# Pinboard Messaging Services Pinterest Introduces a Photo Messaging Feature for Social Pinning By Laura McQuarrie | Published 2014-08-07 | Tech Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/photo-messaging References: [wearesocialmedia.gr](http://wearesocialmedia.gr/pinterest-introduces-messages/) & [about.pinterest](http://about.pinterest.com/en/messages) [Pinterest](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/pinterest-1) has always been a great platform for collecting visual inspiration, but it's been less focused on communication and photo messaging—the only ways to interact with other users included leaving a comment, tagging someone in a pin's description or send a pin to someone. Now, Pinterest is making its app much more social, by introducing Messages. With the success of apps like [Snapchat](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/snapchat-4) and [Instagram](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/send-on-instagram), there's a huge value in being able to communicate with pictures. With Messages, it's a lot easier to bounce ideas back and forth with someone else, or get a second opinion on something. In addition to one-on-one chats, the new feature also lets users partake in larger group chats. Already, there are over 2 million pins that are shared each day, but this new feature could make the site more social and give this number an even bigger boost. ## Trend Insights (Trend Hunter) - Score: 4.0/10 - Popularity: 33% | Activity: 78% | Freshness: 8% - Audience gender: 30% men, 70% women - Primary generations: Gen Z, Millennial, Gen X - Top markets: North America, Europe ## Categories [Trend Hunter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends) > [Tech](https://www.trendhunter.com/tech) > [Mobile](https://www.trendhunter.com/mobile) ## Key Themes ### What's Driving This Trend - **Photo Messaging:** Pinterest's introduction of photo messaging feature showcases the trend of visual communication and the value of communicating with pictures. - **Social Interaction:** Pinterest's Messages feature reflects the trend of making social media platforms more interactive and facilitating easier communication among users. - **Group Chats:** The inclusion of group chats in Pinterest's messaging feature aligns with the trend of fostering community engagement and facilitating collaborative discussions. ### Who This Affects Most - **Social Media:** The integration of photo messaging in Pinterest presents innovative opportunities for social media platforms to enhance user engagement and communication functionality. - **Messaging Apps:** The rise of photo messaging features in popular platforms like Pinterest indicates potential disruptive innovation opportunities in the messaging app industry. - **Visual Inspiration:** Pinterest's focus on visual communication through Messages showcases the trend within the visual inspiration industry to provide more comprehensive and interactive experiences for users. ## Related on Trend Hunter - [Privacy-Enhancing Social Features](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/pinterest-1.md) - [Enhanced Pinterest Shopping Tools](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/video-in-catalogs.md) - [Collage-Creating Mobile Apps](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/shuffles.md) - [Visual Chat Platforms](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/picnow.md) - [Running Partner Messaging Apps](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/strava-messaging.md) - [Social Posting Platform Features](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/send-on-instagram.md) - [Web-Based Image Messaging Apps](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/snapchat-4.md) - [Newsletter App Messaging Upgrades](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/substack-4.md) - [Chat-Enabled Real Estate Apps](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/zillow-direct-messaging.md)