Desktop GIFs 0.1.8

Warning

Posting GIFs does not work right now, and this update does not fix it. Since 14 October 2026 YouTube refuses GIF comments sent from desktop. For most people every try fails, with text or without, comment or reply. The cause is on YouTube's side, so reinstalling or picking another GIF will not help. Searching and the picker still work.

I have not found a way around it yet. If you find one, open a pull request and I will review and merge it. Everything known so far is in #93. Please add to that issue instead of opening a new one.

Changed

• The error message says what is going on. After its twelve tries, the extension used to say "YouTube is not taking GIF comments from desktop for your account or network right now… Try again later." It now says that YouTube is refusing GIF comments sent from desktop and that this changed on YouTube's side. The YouTube phone app may still post GIFs from the same account.

Fixed

• The preview of an attached GIF loaded twice, so Chrome showed "Unsafe attempt to load URL https://media.tenor.com/…" twice in the console (#76, #85). It loads once now. This message never stopped a comment from posting.

Install

Chrome, Edge, Brave: download desktop-gifs-chromium.zip below and unzip it. Open chrome://extensions, turn on Developer mode, click Load unpacked and choose the unzipped folder.

Firefox: download desktop-gifs-firefox.zip below. Open about:debugging#/runtime/this-firefox, click Load Temporary Add-on… and choose the ZIP. Firefox removes a temporary add-on when it closes, so repeat this after a restart.

Updating in Chrome, Edge or Brave: unzip the new ZIP over the old folder, replacing its files, then click the reload button on the extension's card in chrome://extensions. Your favorites are kept. Open YouTube tabs switch over without a refresh.

The README has the full guide, troubleshooting and limits.

Good to know

• No new permissions.
• Chrome 121 or newer, Firefox 140 or newer.
• The extension is unofficial and can stop working whenever YouTube or Tenor change their sites.

Desktop GIFs 0.1.7

GIF comments that YouTube turned down now get through far more often.

Changed

• "YouTube is not taking GIF comments from desktop for your account or network right now" and "YouTube does not accept this GIF" (#64, #66, #70, #71). Testing shows this is not a block on your account or network. YouTube refuses many GIF comments from desktop seemingly at random: about two tries in three are turned down, and the very same comment, sent again a few seconds later, goes through. 0.1.6 gave up after three tries in about six seconds. 0.1.7 keeps trying up to twelve times in about half a minute, so posting a GIF can take a little while. Wait for it; there is no need to click again. A refused try posts nothing, so a comment is never posted twice.

Install

Chrome, Edge, Brave: download desktop-gifs-chromium.zip below and unzip it. Open chrome://extensions, turn on Developer mode, click Load unpacked and choose the unzipped folder.

Firefox: download desktop-gifs-firefox.zip below. Open about:debugging#/runtime/this-firefox, click Load Temporary Add-on… and choose the ZIP. Firefox removes a temporary add-on when it closes, so repeat this after a restart.

Updating in Chrome, Edge or Brave: unzip the new ZIP over the old folder, replacing its files, then click the reload button on the extension's card in chrome://extensions. Your favorites are kept. Coming from 0.1.6, open YouTube tabs switch over without a refresh; from 0.1.5 or older, refresh them once. Until you reload the extension, Chrome keeps running the old version even if the files are new.

The README has the full guide, troubleshooting and limits.

Good to know

• If all twelve tries are refused, the message is the same as before; try again a little later.
• No new permissions.
• Chrome 121 or newer, Firefox 140 or newer.
• The extension is unofficial and can stop working whenever YouTube or Tenor change their sites.

Desktop GIFs 0.1.6

Search that only said "Failed to fetch" now says what is wrong, the picker tells you when a new version is out, and updating no longer needs a refresh.

Changed

• "Failed to fetch" when searching (#57, #60). That is the browser's own message when the extension cannot reach tenor.com. The picker now says which of two things it is: something on your network or computer blocks tenor.com (a firewall, a DNS filter, a school or work network), or the extension's site access to tenor.com is turned off. It also tries once more before giving up.
• Search keeps working when tenor.com is blocked later. Once the extension has reached tenor.com one time, it keeps the key Tenor's pages give out for its API, and searches through the API directly.
• New version notice (#59). A ZIP-installed extension cannot update itself, so the picker now shows "Desktop GIFs X is out." with a link to the release. The extension asks GitHub at most once a day, without cookies. The × hides the notice until the next version.
• No refresh after an update. Open YouTube tabs switch to the new version when the extension is updated or reloaded, and keep what you typed and a GIF attached to a comment box.

Install

Chrome, Edge, Brave: download desktop-gifs-chromium.zip below and unzip it. Open chrome://extensions, turn on Developer mode, click Load unpacked and choose the unzipped folder.

Firefox: download desktop-gifs-firefox.zip below. Open about:debugging#/runtime/this-firefox, click Load Temporary Add-on… and choose the ZIP. Firefox removes a temporary add-on when it closes, so repeat this after a restart.

