Tumblr for iOS vanishes from App Store, possibly due to inappropriate content

By Aaron Mamiit November 18, 2018

The iOS version of Tumblr has gone missing on Apple’s App Store, possibly due to the appearance of inappropriate content on the social networking site.

Tumblr users have recently complained about several issues on the iOS version of the app, as first reported by PiunikaWeb. Users said that they were not able to do searches when the app’s Safe Mode was deactivated. Meanwhile, for those who have uninstalled the app, it is nowhere to be found in the App Store.

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The issue has been acknowledged by Tumblr, which said on its Help Center that it is now working to resolve the problem with its iOS app. The last update, however, was at 3:23pm EST on November 17, and it remains to be seen how long it will take before the iOS version of Tumblr is fully functional and available on the App Store again.

For users who have deleted Tumblr, a suggested workaround is to access the Purchased section on their App Store profiles, where the app should be listed. Tumblr may be downloaded from there, but not all users have found success with this method.

It is unclear if it was Apple or Tumblr itself that requested that the app to be taken down from the App Store, and what was the reason behind the decision. With searches only allowed in Safe Mode, the speculation is that the app’s removal had something to do with inappropriate content.

Apple has removed apps from the App Store in the past for the same reason, such as earlier this year when it removed messaging app Telegram after it was discovered to be a channel for distributing child pornography.

Tumblr is known to allow adult-oriented blogs and art pieces on its platform, which is why new users automatically have Safe Mode activated after creating their account on the platform. The feature may be deactivated to access the NSFW content, which is likely what caused the app to be removed from the App Store.

The Safe Mode-only searches and the disappearance from the App Store come just a month after a report that there was a Tumblr bug that may have compromised user data.

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