is 128 x 128 pixels.
Final Thoughts
The ability to send gifs or use them as a PFP is an excellent feature on Discord. But it cannot be very pleasant if gifs suddenly stop working.
However, applying some quick steps mentioned in this article can fix the issue without much hassle. Let us know which solves your problem. And for further queries, comment below.
