The Tumblr iOS app has been missing from Apple’s App Store for more than 72 hours. The company confirmed on Friday that it was aware of the issue, and was working on a fix. Since then, it has issued two more updates but the fix is nowhere to be seen. Though it’s not as popular as Facebook or Twitter, tens of millions of people still use Tumblr to explore and share music, artwork, and NSFW content.
The issue with Tumblr iOS app was first reported by Piunikaweb last week. Users complained that the app had mysteriously vanished from the App Store. Even for users who had it already installed on their devices, the app had stopped working. Tumblr had promised to make it functional again soon, but the app is yet to come back on the App Store. The Android version of Tumblr remains available on the Google Play Store, though.
Y’all wtf happened with Tumblr??? The app isn’t in the App Store & it’s automatically on safe search or they just deleted any explicit content & I’m really confused
— Kenzie (fan account) (@GagaHalsVato) November 16, 2018
I’m just trying to watch some porn and they took the damn tumblr app off the App Store and it wasn’t working for me. Pfft I’m going to bed. ?
— Austin (@AJSutherland96) November 16, 2018
Many users added last week that they were unable to turn off Safe Mode. When you create a new Tumblr account, the Safe Mode is turned on by default to keep you away from the NSFW content on the platform. But users have the option to manually turn it off. That option has disappeared. Tumblr is home to tons and tons of adult-oriented blogs and other content.
https://twitter.com/MrJoStar/status/1063661856256970752
Tumblr said in a statement, “We’re working to resolve an issue with the iOS app and hope to be fully functional again soon.” The company added that fixing the issue with the Tumblr iOS app was its “top priority at this time.”
We’re working to resolve an issue with the iOS app and hope to be fully functional again soon. We really appreciate your patience as we figure this out.
— Tumblr Support (@Tumblrsupport) November 16, 2018
Why the Tumblr iOS app disappeared from the App Store
Neither Tumblr nor Apple has officially revealed why the app was taken down. But industry experts believe it has something to do with the NSFW content on Tumblr, which might have violated Apple’s guidelines. Apple has removed apps for hosting inappropriate content in the past. The App Store guidelines describe objectionable content as “offensive, insensitive, upsetting, intended to disgust, or in exceptionally poor taste.”
Hearing in backchannel there is flare up of a specific type of inappropriate content (IMO one that is also on twitter they take down on their own). But we’ll see.
— Andréa López (@bluechoochoo) November 17, 2018
Apple might have removed the Tumblr iOS app from the App Store for allowing users to upload pornographic content. In February this year, Apple had removed messaging app Telegram after users complained that the app distributed sexually explicit content, specifically child pornography. However, Telegram had updated its app to prevent NSFW content from being served to users, and returned to the App Store within hours of being pulled.
Here’s a workaround for you
If you had uninstalled the Tumblr app from your iOS device for some reason and want to reinstall, you can’t just head over to the App Store and download it. However, users have discovered a workaround which has worked for many, but the results are mixed. It’s worth giving it a try, though. Go to the Purchased section in the App Store and reinstall the app from there. The Purchased section should have a copy of the app to install.
https://twitter.com/HeartyHippie/status/1063731095252992000
Many users said the workaround installed the app for them, but it didn’t work for many others. Even if you manage to download the app this way, you’ll be able to view Tumblr only in Safe Mode, meaning no NSFW content.
https://twitter.com/diegoveronicat/status/1063544655898398720
The disappearance of Tumblr from the App Store comes just a month after the company revealed a security flaw that could have exposed sensitive user data. The bug was related to the Recommended Blogs feature, and has been fixed.
