Pinterest is asking about your interest in official Windows Phone and Windows 8 apps

By Daniel Rubino
published

You may not believe it but in the U.S., Pinterest is the third most popular social network behind Facebook and Twitter. Worldwide it has an estimated 70 million users (70% of which are female). That makes it a big player in the social network universe and one that should not be ignored. Because of those numbers, it’s worth pointing out that there is no official Windows Phone or Windows 8 apps for the fast-growing service.

That’s a bit of a bummer though Windows Phone users do have some solid Pinterest third-party apps like Pinsation that do an admirable job of filling in the gap. But an official app that doesn’t go against the company’s APIs is something that the Windows Phone platform needs in order to push forward—the same with Windows 8.

Luckily, Pinterest is asking just how much you want that app, giving users an opportunity to voice their opinion. On their website's Help Center, the company puts the issue to users:

“Unfortunately, Windows phones and tablets aren't very compatible with Pinterest right now. When you're on a computer, hovering over a pin shows the repin and like buttons to click on. Since Windows phones/tablets don't work the same way, you can't interact with pins the way you can on a computer or other tablets and phones.We also know that there is high demand for a Windows app.  If you'd like to see a Windows app, please vote for it using the Me too! button below. Thanks for your interest and for using Pinterest!”

The topic on the site is actually old—going back to February, which makes the “281 Me too!” votes a bit disheartening. So why not take a moment and try to let them know that an official app for Windows Phone and Windows 8 is something that should be in the cards? It’s only through interest and feedback will devs make apps for Microsoft’s platforms (although hopefully Nokia is already talking to them).

Source: Pinterest Help Center; Thanks, Carl_D., for the tip!

Daniel Rubino
Daniel Rubino
Editor-in-chief

Daniel Rubino is the Editor-in-chief of Windows Central, head reviewer, podcast co-host, and analyst. He has been covering Microsoft since 2007 when this site was called WMExperts (and later Windows Phone Central). His interests include Windows, laptops, next-gen computing, and for some reason, watches. Before all this tech stuff, he worked on a Ph.D. in linguistics, watched people sleep (for medical purposes!), and ran the projectors at movie theaters because it was fun.

109 Comments
  • Funny, I actually thought Pinsation was an "official" pinterest app. I can "Mee Too" this, but to be totally fair, I don't plan on stop using Pinsation.
  • Nah, the apps will always carry the original name.
  • How does hovering differ from any other mobile device???
  • Dunno. The Pinterest website actually works really well in IE11 on Surface RT (w/8.1), though it can be a bit sluggish. All of the unofficial apps I've tried have been rubbish (though to be fair it's been a while since I tried them).
  • Dear pinterest. Hover is dead. Use a tap + fly out. Love, 2001.
  • Started getting server overload errors as soon as I pressed "Me too!" Get them guys!
  • Come on people let's all vote and show them how big we are as wp8 users! 281!? That's a shame! Let's bring that number up!
  • Exactly even if you don't use pinterest getting another official app will help our ecosystem! Sign up for an account just to "Me Too" it to help out WP grow!
  • I value my masculinity more than "our ecosystem" and will not visit Pinterest unless there is a loaded gun to me head. LOLz...
  • Well that's just petty!
  • You're so wrong. I love Pinterest for rat rod/hot rod photos. Some really cool stuff there. It's not all shoes and purses.
  • My pinterest feed is choc full of custom motorbikes, fast cars, architecture and other cool man things. Pinterest is what you make it :p
  • You don't even have to sign in after, it registers your interest first
  • This is a service I can't get into on my desktop but could totally see myself using on a mobile device.
  • Whats is pinerest app?
  • It's a place where pinecones go to find a place to rest.
  • Lolzzzz!
  • I voted.
  • I dint even use pinterest but I create an account specifically to vote me too. I guess you have to have an account cause I couldn't do it without. But I'll never use it but understand the importance of needing these official apps. I hope MS sees this and knows that something needs to change in their UI to make it more appealing and friendlier to devs.
  • err... how to vote ?
  • Follow source link, hit "me too", login with Twitter or Facebook. Profit.
  • hmm..what source link?
  • You can't do it on the mobile site it has to be on the desktop version!
  • ha...! Thanks!, Did it on my Surface.
    But, I say it again guys, I haven't tried it on the other platforms, but I doubt it's better than Pinsation.
  • I don't see the me too button. Where is it?
  • Ctr-F, me too
  • You can't find it either?
  • lol
  • Go to "full site" at the very bottom of the page.
  • Only in the full site(or desktop mode) it doesn't show on mobile site
  • I still can't login with pinsation...
  • Then vote for the official app!
  • Lol I did.
  • Voted
  • Yes guys.! I agree w/ some of the guys here, pls. vote.! We have great 3rd party app but we need more official apps to come for the WP Community.! The more the merrier...
  • Their reasoning sounds like BS. How can they not replicate the way that you interact with pins on iPhone or Android?
  • I was wondering the same thing.. I don't even understand what they are saying. I didn't think you can "hover" on any touch-screen device, but maybe I'm wrong? Some sites seem optimized for touch on hover items like menu drop downs, where one click drops it down, and it stays like that until you select an option.
  • It IS amazing the excuses some companies come up with why they dont support WP....
  • Touch IE uses the W3C standard pointer events for touch. iOS and Android use the proprietary touch events API. It is likely a case of the developer NOT coding their site to the standard and letting the webkit proprietary crap dictate the mobile web.
  • Agree.  I HATE that kind of patronizing excuse.  MIght as well have stated "We're not making an app because magnets. And we've run out of magic spells".  
    Honesty is always best, period.  If they just said "There isn't enough user base to make it worth our while", it would be disappointing, but still a respectful statement to everyone including themselves.  They do themselves a disservice as well with such a lame excuse. Er, seriously... the more I think about their excuse... did they just basically state they don't know how to do anything with modern tech/tools and can only figure things out with a mouse and keyboard? I mean, that really is what that statement is trying to say, right? I know its not true, but how embarrassing for them.
  • Exactly! Tell me what is fundamentally different about Windows Phone and Windows 8 compared to iPhone and iPad.
     
