Twice-acquired blogging site Tumblr is launching its Communities feature in open beta, according to its Tumblr Labs division was announced. The feature offers a dedicated space for users to connect with others on different topics outside of the main Tumblr dashboard. The open beta comes six months after Communities launched in closed beta and represents a shift in focus for the social platform under new parent company Automattic, the makers of WordPress.com.
Tumblr Communities are “semi-private” spaces that have their own moderators, rules, and privacy settings. The feature is somewhat similar to subreddits on Reddit and Communities on X (formerly Twitter), which are now training grounds for artificial intelligence.
Users can now request a community to be added to a waiting list. Tumblr Labs says there are currently more than 5,800 communities on the waiting list, and that it will edit the list as quickly as it can to open up the experience to more people.
The trial adds a social aspect to Tumblr that takes the company beyond its core blogging and publishing concept, allowing it to compete with platforms like X and Reddit.
Tumblr began testing Communities after hearing from users that they wanted better ways to connect with other people who share similar interests. With this new feature, users will no longer have to search to find blogs that focus on a specific topic to find content they are interested in and could instead join a community.
Tumblr notes that Communities can be used for many different purposes. For example, Communities could be used as a place for fans of a particular TV show, artist, or book series to meet. Communities could also be used to create a dedicated space for your school, book club, group of friends, and more.
