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RedGIFs is an online media hosting service specializing in short-form looping videos and animated images formatted as GIF alternatives, with a primary focus on adult content. The platform allows registered users to upload, share, and discover video clips.

History

Origins

RedGIFs was launched in December 2019 by Gfycat, a short video hosting company.[1][2] The platform was created as a dedicated subdomain specifically for hosting adult (NSFW) content, segregating explicit material from Gfycat’s primary general-audience service.[1] NSFW links on Gfycat would automatically redirect users to RedGIFs to display the media.[3]

Separation from Gfycat

In May 2020, Gfycat was acquired by Snap Inc., the parent company of Snapchat.[2][4] RedGIFs was excluded from this transaction and was transferred to a separate company VERGIL LLC.[5][6] On 12 May 2020, Gfycat banned adult content outright, confirming in a public announcement that all such uploads going forward would be hosted exclusively on RedGIFs.[1]

Gfycat ultimately announced it would discontinue its service on 1 September 2023, following technical issues including the expiration of its TLS certificate on 18 May 2023.[1][2] RedGIFs remained fully operational following Gfycat’s closure.

API restructuring (2022)

In September 2022, RedGIFs pushed a breaking change to its application programming interface (API), deprecating the legacy endpoints that several widely-used third-party tools relied on for programmatic access to hosted media. The rollout prompted criticism from developers of open-source utilities such as gallery-dl and bulk-downloader-for-reddit, who reported that existing integrations returned “403 errors” and that the change had been deployed without an adequate deprecation period.[7] RedGIFs subsequently revoked API keys previously granted to unofficial developers, disrupting a number of third-party clients and archival tools.

Features

Video format

Although marketed as a GIF platform, RedGIFs hosts short looping videos in modern video formats rather than traditional GIF files, including formats such as MP4 and WebM.[8][better source needed] This allows for better quality, smoother playback, and faster loading compared to traditional GIF files.[8]

Content and community

RedGIFs employs a tagging and categorization system to help users discover content.[9] Users can browse content without creating an account, while registered users gain access to additional features such as saving favorites, following creators, and commenting on content.[10][unreliable source?] Content creators can register and get verified, enabling profile customization and access to analytics tools.[10] Creators can also control whether content should be public, private, or restricted to particular users through privacy settings.[10]

Platform integration

RedGIFs allows users to embed content on external platforms. The platform became especially prominent within adult-oriented communities on Reddit following the ban of explicit material on Gfycat.[9] A significant portion of referral traffic to RedGIFs originates from Reddit.[11]

Mobile access

RedGIFs does not have an official native mobile application for iOS or Android devices.[10] Instead, the platform offers a mobile-optimized website that can be added to a device’s home screen for app-like functionality.[12] Several unofficial third-party applications have been developed by independent developers for browsing RedGIFs content on mobile devices, including the open-source Android client RedView.[13]

RedGIFs Lite

RedGIFs operates a SFW variant of the platform, marketed as RedGIFs Lite (also styled RGLite), which hosts only short-form content safe for work environments. The Lite version became prominent in mid-2025 when it was used as a geo-fallback surface for visitors from jurisdictions where RedGIFs had restricted its adult catalogue pending age-verification compliance; UK users visiting redgifs.com after 25 July 2025 are automatically redirected to this version.

Traffic

As of December 2025, redgifs.com received approximately 114.69 million visits per month, with an average session duration of 9 minutes and 32 seconds.[11] The platform’s primary audience is located in the United States, followed by Germany and India.[11] Visitors mainly come from direct traffic (71.68%), followed by referrals from reddit.com (15.32%).[11]

Regulation and access

See also: Pornography laws by region

United Kingdom

On 25 July 2025, the date the age-assurance provisions of the Online Safety Act 2023 took effect, RedGIFs began geo-blocking UK visitors rather than implement the “highly effective” age-verification required by Ofcom for Part 5 regulated providers. UK visitors are instead redirected to RedGIFs Lite. Commentators have noted that, unlike most major adult platforms complying via third-party identity-verification services such as Yoti or Persona, RedGIFs opted to withdraw its adult catalogue from the UK entirely.[14]

