How to Save a Pinterest Video to Your Camera Roll
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Saving a Pinterest video to your camera roll means storing the video as an MP4 file in the Photos app on an iPhone or in the gallery on an Android phone. The Save button on Pinterest does not do that. It adds the pin to one of your boards.
To get a real file you need a download. A Pinterest video downloader builds the file from the link of the pin. This guide shows the steps for both phones and explains what Pinterest's own download can and cannot do.
Saving a Pin Is Not the Same as Downloading It
Pinterest's Help Center draws the line clearly. Saving adds the pin to one of your boards. Downloading saves the file to your device.
A board is a list of bookmarks. A pin on a board needs an internet connection to play, and it disappears from the board when its creator deletes it. A downloaded video stays on your phone.
Pinterest's Own Video Download and Its Limits
Pinterest has a download feature for video pins, but it does not cover every pin. According to Pinterest's Help Center, three conditions apply:
- The creator decides. Creators choose whether people can download their video pins, with a setting named Video Pin downloads.
- Only full-screen video pins qualify. The setting applies to video pins in the 9:16 format and to no other shape.
- The copy has a watermark. A watermark of the creator's username appears at the bottom of the downloaded video.
For pictures, Pinterest offers a separate option named Download image. It does not download video.
Save a Pinterest Video to Your iPhone Camera Roll
- Open the video pin in the Pinterest app, tap the share icon, then tap Copy link.
- Open the Pinterest video downloader in Safari, paste the link and select Get video.
- Select Download HD video. Safari saves the file to the Downloads folder inside the Files app.
- Open the Files app, tap the video, tap the Share icon, then tap Save Video.
The fourth step moves the video into the Photos app. Safari does not put a downloaded video in your camera roll by itself, so without that step the file stays in Files.
Save a Pinterest Video to an Android Gallery
- Open the video pin in the Pinterest app, tap the share icon, then tap Copy link.
- Open the downloader in Chrome or any other browser, paste the link and select Get video.
- Select Download HD video. The browser saves the MP4 to the Downloads folder.
Open your gallery app and look for an album named Downloads. If the video is not there, open the Files app and tap the video in the Downloads folder.
What File You Get
The file is an MP4 with H.264 video, and the tool adds no watermark to it. H.264 plays in the Photos app and opens in editors such as CapCut and iMovie.
In our tests on public video pins, the largest MP4 that Pinterest served was 720 pixels wide, which is 720 × 1280 for a vertical video. The article on Pinterest video size explains how that compares with the size creators upload.
Screen Recording as a Last Resort
Every phone can record its own screen while a pin plays. The recording captures everything on the screen, including Pinterest's buttons and any notification that appears, and it runs only as long as you let the video play.
A download gives you the video file itself. Use a screen recording only when the pin cannot be downloaded at all.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do pin.it links work?
Yes. The short link you get from Copy link in the Pinterest app leads to the same pin, and the tool accepts it.
Can I save a Pinterest picture the same way?
No. The tool saves video pins. For a picture, open the pin, tap the three dots under it and tap Download image.
Can I save a video from a private board?
No. A private board is visible only to its owner and the people they invite. The tool reads only public pins.
Why will the Pinterest video not download?
The usual causes are an image pin, a private board or a video hosted on another site. The article on a Pinterest download not working goes through each cause.
Can I repost a Pinterest video I saved?
Only with the creator's permission. The creator keeps the copyright, and saving a video for your own viewing does not give you the right to publish it.