diff --git a/src/features/gifPicker/components/GifCategoryPills.tsx b/src/features/gifPicker/components/GifCategoryPills.tsx
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..ffbc804a5a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/features/gifPicker/components/GifCategoryPills.tsx
@@ -0,0 +1,65 @@
+import {ScrollView, View} from 'react-native'
+import {i18n, type MessageDescriptor} from '@lingui/core'
+import {msg} from '@lingui/core/macro'
+import {useLingui} from '@lingui/react'
+
+import {atoms as a} from '#/alf'
+import {Button, ButtonText} from '#/components/Button'
+
+export type GifCategory = {
+  id: string
+  emoji: string
+  label: MessageDescriptor
+  searchterm: string | null // null = trending (uses featured endpoint)
+}
+
+export const GIF_CATEGORIES: readonly GifCategory[] = [
+  {id: 'trending', emoji: '🔥', label: msg`Trending`, searchterm: null},
+  {id: 'love', emoji: '❤️', label: msg`Love`, searchterm: 'love'},
+  {id: 'happy', emoji: '😄', label: msg`Happy`, searchterm: 'happy'},
+  {id: 'sad', emoji: '😢', label: msg`Sad`, searchterm: 'cry'},
+  {id: 'party', emoji: '🎉', label: msg`Party`, searchterm: 'congratulations'},
+  {id: 'yes', emoji: '👍', label: msg`Yes`, searchterm: 'yes'},
+  {id: 'lol', emoji: '😂', label: msg`LOL`, searchterm: 'lol'},
+  {id: 'excited', emoji: '🤩', label: msg`Excited`, searchterm: 'excited'},
+] as const
+
+export function GifCategoryPills({
+  activeId,
+  onSelect,
+}: {
+  activeId: string
+  onSelect: (category: GifCategory) => void
+}) {
+  // useLingui() is called to re-render when the locale changes, even though we
+  // translate via i18n._() below to satisfy the lingui-msg-rule lint constraint.
+  useLingui()
+
+  return (
+    <View style={[a.mb_sm]}>
+      <ScrollView
+        horizontal
+        showsHorizontalScrollIndicator={false}
+        contentContainerStyle={[a.flex_row, a.gap_xs, a.px_xl]}>
+        {GIF_CATEGORIES.map(category => {
+          const isActive = category.id === activeId
+          const label = i18n._(category.label)
+          return (
+            <Button
+              key={category.id}
+              label={label}
+              onPress={() => onSelect(category)}
+              size="small"
+              variant={isActive ? 'solid' : 'outline'}
+              color={isActive ? 'primary' : 'secondary'}
+              shape="default">
+              <ButtonText emoji>
+                {category.emoji} {label}
+              </ButtonText>
+            </Button>
+          )
+        })}
+      </ScrollView>
+    </View>
+  )
+}