Why You Cannot Download a Pinterest Video
Last updated:
You cannot download a Pinterest video in most cases because Pinterest's Download image option is made for pictures, and its video download works only when the creator has turned it on. Those two facts explain most missing download buttons.
Four more causes explain the rest, including the case where the download worked and the file is simply hard to find. This article lists all six.
Cause 1: Download Image Works Only for Images
The option in the three-dot menu of a pin is named Download image. Pinterest's Help Center describes it as a way to save an image to your device, and the page does not mention video.
Pinterest adds that not all Pins can be downloaded. When the option is missing on a picture, it suggests two things: open the menu under the pin in your home feed, or use Pinterest in a browser.
Cause 2: The Creator Has Not Turned On Video Pin Downloads
Pinterest lets creators choose whether people can download their video Pins. The setting is named Video Pin downloads, and it sits under Social permissions in the creator's settings.
The setting applies only to full-screen video Pins in the 9:16 format. A square or horizontal video Pin has no download option, whatever the creator chose.
Cause 3: The Pin Is on a Private Board or Profile
A private board, which Pinterest used to call a secret board, is visible only to its owner and the people they invite. A link to a pin on that board opens nothing for anyone else.
The same goes for a private profile. Pinterest keeps the profiles of users aged 13 to 16 private by default.
Cause 4: The Video Is Hosted on Another Site
Some pins play a video that lives on YouTube or another website. Pinterest shows the player but holds no video file for the pin, so a Pinterest downloader finds nothing to save.
Guides from Gmapswidget and ContentStudio list this as a common reason that downloaders fail on a pin.
Cause 5: The Link Points to a Board, a Profile or a Search
A downloader needs the link of one pin. A link to a board, a profile or a search page contains many pins and does not point to a single video.
Open the pin so it fills the screen, then copy the link again. A pin link contains /pin/ followed by a number, or it starts with pin.it.
Cause 6: The File Saved but You Cannot Find It
Sometimes the download worked. The file is on the phone, only not where you expected it.
- iPhone: Safari saves downloads to the Downloads folder inside the Files app, not to Photos. Open the file there, tap Share, then tap Save Video.
- Android: the browser saves to the Downloads folder. Look for a Downloads album in your gallery, or open the Files app.
What Works for Public Video Pins
A link-based Pinterest downloader does not depend on the creator's download setting or on the shape of the video. It reads the public page of the pin and saves the video as an MP4 file without a watermark.
It has limits of its own. It reads public pins only, it saves video and not images, and it cannot fetch a video that is hosted on another site.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is Download image missing on a picture?
Pinterest states that not all Pins can be downloaded. Try the three-dot menu under the pin in your home feed, or open Pinterest in a browser.
The download starts and then fails. What should I check?
For Pinterest's own download, the Help Center lists four checks: close and reopen the app, make sure the phone has free storage, allow Pinterest to save photos, and update the app.
How do I download a Pinterest video step by step?
The guide to getting a Pinterest video to gallery or camera roll shows the steps for both phones.
Can I download an Idea Pin?
Idea Pins are now ordinary pins. The article on Pinterest Idea Pins explains what changed and what can be saved.