Tumblr is rolling out a new video player experience for its site and mobile apps.
Similar to Facebook, clips that appear in the iOS and Android apps will now play automatically – but only when the user is connected over Wi-Fi. Tumblr will mute all videos by default, although a quick tap on the speaker button will toggle the audio. Notably, the development team has also taken a page from Vine’s playbook, looping videos indefinitely – this could be in reaction to the content users post, or a way to raise play counts for advertisers.
On the Web, Tumblr has added a “floating” video player that docks on the right-hand side of the page as you scroll through the dashboard. Twitter has experimented with a similar minimized player in its mobile apps – it should accelerate the speed at which users can browse their feed.
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The Yahoo-owned entity has also started converting videos to a smaller file size in order to reduce buffering times. Similar to YouTube or Vimeo, an HD option will also be available for those craving a pixel-perfect experience.
These changes should come into effect today – but if you’re not seeing them in your Tumblr dashboard just yet, hold tight. They’re coming.
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