    I just confirmed with someone who has the iPhone pinterest app that they simply tap on the post, and the repin / like / share buttons pop up.
  • Agreed
  • I got the impression they were just saying that the website was unusable on wp and winrt so they do need to create an app
    Rather than explaining why they haven't made an app?
  • Why not ask them directly via their twitter handle? Pretty pathetic excuse
  • Yes I want
  • Has wmpoweruser seen this yet? They should put up an article.
  • They probably will.
  • I don't get it. App developers make apps for iOS and Android, when it comes to WP8 they have to ask if were interested... Didn't know that we, the Windows Phone users are that picky. Umm no Pinterest, we're not interested at this moment.. Thank you for asking?
  • The common joke I hear is that "there's only 5 windows phone users". We're a huge minority and companies don't want to drop 100k developing an app that potentially no one uses.
  • As much as we appreciate your satire please make sure you vote!
  • So you speak for the entire Windows Phone userbase, do you? Lets correct that for you "Umm no Pinterest, I'm not interested at this moment.. Thank you for asking?"
  • I'm presuming you haven't discovered sarcasm yet?
  • Bring it because I have 4 females waiting for it
  • Voted, but it's only at 329
  • I would like to say "meh, I have no interest in pinterest", but on the other hand I would like people to stop whining about the lack of it ... So I'll vote :P
  • 346! Keep it going! Lol
  • Please everyone vote, i really want this app!
  • I signed up and voted. Last count 345. Keep em coming guys!
  • I can maybe understand WP but wow many millions of people have Windows 8 and still no Windows 8 app?  I find this pretty lame on the part of Pinterest.
  • Get the word out. This is the only reason my wife is still using an iPhone.
  • Where's the "me too" button???
  • Go to full site at the very bottom of the page.
  • 395...
  • 396...
  • Too late. Does anyone still use this?
  • I think your question is answered in the first paragraph
  • I'm a windows phone programmer and I don't know what they are saying.
  • Me neither.
    Their reasoning on why they do not support windows makes no sense.
    I didn't know you can hover on iOS and android. What are they talking about?
  • So, all of the sudden the vote total has passed 400 and will continue to rise, but here is the problem: I read the forum post from the Pinterest support person as saying they are not considering a WP app due to the issue with "hovering" even though the excuse seems pretty stupid. I think they are only having a vote on whether or not to develop a W8 app based on the second paragraph of their post.
     
    Dan, could you contact Pinterest and clarify this point? I'm sure you have them on speed dial :)
  • My wife loves Pinterest.  Hopefully they make an official app, but for now I'll have to tell her about the Pinsation app you mentioned.  Thanks.
  • How do you me too this?
  • You have to select to go to the full site, which will have a button on the page that says "Me too". The mobile site does not have that button.
     
