Tumblr is the latest platform to go down the Snapchat route by giving users playful customization options for visuals. On Tuesday, the Yahoo-owned company announced it is introducing stickers and filters to its mobile apps that can be applied to both images and GIFs.
Anyone expecting hip filters in the style of Instagram should be aware that this is Tumblr we’re dealing with. Instead, ardent fans will likely embrace the psychedelic filters on offer, and the stickers, which nod to ’90s web design graphics.
In order to access the new features, you’ll have to first update your Tumblr app to the latest version. Next, all you have to do is select the compose icon in the center of the display and select either the photo or GIF option, both of which use your phone’s camera. Now, you have the choice to upload a photo or GIF that you’ve already saved or create a new one. After that, you’ll reach the editing screen where you’ll see the new options at the bottom of the display — including the ability to add stickers, filters, and text on top of your visuals. You can move the stickers around by tapping and dragging, enlarge them by pinching, and rotate by turning your fingers.
There are more than 100 stickers to choose from, but decidedly fewer filters (five in total). As with Tumblr’s GIF maker for iMessage, you can also change the color of the text you overlay on your visuals. Tumblr claims that even more stickers are on the way, which probably means that it will also introduce more filters in the future too. It will be interesting to see whether Tumblr follows Twitter and Snapchat by monetizing the feature through the introduction of sponsored stickers.
With similar features already available on the likes of Snapchat, Facebook Messenger, Twitter, and WhatsApp, Tumblr really had some catching up to do. Nonetheless, it’s good to see the platform tapping into its creative side when it comes to its variation on the popular function, rather than just churning out a carbon copy of Snapchat (we’re looking at you Facebook).
The Tumblr app is available to download for iOS and Android.
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