Defense involves regular morning songs and calling at and chasing intruders. Gray gibbins rarely resort to physical violence when defending territory. The gray gibbon is active for 8 to 10 hours per day. The animal is diurnal, rising at dawn and settling for the night before sunset. Males tend to become active earlier and for longer periods than females.
Gray gibbons spend most of their day foraging in the main canopy of the forest.
The gray gibbon is a social creature, however, it spends little time socializing with others. Grooming and social play take up less than 5 percent of the daily activities. The lack of interaction may be due to the small number of social partners available. Male and female adults are, more or less, social equals. In one study, the male was found to groom the female more often and play with the young more frequently.