How to Make Tumblr Faster

Tumblr can start to load slowly if your browser becomes overwhelmed with the amount of content it is trying to load all at once. The same issue can occur if you have too many browser extensions installed. Tumblr is heavily customizable, but adding too many optional features can drastically slow down load time. You can try to make Tumblr load faster on your computer by disabling GIFs and being careful with how many modifications and extensions you use at once.

Disable GIFs

Having a lot of GIFs playing on your dashboard can slow down your browser quickly, and hiding each post individually isn't very convenient. With no option to disable GIFs in Tumblr's settings, you can use a browser extension to do this for you. Install an extension like Disable Gifs for XKit, Safe Dash for Missing e or Paused (see Resources). These will hide or stop GIFs from playing by default unless you click to view them. Alternatively you can block certain tags like "gifs" or "animated gifs" using an extension, but this only works if a blogger has tagged her image posts.

Disable Endless Scrolling

Instead of organizing your dashboard's content into multiple pages, endless scrolling continues loading additional content on the same page as you scroll down. While this can be convenient, it can also make your browser start to slow down as you continue scrolling. Click the gear icon from your dashboard to open your settings, click "Dashboard" and deselect the box next to "Enable endless scrolling." Click "Save" when you are finished.

Use Default Dashboard Theme

Along with creating a custom skin for your blog, you can also install a custom dashboard theme through TamperMonkey or Stylish. These can slow down Tumblr loading times, especially if you're using a complex theme with animations. Switch back to the default Tumblr theme, or try a simpler one to see if that helps improve load time.

Disable Extensions

Some Tumblr utilities like Missing e and XKit let you choose from a wide variety of extensions that do everything from posting your crushes and dimming posts you've already read to changing the layout of your dashboard. Having a large number of extensions installed can slow down Tumblr quickly, as it will try to load all of them every time you refresh your page. Go through your extensions and remove any you don't absolutely need, then close and restart your browser.