Pinterest is mostly known for images. Recipe photos, outfit ideas, home decor inspiration, wedding planning boards. But Pinterest video has been growing steadily, and there's a lot of useful content there now. DIY tutorials, recipe walkthroughs, craft projects, workout demonstrations, hair and makeup tutorials.
The problem with Pinterest video is the same problem every social media platform has: there's no download button. You can "save" a pin to a board, which keeps it organized inside Pinterest. But that's a bookmark, not a download. The video stays on Pinterest's servers. If the original pin gets deleted or the creator removes their account, your saved pin goes with it.
Getting the actual MP4 file requires a workaround.
Quick answer
- Open the Pinterest video pin, tap the share icon, copy the link
- Go to saveflow.net in your browser
- Paste the link and tap Process
- Download the MP4 file
That's the entire process. Less than 15 seconds.
How to copy a Pinterest video link
On the Pinterest app (phone)
Open the video pin you want to download. Tap the three dots (⋯) or the share icon (it varies between iOS and Android versions). Look for "Copy link" in the options. Tap it.
The link should look something like https://pin.it/AbCdEfG (short link) or https://www.pinterest.com/pin/1234567890/ (full link). Both formats work.
On Pinterest.com (desktop)
Open the pin in your browser. Copy the URL from the address bar. Pinterest desktop URLs look like https://www.pinterest.com/pin/1234567890/.
You can also right-click the pin and see if there's a "Copy link" option in the context menu.
How to tell if a pin is a video
Not all Pinterest pins are videos. Look for these indicators:
- A play button triangle overlaid on the thumbnail
- A small duration indicator in the corner
- The pin animates when you hover over it (on desktop)
If none of these are present, the pin is probably a static image. You can't extract video from an image pin (obviously), but you can download the image itself by right-clicking and choosing "Save image as" on desktop, or long-pressing on mobile.
Full step-by-step guide
Step 1: Find the video pin
Browse Pinterest normally. When you find a video pin you want to keep, open it so it plays.
Step 2: Copy the link
Use the share or three-dot menu to copy the pin's URL. See the section above for platform-specific instructions.
Step 3: Open SaveFlow
Go to saveflow.net in any browser. No account needed.
Step 4: Paste and process
Paste the Pinterest link into the input field. Tap Process. SaveFlow reads the pin, identifies the video content, and prepares download options.
Step 5: Download
Choose the quality you want and tap Download. The MP4 file saves to your device.
What about Pinterest Idea Pins?
Pinterest Idea Pins (formerly Story Pins) are multi-page pins that can contain a mix of video clips and images. They're like Instagram Stories but permanent.
When you process an Idea Pin link through SaveFlow, you'll get the video content from it. Since Idea Pins can have multiple pages, the download might give you the primary video clip rather than the full multi-page experience.
For Idea Pins that are entirely image-based (photo slideshows), there's no video to extract.
Pinterest video quality
Pinterest doesn't prioritize video quality the way YouTube does. Most Pinterest videos are uploaded by creators using their phones, and Pinterest compresses them during processing.
Typical quality levels for Pinterest video downloads:
- Standard resolution: 480p-720p (most common)
- Higher resolution: up to 1080p (less common, depends on the upload)
The quality is perfectly fine for watching tutorials, getting inspiration, and referencing later. If you're expecting 4K cinema quality from a Pinterest pin, adjust your expectations. That's not what the platform is designed for.
Downloading Pinterest videos on iPhone
The iPhone download flow for Pinterest is the same as for any other platform, but I'll walk through it specifically because iPhone file management confuses a lot of people.
- Copy the Pinterest video link (three dots > Copy link in the Pinterest app)
- Open Safari (not Chrome, Safari handles downloads better on iPhone)
- Go to saveflow.net
- Paste the link and tap Process
- Tap Download on the quality you want
- The download indicator appears in Safari's address bar (a small blue arrow icon)
- When the download finishes, the file is in your Files app under Downloads
- To move it to your Camera Roll: open Files > Downloads > tap the video > tap Share > Save Video
After that, the video appears in your Photos app alongside everything else in your Camera Roll.
Downloading Pinterest videos on Android
Android is simpler:
- Copy the Pinterest video link
- Open Chrome (or any browser)
- Go to saveflow.net
- Paste the link and tap Process
- Tap Download
- The file saves to your Downloads folder and usually appears in your gallery automatically
If it doesn't show up in your gallery, open your file manager app and navigate to Downloads. The MP4 is there.
Can I download audio from Pinterest videos?
If SaveFlow offers an MP3 option for the Pinterest video, yes. Not all Pinterest videos have an audio track (some are silent with text overlays or music that's baked into the video file).
For Pinterest videos that do have audio, the MP3 extraction works the same as other platforms: choose the MP3 option instead of the video option, and you get a standalone audio file.
Private pins and boards
If someone's Pinterest account is private, or if a pin is on a private board, SaveFlow can't access it. Private content requires Pinterest authentication, which no third-party tool can provide.
The workaround: if you can see the pin and play the video, the pin isn't truly private. It might be on a "secret board" that was shared with you via link. In that case, the link might work since you can access it. But if the pin requires a Pinterest login to view, it won't work through SaveFlow.
Common issues and fixes
"This link is not supported" or processing fails. Make sure you're copying the link to an actual video pin, not a static image pin. Also check that the full URL was copied. Pinterest short links (pin.it) can sometimes fail to resolve. Try copying the full URL from the pin's page instead.
The download is an image, not a video. You probably copied a link to a static pin, not a video pin. Go back to Pinterest and make sure the pin has a play button indicating it's a video.
Very low quality download. Pinterest compresses videos more than most platforms. The download quality matches what Pinterest stores. If it looks rough, that's a Pinterest limitation.
The file is very short. Some Pinterest videos are extremely short (3-5 seconds). If the file seems too brief, play the original pin again and confirm its actual length. Pinterest videos range from 2 seconds to several minutes.
Tips for better results
Copy the link from the opened pin, not the feed. When you open a pin fully and copy from there, you get the direct link to that specific pin. Copying from the feed view sometimes gives you a feed URL that doesn't point to the specific video.
Download on Wi-Fi. Even though Pinterest videos tend to be short and the files are small, downloading on Wi-Fi is always more reliable than mobile data.
Organize your downloads. If you're saving multiple Pinterest videos for a project (recipes, DIY tutorials, workout moves), create a folder on your phone for them and rename the files. "pasta-recipe-tutorial.mp4" is much easier to find than "download_42.mp4."
FAQ
Can I download Pinterest videos on my phone?
Yes. Open your browser, go to saveflow.net, paste the pin link, and download. Works on both iPhone and Android.
Is it free?
Yes. No fees, no limits, no sign-up.
What if the pin has both photos and video?
If the pin is an Idea Pin with mixed media, SaveFlow extracts the video content. Photo-only pins can't produce a video download.
What quality will the video be?
Typically 480p to 720p. Some pins are available in 1080p. Pinterest compresses video aggressively, so the quality ceiling is lower than platforms like YouTube.
Can I download a video from someone else's Pinterest board?
Yes, as long as the board and pin are public. If the board is private (a "secret board"), the link won't work through SaveFlow.
Do I need a Pinterest account?
No. You don't need to be logged into Pinterest or any other service. You just need the link to the video pin.
Bottom line
Pinterest makes it easy to collect and organize pins, but they want the content staying inside their platform. When you need the actual video file for offline viewing or a project, SaveFlow gets it done. Copy the pin link, paste it in, download the MP4. The video is yours to keep regardless of what happens to the original pin.