Pinterest Privacy Settings: Private Profile, Private Boards, Search and Ads Data

Does this match what you see?

• You want only certain people to see your Pins.
• You want to hide one board, such as a gift idea or project.

Computer (browser)iPhone & iPadAndroid

Based on Pinterest Help Center’s “Private boards” (formerly “Secret boards”) and “Make your profile private” pages, read on November 7, 2026.

Why this happens: the possible causes

Private profile vs private board.

• Public by default (adults)Check this first

  Our note: adult profiles and boards are public unless you change them; Pinterest says teen profiles are private by default.

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.

Teens and business accounts

• Teens: Pinterest says profiles for 13–15 year olds are private and can’t be made public. At 16–17, profiles are private by default but can be made public. Teens must be 16 or over to have a business account. See Pinterest parental controls and teen safety.
• Business accounts are always public. Pinterest says to make your profile private, first change it to a personal account.

Keep your profile out of Google and other search engines

Pinterest says search engines like Google, Bing and Yahoo may show your profile or boards. Search privacy asks them to leave you out, while your profile stays visible on Pinterest. You must be 18 or over to change it. If your profile is private, search privacy is on automatically and you can’t change it.

On the web:

1. Click the more-options icon (bottom left) > Settings.
2. Click Profile visibility.
3. Turn on the switch next to Search privacy, click I understand, then Save.

iPhone and Android app: tap your profile picture (bottom right), then your profile photo (top left) to open settings. Business accounts tap the ellipsis (top right) > Settings instead. Tap Profile visibility, turn on Search privacy and tap I understand. Pinterest says changes save automatically.

Pinterest says it adds a tag right away telling search engines to exclude your profile and boards, but information already in search results may stay for a while.

Still showing up? Pinterest says to ask the search engine to remove it: Google (external site, opens in a new tab), Bing (external site, opens in a new tab) or Yahoo (external site, opens in a new tab).

Ads personalization and data settings

Pinterest uses your activity on and off Pinterest to personalize what you see. Depending on where you live, you can opt in or out of some uses. On the web: click the more-options icon (bottom left) > Settings > Privacy and data, check or uncheck each setting, then click Save.

iPhone and Android app: tap your profile picture (bottom right), then your profile photo (top left) > Privacy and data, and tap the toggle next to each setting; Pinterest says app changes save automatically. Business accounts tap the profile photo (bottom right), then the ellipsis (top right) to reach settings.

• Seeing ads for Pinterest on Facebook, Google or news sites? Pinterest says it may use your Pinterest activity to show you ads about Pinterest on other platforms (business accounts may see ads for Pinterest advertising). Uncheck Ads about Pinterest in Privacy and data and save.
• Outside companies: Pinterest says it uses analytics providers such as Google Analytics, which you can block with Google’s browser opt-out add-on (external site, opens in a new tab). Third-party ad services it uses may collect your mobile ad ID and cookies; you can manage how they use your web activity at aboutads.info/choices (external site, opens in a new tab).
• Local ads (products in stock at nearby stores): Pinterest says it estimates your approximate location from your IP address, not GPS, and combines it with store locations. It may also use what you’re viewing and the advertiser’s targeting. To stop seeing an advertiser, block their account. In the EEA, you can object to the processing through Pinterest’s Data Protection Officer (external site, opens in a new tab).
• Under 18 in the EU, Switzerland or the UK: Pinterest says you’re automatically opted out of all ads personalization settings, and opted in when you turn 18. You can change them any time.
• Generative AI: Pinterest says it may use public content you save or upload to train Pinterest Canvas, its image generation model (used, for example, to create backgrounds on product images in ads). You can opt out any time: on the web, Settings > Privacy and data, uncheck Use your data to train Pinterest Canvas, and click Save. In the iPhone or Android app: tap your profile picture (bottom right), then your profile photo (top left) > Privacy and data, and turn off the toggle next to Use your data to train Pinterest Canvas. If you’re under 18, you’re opted out automatically and can’t opt in. Want fewer AI-made Pins in your feed? See Pinterest’s see fewer AI Pins (external site, opens in a new tab) page.
• Who’s targeting you (EU): Pinterest’s ads repository (external site, opens in a new tab) lists ads shown to users in the EU in the last 12 months. You can filter by date, category, country, advertiser, and age or gender targeting, then select Details on an ad to see its targeting and how many people in the EU saw it.
• EU only, “Inferred signals about you”: choose whether Pinterest uses things like Pins you’ve clicked, demographic info and your search history to personalize ideas. Find the setting and check or uncheck it.
• EU and UK, cookies: under Cookie Preferences in your privacy settings, select Edit.
• Your data: Pinterest’s Privacy Policy has sections for the EEA and California. To download, edit or delete your data, see below.

Our note: the Home feed tuner changes the Pins you’re recommended; these settings change ads and data use. You may want both.

Download, edit or delete your Pinterest data

Download a copy of your data

Pinterest says you can request a download of your personal data any time, and only the verified account holder can get it. On the web:

1. Click the more-options icon (bottom left) > Settings.
2. Select Privacy and data.
3. Under Request your data, click Start request.

iPhone and Android app: tap your profile picture (bottom right), then your profile photo (top left). Business accounts tap the ellipsis (top right) > Settings instead. Tap Privacy and data > Request your data > Start request.

Pinterest says it can take up to 48 hours to email you a download link. The email goes to the address on your account and comes through its third-party provider, SendSafely. Our note: if the email address on your account is out of date, update it first. Check your spam folder too.

Edit or delete your data

• Personal information: your birthday (mobile only), gender, location, language and contact details. Pinterest says this is private and not shown to other people. See edit your personal information (external site, opens in a new tab).
• Public profile: your profile photo, name, bio, pronouns, website, username and business contact details are public. See edit your profile (external site, opens in a new tab). Our tip: for extra privacy, Pinterest suggests changing the name on your profile.
• Delete everything: Pinterest says deleting your account removes your public profile and boards immediately and deletes your personal data. See deactivate or delete your account.
• EEA: to object to Pinterest processing your personal data, Pinterest says contact its Data Protection Officer (external site, opens in a new tab).

Changing your username or email? See change your Pinterest email or username.

Make a private board public again

In the board’s settings, turn off Make this board private.

What private boards change

• Saving a Pin to a private board doesn’t notify the person you saved it from, and doesn’t add to its save count.
• Saving a Pin from a private board doesn’t show the name of the person you saved it from on your new Pin.
• Your home feed may suggest Pins based on private boards; only you see these, and you need at least one private board for them to appear. See tune your home feed.
• To share a private board, invite people to collaborate, or make it public.
• Private boards and their Pins can’t be promoted with Pinterest ads.

How to know it worked

• Only the people you choose can see your profile or board.

Still not working? Your next steps

1. Want to check every privacy setting at once? Try our Privacy Checkup.
2. Need a business account? It must be public: see Pinterest business account.

Frequently asked questions