Pinterest GIF downloader: the original animated .gif
This Pinterest GIF downloader takes the link of a GIF pin and returns the animated .gif that was uploaded, taken from Pinterest's /originals/ folder. No still frame, no conversion. In our test, a pin resolved in 1.1 seconds into a 909 KB, 476 × 498 px GIF.
- The animated .gif, as uploaded
- Pinterest's own file, not re-encoded
- pin.it and country links
A still frame or the GIF itself
A GIF pin points to a 736 px JPG of one frame. The moving file sits next to it in /originals/, with .gif at the end.
- One still frame, or a converted video
- Not the file that was uploaded
- The animated .gif from /originals/
- Same size and colors as the upload
- Pinterest's own file, not re-encoded
No .gif on Pinterest for that pin? You get the original image, never a frame passed off as a GIF.
What the .gif from a pin looks like
| Format | Animated GIF (GIF89a), the file that was uploaded, not converted |
|---|---|
| Size and colors | Same pixels and colors as the upload; GIF holds up to 256 colors per frame |
| Source | i.pinimg.com/originals/; on a computer it opens from Pinterest, on a phone our server only passes it through to force the download |
| Links | pinterest.com/pin/..., pin.it/... and country domains such as pinterest.co.uk |
| Not covered | Boards, profiles, searches, pins on secret boards and deleted pins |
| Fair use limit | 300 links a day and 20 a minute per IP address |
Saving a GIF pin as the real .gif
Copy the GIF pin
Open the pin with the GIF label in its corner, tap Share and Copy link. A pin.it short link is fine, and so is a link from pinterest.co.uk or any other country site.
Paste the pin link: one GIF row
We read the pin page, look for the animated file in Pinterest's /originals/ folder and check that Pinterest serves it as a real GIF before we show the row.
Tap Download GIF
On a phone the .gif downloads. On a computer it opens in a new tab: right-click it and choose Save image as. The file is named pinterest_ plus the pin number.
Where the animated GIF hides on Pinterest
A GIF pin plays in your feed, but the page behind it only names a still JPG, 736 pixels wide, taken from one frame. Ask for that same picture in the /originals/ folder with .jpg and Pinterest has nothing. Swap the ending for .gif and the full animation is there.
That is the file we look for. We only show it when the pin page refers to it and Pinterest answers that it is a GIF. On a computer it opens from Pinterest itself; on a phone our server passes it through so the browser saves it, without keeping a copy.
GIF pin or video pin: what each one gives you
Pinterest marks GIF pins with a small GIF label in the corner. Those give one row here: the .gif file, silent, looping, at the size it was uploaded. Pins that play with a timeline and sound are video pins, and they give an MP4 and an MP3 instead, which you get from the Pinterest video downloader.
We don't turn one into the other. There is no MP4 made from a GIF and no GIF made from a video pin. If you want a video from a GIF, save the .gif and convert it in any editor.
Saving the GIF and sending it in a chat
On iPhone, Safari saves the .gif to Files, in Downloads: open it there, tap Share and choose Save Image, and Photos keeps it animated. On Android the file lands in Download and the gallery shows it moving. On a computer it opens in a tab, where Save image as keeps it as a .gif.
Once it is in your gallery or on your disk, you can attach it to a message, an email or a document like any image. Some chat apps turn GIFs into short videos when they send them; that is the app's choice, not a change in your file.
Pinterest GIF questions
Can I download a Pinterest GIF as a video or MP4?
Not here. You get the GIF exactly as it was uploaded; if you need a video, convert it afterwards with any video editor. A video pin is different: it gives you an MP4 and an MP3 on the Pinterest video downloader.
Why do I get a still picture instead of a moving GIF elsewhere?
Because the pin page only advertises a 736 px JPG frame of the GIF. The animated file lives at the same path in /originals/, with .gif at the end, and that is the one we hand you.
How do I save a Pinterest GIF on iPhone?
Tap Download GIF and Safari saves it to Files, in Downloads. Open it there, tap Share and choose Save Image: Photos plays it animated, and you can send it from there.
Where does the GIF go on Android?
Chrome saves it to the Download folder, and your gallery shows it moving. From the gallery you can share it to any chat app.
How do I download a GIF from Pinterest on PC or Mac?
Paste the link, click Download GIF and the animation opens in a new tab. Right-click it and choose Save image as, and keep the .gif extension.
Is the GIF in better quality than on Pinterest?
It is the same file Pinterest keeps, at its original size, so it is as sharp as the upload and no sharper. We don't enlarge or re-encode it.
What happens if the pin isn't a GIF?
A still image pin gives you its original JPG or PNG, and a video pin gives an MP4. We never label a still frame as a GIF: a .gif here is always the animated file.