animated tumblr icon masterpost
(EDIT (7/10): it is no longer possible to have an animated icon if you did not have one previously. staff has admitted that this "feature" was added accidentally and that it's already been patched. i'll be removing any now-irrelevant segments from the intro and the FAQ. check the notes if you want to see earlier versions of this post)
two days ago, tumblr added the ability to have an animated icon by using an animated webp without giving out any official information on it (from what i can tell). i'm making this post to reduce the amount of questions i get about this. i'll be updating it with any new information i come across. if you have any questions after reading this post, feel free to ask
before i start, as of now, the web version of tumblr plays animated icons automatically which means icons with flashing lights/colors are a danger to people with photosensitivity. do not abuse this feature! remember to keep your icon safe for others by avoiding using any animated images with flashing lights/colors
also, please note that i do not use the tumblr app and i don't know how it works or how it differs from the web version. i use the desktop website as well as the website on my phone's browser (safari)
with that out of the way, here are some frequently asked questions:
7) if a blog has an animated icon, the animation only plays if i click on the icon. otherwise it's stuck on the first frame. why is this?
it's probably because of the platform you're using tumblr on. i use the web version and this doesn't happen to me, it just automatically plays on its own continuously. from what i can tell, this bug(?) only occurs on the tumblr app (depending on which device you use)
8) i use the app and i can't see anyone's animated icons, it's stuck on the first frame no matter what i do. how do i fix this?
check to see if you need to update the app
9) all the animated icons on the page suddenly froze up, what do i do?
try scrolling a little bit, that should unfreeze them. i don't know why this happens or why doing that fixes it 🫥
10) i had an animated icon and now it won't move. why did this happen and how do i fix this?
unfortunately i don't know why this happens, sorry. i could be wrong but from what i've seen i don't think you can fix it ☹️
11) i currently have an animated icon, if i upload a different animated webp image will it still work?
from what i've seen, no. if you want to keep your animated icon as it is, i'd suggest not changing it
12) i have an animated icon, if i edit my blog appearance (without changing the icon) will it mess up my icon?
if you edit your blog appearance via the desktop theme editor (https://www.tumblr.com/customize/yoururl), it should be fine
