Pinterest can now search visually within pins for similar items

Last night, the company announced that from today on (November 9), the company will use a tool that will make a visual search possible with an existing pin. What the search tool actually does is to allow you to zoom in on any part of an image and instantly search for similar images.

Pinterest engineering manager Kevin Jing used the site’s blog to explain how the new search tool will allow users to select part of a picture – or “Pin” – to find other Pins just like it.

You’ll also be able to filter these results by tapping on tags that match what you’re looking for. For example, see a lamp in a Pin of a living room that you’re interested in?

“Sometimes you spot something you really love on Pinterest, but you don’t know how to find it in real life, or what it’s even called”.

The Pinterest app has become a hub for community-sourced inspiration, with users pinning images of cool new items, furniture, and clothing.

Pinterest is updating its mobile and Web apps today with an interesting new way to visually search for content. Visually similar items will be displayed below the pinned post, and can be refined even more by adding keywords. By giving users a way to better focus searches, visual search could help cut down on those hours of addictive browsing on Pinterest, a guilty pleasure that is nonetheless a major time waster. The visual search tool starts rolling out tomorrow to Pinners globally on all platforms (iOS, Android and web), and is just the first step.