Tumblr Rolls Out New Look for Web Browser
Tumblr is officially rolling out a new look for its web browser after testing it with select users over the past month. The new navigation interface looks a lot like X, formerly known as Twitter, as it brings the platform’s navigation bar to the left. The new look also brings the compose button to the bottom left of the screen, which is where the compose button is located on X.
The company made this change to make it easier for everyone to understand and explore what’s happening on Tumblr, whether they’re new to the platform or existing users.
When adding something new to Tumblr in the past, there would simply be a new icon added to the navigation without further explanation,” explained Tumblr in a blog post. “However, we realized that no one likes to press a button when they don’t know what it does. So now, where there’s space, the navigation includes text labels. Since adding these, we’ve noticed more users venturing to previously unexplored corners of Tumblr.”
Tumblr has incorporated user feedback during the testing phase and has already introduced some tweaks for the new look. These changes include returning settings subpages (Account, Dashboard, etc.) to the right of the settings page instead of having them in an expandable item in the navigation on the left, fixing messaging window issues on smaller screens, and streamlining the Account section for easier access to blogs.
The platform is also looking into creating a collapsible version of the navigation and improving the use of screen space for users with larger screens. Additionally, Tumblr is working on enhancing access to accounts and sideblogs.
Tumblr gained new users following Elon Musk taking over Twitter (now X) last November, as users sought an alternative. In the first week of November, Tumblr saw a 58% increase in iOS app downloads and a 57% increase for Android users, according to Tumblr CEO Matt Mullenweg.
While still aiming to attract new users looking for an alternative to Twitter, Tumblr’s recent design change to resemble X has been met with backlash from many existing users.
The updates come after Tumblr CEO Matt Mullenweg revealed that the platform spends about $30 million more each year than it generates in revenue. This isn’t surprising considering Tumblr’s history; it was acquired by Yahoo for $1 billion in 2013 but purchased by Automattic (parent company of WordPress.com) in 2019 for just $3 million.
Although Tumblr has a dedicated user base, it has struggled to grow its daily active users since implementing a ban on explicit content. However, the users it does have are fiercely protective of the platform’s culture, making even small modifications unwelcome.
