Tumblr has pushed an update to its Android app, adding a long-awaited feature: support for tablet devices, such as the Asus-made Google Nexus 7.

The update marks a major improvement for Android, since newer devices such as the Nexus 7 were not supported up until now. Meanwhile, Tumblr is yet to release a dedicated iPad app with similar support for the iOS platform.

The Tumblr for Android app update brings a few changes here and there, such as a revised tags page and a new alphabetical order to sort followed users, but other than that there is little else that's new. The greatest update is, without a doubt, the support for a bigger arena to accommodate the increasing number of Android tablet users.

On the downside, although users can now install the app on their tablet, it only works in portrait mode. This means that it looks great on 7-inch slates, but not so good on larger, 10-inch tablets.

Other than that, the slight layout tweaks don't make much of a difference between the phone app and the "tablet-optimized" version of Tumblr for Android. On the other hand, the idea was not to offer a radically different experience, but to allow users to enjoy the official client on their tablet, without having to use third-party apps. Those who like using Tumblr in landscape mode may be a little disappointed, but at least for now that's the deal.

Meanwhile, an iPad app may not be available yet, but the new support for Android tablets leaves room for optimism on the iOS front. Tumblr's last iOS update saw the app go native on the iPhone and iPod touch, and added a new notification system and dashboard. The service faced some outages recently, however, and a worm also wreaked havoc earlier this month after causing a number of users' blogs to post spam messages. A Tumblr app for the iPad may not fix those issues, but at least it would bring some good news for iOS users.

The official Tumblr app for Android is now available for download from the Google Play store, free of charge. iPad users, hang in there!