Updating from 0.1.5 in Chrome, Edge or Brave: unzip the new ZIP over the old folder, replacing its files, then click the reload button on the extension's card. Your favorites are kept. A GIF you had already attached before updating is still posted by 0.1.5; refresh the tab once if anything acts up. From 0.1.6 on, open tabs switch over completely.

The README has the full guide, troubleshooting and limits.

Good to know

• "YouTube is not taking GIF comments from desktop for your account or network" (#61) is unchanged. YouTube's desktop site sends comments the same way it did before, so this is still a block on YouTube's side that the extension cannot get around. Waiting usually helps; the YouTube phone app may still post GIFs from the same account.
• The release check talks to api.github.com; nothing else is new. No new permissions.
• Chrome 121 or newer, Firefox 140 or newer.
• The extension is unofficial and can stop working whenever YouTube or Tenor change their sites.

Desktop GIFs 0.1.5

Clearer errors when YouTube refuses a GIF comment, and fewer clicks when it only refuses some of the time.

Changed

• Since 14 October YouTube blocks GIF comments sent from desktop for some accounts or networks, for a while. 0.1.4 called every one of those "YouTube does not accept this GIF", which sent people looking for another GIF. The GIF is not the cause, and the message now says so.
• When YouTube blocks a G-rated GIF, the extension tries again on its own, three times in about six seconds, and shows "Trying again (2 of 3)…" under the GIF. No more clicking Comment over and over. A blocked try posts nothing, so it can never post twice.
• "YouTube does not accept this GIF" now only appears when YouTube really turned the GIF itself down. Other refusals show YouTube's own explanation.
• If YouTube's answer cannot be read, the extension no longer assumes the comment went up. It asks you to check the comments before posting again.
• A favorite, or a GIF that came without a rating, is checked with Tenor before posting. One that Tenor does not rate G is not sent. If Tenor does not answer, the comment is posted anyway.
• Picking a GIF in a reply opened from the notifications no longer closes the reply. Thanks to @Toikron for this and the other fixes from #41.
• When posting fails, the browser console shows one line starting with "Desktop GIFs: comment not confirmed". It holds no comment text or credentials, so it can go straight into a bug report.

Install

Chrome, Edge, Brave: download desktop-gifs-chromium.zip below and unzip it. Open chrome://extensions, turn on Developer mode, click Load unpacked and choose the unzipped folder.

Firefox: download desktop-gifs-firefox.zip below. Open about:debugging#/runtime/this-firefox, click Load Temporary Add-on… and choose the ZIP. Firefox removes a temporary add-on when it closes, so repeat this after a restart.

If you already have an older version, remove it first and load this one.

The README has the full guide, troubleshooting and limits.

Good to know

• This does not get around YouTube's block. If your account or network is blocked, the extension tells you instead of failing with the wrong reason. Waiting usually helps; the YouTube phone app may still post GIFs from the same account.
• Chrome 121 or newer, Firefox 140 or newer. No new permissions.
• The extension is unofficial and can stop working whenever YouTube or Tenor change their sites.

Desktop GIFs 0.1.4

You can now write around your GIF before posting it.

Changed

• Picking a GIF no longer posts straight away. The GIF is attached to the comment box, under your text, and the picker closes. Keep writing or edit your text, then click Comment (or press Ctrl+Enter) to post.
• A comment can still be just the GIF: the Comment button stays available while a GIF is attached, even with no text.
• To take the GIF off, click the × in its corner. Picking another GIF replaces it, and Cancel removes it.
• "Posting…" and any error now show under the attached GIF. If a post fails, your text and the GIF stay in the box so you can try again.

Install

Chrome, Edge, Brave: download desktop-gifs-chromium.zip below and unzip it. Open chrome://extensions, turn on Developer mode, click Load unpacked and choose the unzipped folder.

Firefox: download desktop-gifs-firefox.zip below. Open about:debugging#/runtime/this-firefox, click Load Temporary Add-on… and choose the ZIP. Firefox removes a temporary add-on when it closes, so repeat this after a restart.

If you already have an older version, remove it first and load this one.

The README has the full guide, troubleshooting and limits.

Good to know

• Chrome 121 or newer, Firefox 140 or newer. No new permissions.
• The extension is unofficial and can stop working whenever YouTube or Tenor change their sites.

Desktop GIFs 0.1.3

You can now keep the GIFs you use often.

New

• Favorites. Point at a GIF in the picker and click the star in its corner. The ★ button next to the search field shows your starred GIFs; click it again to go back to the search. Click a favorite's star to remove it.
• Favorites are shared by all your YouTube tabs and are still there after a browser restart.

Thanks to @Zo5yn, who proposed the feature and its design in #15.

Changed

• Enter posts the only result when the search field has the focus. On a star or on the ★ button it now does just what that button does.

Install

Chrome, Edge, Brave: download desktop-gifs-chromium.zip below and unzip it. Open chrome://extensions, turn on Developer mode, click Load unpacked and choose the unzipped folder.

