Quick answer
On your teen’s account (web): Settings > Account management (in the app, then Parental passcode), follow the prompts to create a four-digit passcode and add your email. Click the link in the confirmation email within 24 hours. To turn it off: Settings > Account management > Turn off next to Parental passcode (in the app, toggle the switch next to it), then enter the code. It expires when your teen turns 18.
Does this match what you see?
- You want to stop your teen changing their privacy or messaging settings.
- Your teen’s account asks for a parental passcode.
- You want to remove a parental passcode.
Computer (browser)iPhone & iPadAndroid
Based on Pinterest Help Center’s “Manage a parental passcode” page (text supplied by the site owner on November 8, 2026).
Why this happens: the possible causes
What the parental passcode locks (Pinterest).
| Setting | Note |
|---|---|
| Email and password | |
| Profile visibility | |
| Ads personalization | May depend on where your teen is located |
| Messaging, @Mentions and comments | |
| Shopping recommendations | |
| Video recommendations | May depend on where your teen is located |
- Changes that make the account more privateCheck this first
Pinterest says the passcode isn’t needed for changes that increase your teen’s privacy.
Try these 60-second checks first
- Make sure you can get into the email address you’ll add; Pinterest says you need it to change the passcode.
- Check your teen’s date of birth on the account is right; the passcode expires at 18 based on it.
How to fix it, step by step
Work through these in order. They start with the quickest, safest checks and only move to steps that sign you out or remove data later.
Fix 1: Set up a parental passcode
Pinterest’s steps for parents and caregivers.
iPhone & iPad
- Open the Pinterest app and log in to your teen’s account.
- Tap the profile picture (bottom right), then the profile picture (top left).
- Tap Account management > Parental passcode.
- Follow the prompts to create a four-digit passcode and add your email address.
- Open the confirmation email and tap the link to verify (valid for 24 hours).
Android
- Open the Pinterest app and log in to your teen’s account.
- Tap the profile picture (bottom right), then the profile picture (top left).
- Tap Account management > Parental passcode.
- Follow the prompts to create a four-digit passcode and add your email address.
- Open the confirmation email and tap the link to verify (valid for 24 hours).
Computer (browser)
- Log in to your teen’s Pinterest account.
- Click the more-options icon (bottom left) > Settings.
- Select Account management on the left.
- Follow the prompts to create a four-digit passcode and add your email address.
- Open the confirmation email from Pinterest and click the link to verify. Pinterest says the link is only valid for 24 hours.
Pinterest says you and your teen both get an email confirming the passcode is set up.
Did it work? You both receive the confirmation email.
Did Fix 1 solve it?
Great, you fixed it with Fix 1. Tell us it worked, or bookmark this page in case it happens again.
Fix 2: Turn off the parental passcode
Remove the lock before your teen turns 18.
iPhone & iPad
- Open the Pinterest app and log in to your teen’s account.
- Tap the profile picture (bottom right), then the profile picture (top left).
- Tap Account management and turn off the switch next to Parental passcode.
- Enter your four-digit code and tap Enter.
Android
- Open the Pinterest app and log in to your teen’s account.
- Tap the profile picture (bottom right), then the profile picture (top left).
- Tap Account management and turn off the switch next to Parental passcode.
- Enter your four-digit code and tap Enter.
Computer (browser)
- Log in to your teen’s Pinterest account.
- Click the more-options icon (bottom left) > Settings > Account management.
- Click Turn off next to Parental passcode.
- Enter your four-digit code and click Enter.
Pinterest says you and your teen both get an email confirming it’s off.
Did it work? You and your teen receive an email confirming the passcode is off.
Did Fix 2 solve it?
Great, you fixed it with Fix 2. Tell us it worked, or bookmark this page in case it happens again.
How the passcode works
- It’s for parents and caregivers of a teen under 18.
- You need access to the email you add to make changes to the passcode.
- It expires when your teen turns 18, based on the date of birth on the account.
- Pinterest says it deletes your email address once the passcode is turned off or expires.
- Changes that make the account more private don’t need the passcode.
- EU: Pinterest says it relies on your legitimate interests to use your email to confirm, manage and, if needed, recover the passcode, for as long as it’s active.
What Pinterest does for teens by default
Pinterest says you must be at least 13 to use Pinterest (some locations have a higher minimum). Its defaults depend on age:
| 13–15 | 16–17 | |
|---|---|---|
| Personal profile | Private (can’t be made public) | Private by default; can be made public |
| Business account | Not allowed (must be 16+) | Public |
| Boards and Pins | Visible only to them and people they invited to follow | Follow their profile setting |
| Messages | Mutual followers only | Settings widen with age |
- Comments: turned off on Pins a teen creates until they turn 18 (they can change this in comment settings).
- Group chats: a teen can only be added by people they follow who follow them back, and can accept or decline.
