Pinterest has unveiled a barrage of new tools this year in its push to become an online commerce powerhouse.
The social scrapbooking platform is now launching a feature that lets you monitor the price of the buyable pins on your wish list. The new tool will send users in-app notifications and emails every time the price drops on a product they’ve pinned. This means you can directly access that buyable pin you saved in the past and make your purchase.
Pinterest is likely hoping that the new feature will urge users to revisit its app and make more purchases as a result. For many shopaholics, the best part of the shopping experience is finding a bargain. Keeping tabs on the price of your favorite pins is thus a Pinterest bargain hunter’s dream come true. The app’s development team recognized this and designed the new tools to match user behavior on the service.
“I don’t think it’s a unique psychology to Pinterest, but we tried to build a shopping experience that worked for that customer experience — discovering a product, waiting for the right moment, and then completing the purchase in a seamless way,” Sarah Shere, Pinterest product marketing manager, told Tech Crunch. “In this case one of those right moments is waiting for the price to drop.”
Buyable pins were launched in June, and since then much of the app’s monetization strategy has revolved around them — along with advertising. Recently, the platform launched the Pinterest Shop, a feature that curates all of the trending buyable pins in one easily accessible spot.
Pinterest’s new tools
Pinterest’s new tools
Apple to update EU browser options, make more apps deletable
- iPhone maker came under pressure from regulators to make changes after the EU’s sweeping Digital Markets Act took effect on March 7
- Apple users will be able to select a default browser directly from the choice screen after going through a mandatory list of options
STOCKHOLM: Apple will change how users choose browser options in the European Union, add a dedicated section for changing default apps, and make more apps deletable, the company said on Thursday.
The iPhone maker came under pressure from regulators to make changes after the EU’s sweeping Digital Markets Act took effect on March 7, forcing big tech companies to offer mobile users the ability to select from a list of available web browsers on a “choice screen.”
The new rules require mobile software makers to show the choice screen where users can select a browser, search engine and virtual assistant as they set up their phones, which earlier came with preferred options from Apple and Google.
In an update later this year, Apple users will be able to select a default browser directly from the choice screen after going through a mandatory list of options.
A randomly ordered list of 12 browsers per EU country will be shown to the user with short descriptions, and the chosen one will be automatically downloaded, Apple said. The choice screen will also be available on iPads through an update later this year.
Apple released a previous update in response to the new rules in March, but browser companies criticized the design of its choice screen, and the Commission opened an investigation on March 25 saying it suspected that the measures fell short of effective compliance.
The company said it has been in dialogue with the European Commission and believes the new changes will address regulators’ concerns.
It also plans to introduce a dedicated area for default apps where a user will be able to set defaults for messaging, phone calls, spam filters, password managers and keyboards.
Users will also be able to delete certain Apple-made apps such as App Store, Messages, Camera, Photos and Safari. Only Settings and Phone apps would not be deletable.