Firefox: download desktop-gifs-firefox.zip below. Open about:debugging#/runtime/this-firefox, click Load Temporary Add-on… and choose the ZIP. Firefox removes a temporary add-on when it closes, so repeat this after a restart.

If you already have an older version, remove it first and load this one.

The README has the full guide, troubleshooting and limits.

Good to know

• Chrome 121 or newer, Firefox 140 or newer.
• The extension asks for one new permission, storage, to keep the favorites. They stay in the browser and are not sent anywhere. Browsers show no warning for this permission.
• Removing the extension from the browser deletes its favorites.
• Favorites were tested in Chromium and in Firefox 157, signed out of YouTube: the picker, the stars and the list, but not a post. The posting code has not changed since 0.1.2.
• The extension is unofficial and can stop working whenever YouTube or Tenor change their sites.

Desktop GIFs 0.1.2

The picker now shows only GIFs that YouTube accepts.

Fixed

• Some GIFs could not be posted. As a comment they failed with "YouTube returned HTTP 200" or "YouTube did not accept this GIF comment", as a reply with "Request contains an invalid argument". YouTube only takes GIFs that Tenor rates G, its rating for all audiences, and Tenor's search also returns PG and PG-13 ones. Search and the featured list now show G-rated GIFs only.
• A pasted Tenor link to a GIF with another rating is turned away with a message that says why.
• If YouTube still refuses a GIF, the picker says "YouTube does not accept this GIF" and you can pick another one straight away.

Install

Chrome, Edge, Brave: download desktop-gifs-chromium.zip below and unzip it. Open chrome://extensions, turn on Developer mode, click Load unpacked and choose the unzipped folder.

Firefox: download desktop-gifs-firefox.zip below. Open about:debugging#/runtime/this-firefox, click Load Temporary Add-on… and choose the ZIP. Firefox removes a temporary add-on when it closes, so repeat this after a restart.

If you already have an older version, remove it first and load this one.

The README has the full guide, troubleshooting and limits.

Good to know

• Chrome 121 or newer, Firefox 140 or newer.
• Search now also asks Tenor's API at tenor.googleapis.com, because Tenor's pages do not say how a GIF is rated. The extension needs no new permission for it.
• The G-only rule comes from twelve test posts on one video, not from anything YouTube has published. If a GIF from the picker is still refused, please open an issue with the GIF's Tenor link.
• The new search was tested in Chrome 155 and Firefox 157.
• The extension is unofficial and can stop working whenever YouTube or Tenor change their sites.

Desktop GIFs 0.1.1

Bug fixes, and a separate ZIP for each browser.

Fixed

• Firefox ESR: clicking the GIF button did nothing. The picker opens now.
• Chrome, Edge, Brave: the error 'background.scripts' requires manifest version of 2 or lower is gone when you install from desktop-gifs-chromium.zip. It was harmless, but it looked like a failed install.
• When YouTube refuses a comment, the picker now says so instead of "YouTube returned HTTP 200."

Install

Chrome, Edge, Brave: download desktop-gifs-chromium.zip below and unzip it. Open chrome://extensions, turn on Developer mode, click Load unpacked and choose the unzipped folder.

Firefox: download desktop-gifs-firefox.zip below. Open about:debugging#/runtime/this-firefox, click Load Temporary Add-on… and choose the ZIP. Firefox removes a temporary add-on when it closes, so repeat this after a restart.

If you already have 0.1.0, remove it first and load this one.

The README has the full guide, troubleshooting and limits.

Good to know

• Chrome 121 or newer, Firefox 140 or newer.
• The Firefox fix was tested on current Firefox, not on ESR itself. If the GIF button still does nothing on ESR, please open an issue.
• The extension is unofficial and can stop working whenever YouTube or Tenor change their sites.

Desktop GIFs 0.1.0

First release of Desktop GIFs: a GIF button for YouTube's desktop comment and reply boxes. The GIF is posted as an ordinary YouTube GIF comment, so everyone sees it, with or without the extension.

What it does

• Adds a GIF button next to the emoji button, on videos and Shorts.
• Searches Tenor, or takes a pasted Tenor link.
• Works in Chrome 111+ and Firefox 140+ from the same files.
• Starts working in YouTube tabs that were already open when you install it.
• No account, no API key, no tracking.

Install

Download desktop-gifs-0.1.0.zip below and unzip it.

Chrome: open chrome://extensions, turn on Developer mode, click Load unpacked and choose the unzipped folder.

Firefox: open about:debugging#/runtime/this-firefox, click Load Temporary Add-on… and choose manifest.json in the unzipped folder. Firefox removes a temporary add-on when it closes, so repeat this after a restart.

The README has the full guide, troubleshooting and limits.

Good to know

• The extension is unofficial and can stop working whenever YouTube or Tenor change their sites.
• Chrome lists a warning about background.scripts. Ignore it; that key is there for Firefox.