- AI training: under-18s are opted out of having their data used to train Pinterest Canvas, Pinterest’s AI model, and can’t opt in. See ads and data settings.
- Ads: in the EU, Switzerland and the UK, under-18s are opted out of all ads personalization settings until 18.
- Shuffles (Pinterest’s collage app): under 16 (under 18 in the UK, EU and Switzerland), teens can make and save Shuffles privately and like, comment on and follow others, but can’t publish publicly, and nobody can follow or message them. Pinterest says some existing followers may have been removed when this started. The limits lift automatically at 16 (18 in those regions); existing Shuffles stay private unless switched to public.
- School hours: Pinterest says it’s testing a reminder, during the school day, to put the phone down and pause notifications.
- Wrong birthday on the account? Pinterest says to contact it so it can help verify the age and fix the account.
Our tip: teens can leave off their last name or use a nickname on their profile; Pinterest says a last name is optional. Turning on two-factor authentication also helps protect the account.
If your teen sees something unsafe
- Report it: select the more options icon on the Pin, comment, message, board or account > Report, pick a reason and follow the prompts. Pinterest says reports are usually anonymous and people won’t know who reported them. (In Brazil, reports under the Digital Child and Adolescent Act can’t be anonymous.)
- Block them: on their profile, select the ellipsis > Block. See report or block someone.
- In danger? Pinterest says contact your local law enforcement immediately.
Child sexual exploitation
Pinterest says it has zero tolerance for child sexual exploitation and reports it to the relevant authorities. If you see sexualization or exploitation of a minor, such as grooming, sexual remarks or inappropriate images:
- Don’t save or share the image, even to warn others. Pinterest says sharing it can make it harder for law enforcement to find and remove every copy.
- Report it to Pinterest: select the ellipsis at the top of the Pin > Report.
- Report it to a hotline or the police too: in the US, the NCMEC CyberTipline (external site, opens in a new tab); in the UK, the Internet Watch Foundation (external site, opens in a new tab); elsewhere, find your national hotline through INHOPE (external site, opens in a new tab), or contact local law enforcement.
- If a child is at risk right now, call your local emergency number.
How to know it worked
- Trying to change a locked setting (such as the password or messaging) now asks for the passcode.
Still not working? Your next steps
- Can’t get into your teen’s account? See can’t log in to Pinterest.
Official help routes
SocialAppFix can’t see or change your account. For account decisions, recovery and appeals, only the platform’s own tools can help. These links go to the official sites.
- Pinterest Help: Manage a parental passcodePinterest (external site, opens in a new tab)
- Pinterest Help: Teen safety optionsPinterest (external site, opens in a new tab)
- Pinterest Help: Teen safety on ShufflesPinterest (external site, opens in a new tab)
- Pinterest Help: Combating online child exploitationPinterest (external site, opens in a new tab)
Frequently asked questions
Does Pinterest have parental controls?
Yes. Pinterest says a parent or caregiver can set a four-digit parental passcode on a teen’s account to lock settings like email, password, profile visibility and messaging.
How do I turn off the Pinterest parental passcode?
On the teen’s account (web): Settings > Account management > Turn off next to Parental passcode, then enter the four-digit code. In the app, toggle the switch next to Parental passcode instead.
When does the parental passcode expire?
Pinterest says when your teen turns 18, based on the date of birth on their account.
How old do you have to be to use Pinterest?
Pinterest says at least 13, and higher in some locations.
Can a teen make their Pinterest profile public?
Pinterest says 13–15 year olds can’t; 16–17 year olds are private by default but can choose to go public.
Does my teen know I set a passcode?
Yes. Pinterest says you and your teen both get an email when it’s set up or turned off.
Did this solve your problem?
Your answer stays in your browser — nothing is sent or stored. The “tell us” link opens your own email app.
Out of date or didn’t work? Email us — never include passwords or codes.
Sources and how we checked this guide
We base steps on the platforms’ own help pages and the phone makers’ official guides. Menu names change often and can differ by device, app version and region. Where a platform page could not be independently read, we link it so you can check the current wording yourself.
- Manage a parental passcode (external site, opens in a new tab)
- Teen safety options (external site, opens in a new tab)
- Combating online child exploitation (external site, opens in a new tab)
- Teen safety on Shuffles (external site, opens in a new tab)
- Make your profile private (external site, opens in a new tab)
- Manage GenAI settings (external site, opens in a new tab)
- Manage your privacy and data settings (external site, opens in a new tab)
Last reviewed 7 November 2026 by the SocialAppFix editorial team against the sources above. Next scheduled review: 7 May 2027. Editor: Michael Michael. How we write and review guides.
What changed
- 7 November 2026: First published.
SocialAppFix is an independent guide and is not affiliated with or endorsed by Pinterest. We never ask for passwords, login codes or payment to fix an account.