On Tuesday, Pinterest released a new update to its Chrome extension that will set itself up to be a search engine for images no matter where the images are found. The new update allows you to save images you see on any website to your Pinterest boards. This extension idea came from a set of tools that was integrated into the app last month. The idea was that you could start a search in Pinterest based on a picture from your camera roll. Now the company brought the idea to the web with the eventual end goal of helping users find products online that they don’t know where to buy.
Pinterest has made using its new update as simple as finding a picture you want to save, clicking the Pinterest button at the top right-hand corner of Chrome and choosing the board you wish to save it to. The button takes it a step further in the search by providing you with a magnifying feature. If you happen to be browsing pictures from the red carpet and you see a pair of shoes you love, you can use the magnifying tool to zoom in on the shoes and get results.
According to the company, the extension won’t be bringing in any ad dollars as it won’t be showing any promoted pins in its results, but it could include buyable pins. That is not the priority as its more of a get people in the door product, however, most people search through their mobile phones so this extension is no good in that case. If you happen to be one of those people you can still use the new features. When you see something you like in a picture, simply screen shot it, add it to a board and there you can find the magnifying tool to zoom in on the item you like and Pinterest will display the results. A spokesperson for Pinterest said that it’s the early days for visual discovery and it will continue improving its products by using feedback it receives from both its customers and partners. As of now, only Chrome has the extension, but other browsers are expected to receive extensions as well. If you wish to download the extension head to the Chrome Web Store and download “Pinterest Save Button”, sign in and you’re ready to go.