More than taking on the likes of Snapchat, Tumblr is bringing a much-requested feature into its web, Android, and iOS apps—instant messaging support. The app builds on the fan mail feature of the site (which will be phased out in the future) and introduces instant messaging. Tumblr isn’t rolling it out to everyone yet though. The company’s taking a “viral” approach by rolling it out to 1,500 users to start and then anyone these users message will get the ability to use the feature, too.
Tumblr claims all its users will get it sometime next month. What you can do on it now is text and one-on-one conversations. The support for GIFs, images, and group chat will be coming in the future. Also, private and group blogs don’t have access to it at the moment. Once you have it though, anyone can message you but you have the option to just have the people you follow message you. If you see the smiley balloon icon, it means you have the feature; those on mobile need to have the latest version of Tumblr.