Pinterest Pin won't download: causes and fixes

When a Pin won’t download, the reason is almost always one of these four: the link isn’t a Pin, the Pin isn’t public, the file isn’t stored on Pinterest or the download link has expired. The site shows a different message for each case. Below, each message and what to do.

Check these first

1. Is it a Pin link? It needs /pin/ and a number, or it should be the short link the app copies, with pin.it. Links to a board, a profile or a search won’t work.
2. Is the Pin public? Open the link in a private (incognito) browser window. If Pinterest asks you to log in to see the Pin, or shows nothing, the site can’t open it either.
3. Are you in a real browser? The browser that opens inside other apps often blocks downloads. Use Safari, Chrome or another browser.
4. Are the links less than 15 minutes old? After that, you need to get new links.

What each message means

“That isn’t a Pin link”

What you pasted isn’t a link, or it’s a pin.it link that leads to a board or a profile. In Pinterest, open the Pin, tap Share, then Copy link. The guide on how to copy a Pin link shows the steps on a phone and on a computer.

“That link doesn’t point to a Pin”

You copied the address of a board, a profile or a search. Open the Pin before copying. If the address has /pin/ followed by letters instead of a number, use the app’s Copy link.

“That platform isn’t supported”

This shows up when the Pin plays a YouTube or Vimeo video. In that case, the video is stored on those sites, not on Pinterest, so it can’t be downloaded here. The same message applies to links from sites that aren’t social networks. If you paste a link from another network, the screen says this site works with Pinterest links.

“YouTube videos aren’t supported here”

You pasted a YouTube link. This site only works with Pinterest.

“We couldn’t find that Pin”

The Pin may have been deleted, be on a secret board or belong to a private account. With old pin.it links, it’s common for the Pin to be gone. Open the link in a private window: if the Pin doesn’t open there, the site can’t open it either.

“We couldn’t open that Pin”

If the Pin opens on Pinterest without logging in, the problem is temporary: wait a few minutes and try again.

“We couldn’t read that Pin right now” or “Pinterest is unstable right now”

Pinterest sometimes takes a while to respond, or changes something on its side. It’s not your link. Wait a few minutes and try again.

“Too many requests in a row”

There’s a limit on links per person every 10 minutes, so the site stays fast for everyone. Wait a few minutes. On a shared network, like at work or school, other people may be using the same limit.

“We couldn’t confirm you’re not a robot”

The site runs an automatic check before each search. Reload the page and try again. If it keeps happening, turn off your ad blocker or VPN for a moment, or try another browser.

“This Pin can’t be downloaded here”

The rights holder asked for it to be blocked, and the Pin was blocked on the site. There’s no way to download it here.

“We’re doing some maintenance”

The site is getting a quick fix. You don’t need to do anything: try again in a few minutes.

Messages from the Paste button

• “There’s no link copied.” Copy link didn’t go through, or you copied something else afterwards. Go back to Pinterest and copy it again.
• “That’s still the same link.” Your phone still has the previous link copied. Copy the new Pin’s link.
• “Your browser didn’t let us see what you copied.” Press and hold the field, choose Paste, then tap Download.

The file won’t download, won’t open or isn’t what you expected

• I tapped Download and nothing happened. You’re probably in an app’s built-in browser. Tap the three dots and choose to open in your browser, or copy the site address and paste it in Safari or Chrome.
• The links have expired. Download links last about 15 minutes. Tap Get new links.
• On iPhone, the file isn’t in Photos. Safari saves it to the Files app, in Downloads. The iPhone guide shows how to move it to Photos.
• The GIF looks frozen. Some galleries only show the first frame in the grid. Open the file, or view it in your browser: the .gif is still animated.
• I expected an image and got a video. The list shows what the Pin is. On a video Pin, you get the video, not the cover image.
• The Pin has several images and only one came. Right now the site only delivers the first one. See Pinterest Pin with multiple images for other options.

Still not working?

Write to us through the contact page with the Pin link and the message you saw. That way we can tell whether the problem is the Pin or the site.