United States

RedGIFs has progressively restricted access from U.S. states that have enacted adult-content age-verification laws modelled on Texas House Bill 1181 (effective September 2023) and Florida House Bill 3 (effective 1 January 2025).[15][unreliable source?] In May 2023, users on the r/texas subreddit reported that RedGIFs had begun displaying a block message to Texas-based visitors,[16] and by May 2025 the platform confirmed it had additionally extended restrictions to users in Tennessee, Louisiana, Alabama, Kansas, Oklahoma, Indiana and Florida while it evaluated compliant verification methods, with only verified creators permitted to authenticate during the interim period.[17][unreliable source?] On 24 November 2025 the Supreme Court of the United States declined to block Texas HB 1181 while the Free Speech Coalition v. Paxton appeal proceeded, leaving the statute in force.[18] Similar statutes have been enacted in Arkansas, Mississippi, Montana, Utah and Virginia.[18]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d “RIP Gfycat, the First Site To Make Gifs Look Good (UPDATED)”. Vice. Retrieved 2026-02-24.
  2. ^ a b c “Gfycat, the Snap-owned GIF hub, shuts down on September 1”. TechCrunch. 2023-07-05. Retrieved 2026-02-24.
  3. ^ “[Redgifs] Can Gallery-dl Handle Gfycat to Redgifs Redirects Posted on Reddit?”. GitHub. 2023-09-20. Retrieved 2026-02-24.
  4. ^ “GfyCat – Products, Competitors, Financials, Employees, Headquarters Locations”. CB Insights. Retrieved 2026-02-24.
  5. ^ “RedGIFs not working, How to fix it?”. GetDroidTips. 2024-02-03. Retrieved 2026-02-24.
  6. ^ P.C, LegalForce RAPC Worldwide. “Trademark Search, Free, for Millions of Registered Trademarks with USPTO | Trademarkia”. www.trademarkia.com. Retrieved 2026-04-20.
  7. ^ “Redgifs API update throwing 403 · Issue #2884 · mikf/gallery-dl”. GitHub. 2022. Retrieved 17 April 2026.
  8. ^ a b “Why Redgifs is the Ultimate Platform for GIF Enthusiasts”. DiscoverBlog. 2025-08-18. Retrieved 2026-02-24.
  9. ^ a b “Redgifs: A Comprehensive Guide to the GIF-Sharing Platform”. Vents Magazine. 2025-02-17. Retrieved 2026-02-24.
  10. ^ a b c d “About the RedGifs App, Platform, and Main Features”. Mallory Soft. 2024-10-31. Retrieved 2026-02-24.
  11. ^ a b c d “redgifs.com Website Traffic, Ranking, Analytics”. Semrush. January 2026. Retrieved 2026-02-24.
  12. ^ “The RedGIFs App has arrived!”. RedGIFs Creators. 2024-11-27. Retrieved 2026-02-24.
  13. ^ “[APP][UNOFFICIAL][7+] RedView – A native Android app for browsing RedGIFs”. XDA Forums. 2025-04-21. Retrieved 2026-02-24.
  14. ^ “How to Watch Porn Without Age Verification in the UK 2026”. Cybernews. 30 January 2026. Retrieved 17 April 2026.
  15. ^ “How to Access RedGifs in Texas & Florida (Bypass the Ban)”. 2026. Retrieved 17 April 2026.
  16. ^ “Pornhub Blocks Texas Users | Age Verification Law”. Versus Texas. 21 March 2024. Retrieved 17 April 2026.
  17. ^ “RedGIFs Age Verification: What’s Required & How to Bypass”. BearVPN. 4 January 2026. Retrieved 17 April 2026.
  18. ^ a b “U.S. Supreme Court leaves in place a Texas law requiring pornographic websites to verify users’ ages”. Salem Radio Network News / AP. 24 November 2025. Retrieved 17 April 2026.