Tenor (website)
| Company type | Subsidiary |
|---|---|
| Industry | Internet, Digital media |
| Founded | February 2014 |
| Founder | David McIntosh, Erick Hachenburg, Frank Nawabi |
| Headquarters | San Francisco , United States |
| Products | GIF Keyboard, GIF search engine, SDK for GIF integration |
| Owner | |
| Parent |
Tenor, Inc. operates as a digital GIF search engine and repository, currently under the ownership of Google. Its flagship offering, the GIF Keyboard, is compatible with Android, iOS, and macOS platforms.
History
Established in February 2014 by founders David McIntosh, Erick Hachenburg, and Frank Nawabi under the name Riffsy, Tenor attracted investment from firms such as Redpoint Ventures, Menlo Ventures, Cowboy Ventures, and Tenaya Capital. The company underwent a rebranding in 2016 to adopt the name Tenor, aligning with its ambition to become the web's emotional search engine.
Tenor introduced a software development kit (SDK) that allows app and game developers to incorporate GIF functionality. On March 27, 2018, Google completed its acquisition of Tenor, which continues to function independently as a distinct brand.
Partnerships
Tenor is embedded within a wide range of keyboard applications and messaging platforms.
On April 25, 2017, Tenor launched an application that integrates with the MacBook Pro Touch Bar, enabling users to browse and copy GIFs directly to their clipboard.
Later that year, on September 7, 2017, Tenor introduced an SDK compatible with Unity and Apple's ARKit, facilitating the integration of GIFs into augmented reality applications and games.
Censorship
On November 6, 2017, Indonesia's Ministry of Communication and Informatics issued a warning to block access to WhatsApp over the transmission of unlawful GIF content sourced through Tenor and similar providers. The regulatory body held WhatsApp accountable for third-party content shared on its platform. This led to Tenor being blocked within Indonesia. Eventually, the government rescinded its threat to restrict WhatsApp.