The new app looks gorgeous and is packed with functionality

Apr 11, 2012 10:21 GMT  ·  By

Tumblr, the incredibly popular blogging platform, has just updated its Android app and, for once, you'll actually want to use it. It's not just better than the mobile website, perhaps even the main site, it's one of the best looking and sharpest mobile apps around.

The app is available in Google Play and you should be getting an update if you already have it. If you've tried it before and didn't like it, you'll want to grab the new one and take it for a spin, it's a big update.

The entire app has been reimagined. Whereas before it was basically a copy of the mobile site which sent you back to the browser any time you wanted to do something useful, the new version finally looks and feels like an app you'd want to use, not just be forced to.

For one, it's faster and posts from the blogs you follow load faster and look better. There's GIF support now, so you'll be able to enjoy all those wonderfully ironic and retro images that you've been missing out on so far.

The app is divided into four screens. The first and default one is your dashboard. You'll now be able to access the Tumblr Radar, which lists the popular posts of the moment.

The third screen is dedicated to you, you'll be able to see your notifications, likes, the people you follow, but also to manage your blogs. This means checking out your posts, drafts, followers, private messages and so on.

Finally, the fourth screen is for posting. You get six options from the start, text, photo, quote, link, chat and video, which dictate what the next screen looks like.

If you're a Tumblr fan and an Android user, you'll want to get the app, the mobile site is woefully limited and trying to use the main site on the small screen will just leave you frustrated.

Photo Gallery (5 Images)

The dahsboard in the new Tumblr Android app
The Tumblr Radar is now available in the appThe third screen is dedicated to you
+2more