    I joined just so I could me too it, been thinking about joining just for the heck of it before, and figured this was for a good cause. :)
     
    Not that I think it will do much good, but still.
  • My wife and I voted :D
  • "When you're on a computer, hovering over a pin shows the repin and like buttons to click on. Since Windows phones/tablets don't work the same way, you can't interact with pins the way you can on a computer or other tablets and phones."
     
    *Sniff* Was there a bull in here?
  • Yeah... show me a tablet or phone with hover functionality!
  • Had no clue they were asking. Wish they'd advertise that a big more. I'm an avid Pinterest user. So I would love to see an official app for WP. Pinsation is okay. But limited.
  • I love this approach to letting sites and developers know that we're out here. We should have more of these concentrated campaigns.
  • As long as this isn't an exclusive to a specific manufacturer then I'm in ;-)
  • "You and 489 people like this."
  • "When you're on a computer, hovering over a pin shows the repin and like buttons to click on. Since Windows phones/tablets don't work the same way..."
     
    WTF? Neither do any of phones or tablets. That's why you developed apps for them! What a ridiculous paragraph. Anyway, I would love to see an official app both because I do use Pinterest, and because the more official apps hitting Windows Phone the better! We should raise that feature request up the list in no time. Hopefully they take notice.
     
  • Yes please!
    An official app that actually works would be wonderful!
    I have the third party Pinterest apps but they are always crashing, not responsive, lags, or doesn't show all the content of my boards.....smh.
    I would use the Pinterest app all the time if an official one that actually works were to to come out!
    Please make one!
  • Honestly since Wells Fargo app came, I don't know of any other app I need.
  • I didn't know this site existed until today.
  • Whats pinterest? Something Facebook-Like?
  • Glad to see that more big names in social networking are at least showing interest in Windows 8 and Windows Phone 8. :D
    #pin4win!
     
  • "572 people like this."
    I'm getting a 502 Server Overload error when I hit Me Too... I'll have to try again later.  Keep 'em comin!
  • +573
    Waited too long for the official one... Thanks for pointing out Pinsation for now
  • It's at 596 now! Hope it keeps going up!!
  • I know I'll never use it but my girlfriend uses it often and has been waiting for an official app for her 920... Made an account just to vote for it. The more unified WP users are the stronger the platform gets.
  • Only at 601 votes...I dont think it's due to lack of interest in pinterest from WP users, but more of the fact that if it wasn't for articles like this, no one would ever now that you could vote on it. They really hid that topic!
  • The fact that the votes more than doubled after this article is definitely a sign.
  • Very interested.
  • Twitter and Facebook this link/information.  Users needs to get the word out to other WP users.  I'll be telling the wife when I get home.  She's all about Pinterest.
  • Oh. My. God. They MUST be joking. Hover doesn't work on Windows? They clearly must be on drugs. How exactly do they get "hover" to work on other phones and tablets? Do they bother asking Microsoft how it might work? Its a full on load of baloney! This is just how the next generation is, exclusive to "Open Source" Linux, UNIX and avoiding Windows like a plague for some undisclosed reason but BSing the population at large because they figured out how to become popular innocuously. Bizarre =/
  • Lets try to get it to 1000.
  • Me too!
  • I will admit, I'm not a pintrester, however, My sister and freinds of mine who are pintresters have said that a pintrest app would cause them to switch mobile platforms, so the vote should count for like 5
  • If they have accounts, just have them go to the suggestions area and vote for a windows app.
  • Only 650 so far?
  • Hey everybody, I think you can vote more than once, I did it three times today and everytime when I went back it had gone up by one, can anyone else confirm this? Hope it's not just a coincidence that someone else votes right after me...
  • PS: it's at 667 now.
  • I voted, my vote was number 772 :) their reasoning is BS and with a more than double likes in 1 day tells me that they had better get on the app making pronto!
  • Do we have to have a pinterest account to vote?
  • I'm wondering the same thing. I tried logging in using twitter, but it says it is not linked to a pinterest accout.
  • Just quickly make a pinterest account with your twitter... It takes 5 seconds!
  • 1125 votes. Nice.
  • 1656 votes and counting.  
  • My whole take on this older subject is really one of concern about the mental health of companies that provide apps for users on all platforms.  Even though Windows 8 phone is not the largest platform, there are literally millions of users worldwide. In our economy, and in the sake of simple business sense, what company ignores a group of millions of potential customers and users for the sake of saving a small investment in developing a Windows 8 platform app?  It doesn't make good business sense to ingore a possible instant audience of millions to scope out your service or business because you are literally being 'cheap'.  People today know very little about business I'm afraid.
  • I voted too :)