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New 'App Pins' Allow Users to Install iOS Apps Right From Pinterest's App

Wednesday February 11, 2015 8:58 pm PST by Eric Slivka
Pinterest today announced a new partnership with Apple to launch "App Pins" that will allow users to install iOS apps on their devices without ever needing to leave the Pinterest app.

pinterest_app_pins
Let’s say you’re Pinning workout inspiration to your Marathon Training board. If you see a fitness app that helps you reach your goals, you can download it right from Pinterest.

When you come across an app Pin, tap Install to download the app right to your iPhone or iPad without ever leaving Pinterest (you’ll only see app Pins when you’re using the Pinterest app on your iPhone or iPad).
As part of the rollout, Apple is also launching its own App Store board on Pinterest, giving the company a place to feature apps on a variety of topics within Pinterest. Apple is currently featuring a number of apps and other pins focused on fashion and recipes, playing into this week's New York Fashion Week.


Pinterest tells The New York Times it believes it can be an excellent place for app discovery considering its role as a place where people come to share and discover things.
“We can be a really powerful service for app discovery, which is a problem that still really hasn’t been solved,” Evan Sharp, a founder of Pinterest, said in an interview. “Our specialty is really connecting people to the things they want to do.” [...]

Pinterest believes it is better positioned [than Twitter and Facebook] to help promote apps because of the nature of the service. People come to Pinterest, the company says, to find new things to do, see and buy. That is unlike Facebook, which has been used to connect with friends, or even Twitter, which is often about public discourse and news.
The new App Pins functionality is included in a just-released update to the Pinterest iOS app, which is available free of charge in the App Store. [Direct Link]

Tags: App Store, Pinterest, App Pins
[ 78 comments ]


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prother1
55 months ago

You've never been fewer taps away from degrading the quality of an image with some over-filtering!

Next time, actually have a clue what the service does before you bash it.
Rating: 10 Votes
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allanfries
55 months ago
I have no interest in Pinterest! ;)
Rating: 7 Votes
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maflynn
55 months ago
WTF - going to Pinterest to install apps. So is apple going to allow this for all social sites at some point?

I really do question Apple's thinking here.
Rating: 7 Votes
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anek007
55 months ago
Isn't this against App Store policy to install apps outside of the App Store?
Rating: 7 Votes
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John.B
55 months ago
Apps to shovel apps to people? Really?
Rating: 6 Votes
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iZac
55 months ago
Wasn't Apple previously against 'app discovery' apps - admittedly most of which would tell you what apps went free / on sale / discounted?
Rating: 5 Votes
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Jsameds
55 months ago
Sales for apps made for middle aged mums will skyrocket!
Rating: 5 Votes
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jabingla2810
55 months ago

Apps to shovel apps to people? Really?


Not really.
Rating: 5 Votes
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Jessica Lares
55 months ago
Oooh! I've never had a desire to use Pinterest, but now I want to so I can use it like an app blog.
Rating: 4 Votes
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Rogifan
55 months ago

Is it really the same as side loading apps?

It sounds like you are still downloading apps from the app store, meaning you can't create your own app, host it outside the app store, and get users to download it directly from Pinterest.

It just seems like Pinterest has somehow found a way to mask the whole "get launched into the app store to download the app" process and make it all just happen in the background seamlessly. But otherwise, iOS apps linked there are still subject to app store rules, and Apple still gets their 30% cut.


But Apple didn't allow Marco Armemt to do this. In the settings menu of his podcast app he has a list of competing apps. When you tapped on one it took you out of his app to the App Store. Apple forced him to remove it. Does he get to bring that back or is that functionally reserved for big name developers that partner with or pay Apple a lot of money?
Rating: 3 Votes

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