Skip to main content

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

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.

Related Videos

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.

Editors' Recommendations

I created the perfect iPhone home screen — and you can too
iPhone 14 Pro with custom home screen icons and widgets

With iOS 14, Apple began to open the floodgates for software customization on the iPhone. For the first time, you could add widgets to the home screen and even change app icons to custom ones without the need for a jailbreak. And iOS 16 gave us some more customization options in the form of the lock screen, although the interface for that is su-par, to say the least.

While I see a lot of people still use a stock grid layout on their home screen, I took some time when iOS 14 first came out to customize my iOS experience. I enjoy that it’s not just a boring grid of stock icons — having custom icons and widgets really mix things up a bit and gives me a more informative home screen.

Read more
Will my phone automatically change for daylight saving time?
The iPhone 14 Pro's Dynamic Island showing the timer and music playing.

Like it or not, it's that time of year again — time for daylight saving time. On Sunday, March 12, at 2:00 a.m. (local time), the majority of people in the United States will be "springing forward" and setting their clocks ahead by an hour. Along with losing an hour of sleep, it also poses an important question: will your phone automatically change for daylight saving time?

It's a question that applies regardless of which phone you have. Whether you're rocking an iPhone 14 Pro, a Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra, or any other smartphone, it's important to know whether or not you need to change it for the new time.

Read more
What is the Temu app? Here’s everything you need to know
Temu logo on an iPhone.

Following an increased marketing push starting in 2023, the Temu app has started to pick up some solid momentum that's driven many shoppers to want to check it out. As new marketplaces start to make their way into the mainstream, however, there's usually a healthy amount of skepticism toward them.

Although it's always a good impulse to be cautious about putting sensitive information into any app, here's everything you need to know about Temu — and if you truly need to be careful.
What is Temu?

Read more