Are you bored with your Mac’s desktop background? Do you wish that your background could automatically refresh on its own with new images? If so, you’re in luck. With a Mac App called Desktop Pins, you can add your Pinterest pins (or anyone else’s) to your desktop background.
Desktop Pins is the perfect app for those that want to freshen up their desktop. The app acts as a companion to your desktop background; you’ll still see your background image, but it will now serve as a backdrop to your Pinterest pins.
Desktop Pins will reshuffle the pins on your background every 10 minutes and will refresh them (check for changes and new pins) every hour. Best of all, a Pinterest account is not needed to use the app, but having one makes the app much more fun and personal.
Installation
Desktop Pins can be downloaded from the Mac App Store. When you first run the app, you’ll be greeted by a Welcome screen. You can stop this from showing again by leaving “show this window again next time” unchecked, at the bottom of the window.
Click on the “Start Desktop Pins” button to get started. The Desktop Pins setup window will automatically appear.
Setup
By default, pins are turned off. When you’re ready to enable them, just slide the switch to “on.” You can also choose to start the app when your computer starts.
You can use any Pinterest page, category or board that you’d like; all you need is the URL. You can even use the home page URL if you’d like to keep up with everyone you’re following. Whatever you decide to use, you’ll need to enter that URL in the setup window.
By default, you’ll see Pinterest’s popular pins URL entered here. To change it, click on the “Change” button. You’ll then be directed to the “Pinterest” tab in the setup window – it’s basically a mini browser window. You’ll need to login if you want to use a specific board from your page or a friend’s.
Navigate to the page, category or board that you want to use and then click on “Desktop Pins” tab. You’ll now see that location (URL) under “user pins from this page.”
Styles
Finally, click on the “Styles” tab in the setup window and you’ll see that there are three styles to choose from: photo stack, photo pins, photo wall.
Choose the style that you like best and then close the setup window. You may want to change your current desktop background to something a bit simpler, so that it doesn’t take away from your pins or look too busy.
Conclusion
Using Pinterest pins as your background gives you tons of possibilities. With Desktop Pins for Mac you can: keep up with those you’re following; keep tabs on the most popular pins; get inspiration for weddings, parties, vacations, home decorating; and much more.
Even though your pins will automatically reshuffle every 10 minutes, you can also force a reshuffle from the menu bar icon. Likewise, you can force a refresh from Pinterest as well from the menu bar icon – even though it’s automatically done once an hour.
Have you added Pinterest pins to your desktop background?
Desktop Pins
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Charnita Fance
Charnita has been a Freelance Writer & Professional Blogger since 2008. As an early adopter she loves trying out new apps and services. As a Windows, Mac, Linux and iOS user, she has a great love for bleeding edge technology. You can connect with her on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, and LinkedIn.
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