Pinterest releases major mobile app update, adds iPad support

The popular social sharing site Pinterest recently updated its mobile application with a new GUI design, features and iPad support. The new version of the app was simultaneously released for Android and iOS devices, and is a major improvement over the previous versions of the company's mobile application development.

As an image-focused social network, Pinterest requires a certain level of quality and clarity for its mobile app. High-quality image viewing, sharing and exploration are key for the app's usability, and the new version improves these features well, according to Ars Technica. Version 2.0 also enhances navigation by adding tabs for posts, personal profiles and general news. Additionally, the Android version resizes beautifully on different devices, including tablets - lending to easier viewing for users.

One major improvement is the availability of the app on the iPad. Previously unavailable for iPad users, this gives Pinterest an entirely new market to focus on, and the company has made a good start, according to the news source. The iPad app hides the majority of features in a slidable menu that is still easy to navigate, and transitions well from portrait to landscape view modes. The app also features high-quality animations for pinning items and zooming that integrate seamlessly with the graphical user interface design.

Unlike the iPhone and Android versions, the new iPad app also features a built-in browser that allows users to pin items from the web, rather than forcing them to use the mobile website. This provides an entire level of functionality over the other versions.

According to geeksugar, Pinterest will also soon release a Kindle Fire app.

One of the biggest upgrades to come out of version 2.0 is the addition of columns so users are no longer forced into one-image-at-a-time scrolling. This upgrade should prove to be major factor in improving user satisfaction. However, not all of the changes are good ones. Ars Technica noted that Facebook integration isn't working perfectly, and when tweeting or otherwise sharing a pin, users have to rewrite descriptions, rather than auto-share the information. The news source also noted issues with visiting certain websites, such as ThinkGeek, on the in-app browser.