Tumblr iPhone App Updated To 2.0
Tumblr (Free) by Tumblr just received a big update today, to version 2.0.
Those familiar with Tumblr do not need an explanation of what it is. But for those that do, think of Tumblr as a micro-blogging site, similar to Twitter but with more features, yet not a complicated blogging platform such as WordPress.
Today is a big milestone for the folks at Tumblr, since the iPhone app has been revamped to make it easier to use than ever.
The first thing you'll have to do is to login to your account. If you're a new user, no worries, as you can now create your own Tumblr account right on your iPhone.
Once you're in your account, you'll be on the Dashboard view. The Dashboard is where you can view all the activity of the other Tumblr users that you are following, as well your own activity.
Pictures, videos, even audio files can be viewed and played directly in the Dashboard view. If you're a frequent user of the "Reblog" or "Like" feature on Tumblr, you'll have quick access to these features as well. Notes (a way of seeing who liked or reblogged the post) can be expanded or collapsed on an item if you care to see.
Tapping on a user's name will allow you to see how many posts they've made, and even the ability to follow or unfollow a user. Viewing posts will take you to a mobile version of their Tumblr blog.
Have you ended up liking a lot of stuff and want to refer back to it? The Likes view will allow you to view all of these awesome posts that you liked at some point. Isn't it great to go down the Tumblr memory lane this way?
What if you want to create content instead of just view it? Don't worry, Tumblr has made that extremely easy as well! The center button on the bottom toolbar is for Post, and will give you the option to post from the following formats: Text, Photo, Link, Quote, Audio, and Video.
If you've ever posted any of those on Tumblr before, you'll be familiar with the format for each. Text, Quote, and Link are pretty self explanatory.
Photo will allow you to pull from your photo library or snap a new picture. Video will allow you to choose your own video from the device, or record a new one. There is also the option to embed code if you have it ready. Audio will have you record a new sound clip. For all of these options, you can add in some text for description if you wish.
No matter what you post, if you swipe to the second "page," you'll get some post options. There are some useful features here, like which blog to post to (if you have multiple sites), publishing options (draft, schedule, private, etc), tags, permalink, and click-through URL. If you're blog is connected to Twitter, you can toggle the "Send to Twitter" option and even customize the tweet.
The Blogs tab will allow you to view all of your Tumblr blogs and the stats for each. Information like how long the last post was, how many followers it has, number of posts, messages, and the number of posts in the queue or draft. The ability to change the name and description of your blog can be found in here too, which is great if you are always changing it.
The final tab, Account, will allow you to see how many blogs you own, and how many people you follow. A button will be there to easily find more blogs to follow, either by importing from contacts or recommendations.
The only thing that bothers me is the center "Post" button on the bottom toolbar. Was it really necessary to make this button stick out like a sore thumb? It's that custom action button that started with Instagram, and I can't say I'm a fan of it.
In the end, Tumblr really improved their iOS app. If you're a frequent Tumblr user, then it's recommended that you check out this update. Not a Tumblr user? Give the app a try and test out the waters of Tumblr yourself.
Either way, it's a free app so you have nothing to lose.
Let us know your thoughts on the update below!
