How to Play a Video on Tumblr

One of the types of content that Tumblr users can upload are streaming videos. Some Tumblr posts include the video in the actual post, while others provide only a link to another site where the video is being hosted. There are multiple places on Tumblr where you can post a video or access a video that has been posted.

Tumblr Feed

If someone you follow posts a video on your Tumblr feed, you can press the arrow icon that overlays the video box to start playback. As long as the video is still available, it will start playing in your Tumblr feed. You can also visit a Tumblr user's page and press the arrow icon to start playback on any videos that have been posted to the account.

Linked Post

If a video is shared in the form of a link, click on the link to launch the website that hosts the video. Press the play icon on the video to watch it on the site. If you click the link from your main Tumblr feed, it will open in a new window. If you click a link from a user's profile, it may open in the same window, thus replacing the Tumblr user's page.

Open Posted Videos

If you'd rather watch a video through the site on which it's posted, use the options from the video box to launch it on the site. If it's a Vimeo video, click the "Vimeo" button to launch the video on Vimeo. To watch a YouTube video on the main site, click the "YouTube" button. Videos that are uploaded directly to Tumblr can't be played offsite.

Personal Videos

Click "Video" on your Tumblr feed to add a video to your Tumblr page. You can add a video by putting a link to the video or uploading your own file. Tumblr limits you to five minutes of uploaded video per day, which can be a single video or multiple videos. The largest video file size Tumblr will accept is 100 MB. Depending on the method you choose to post your video, people who view your Tumblr account will be able to view it on or off of Tumblr.