How to Delete Pinterest Account last updated: July 2022
It doesn’t get as much attention as newer, buzzier social media platforms like TikTok. However, Pinterest has maintained steady growth over its 12-year history. In fact, it currently has more than 478 million active monthly users worldwide.
Pinterest is essentially a digital scrapbook. The service allows users to “pin” content they want to reference later and organize it into “boards” with common themes like recipes, interior decorating, fashion, and children’s activities.
Pins are saved as still images, videos or GIFs. Users can connect and follow each other to search, browse and share content.
Approximately 60 percent of Pinterest users are female, with home design inspiration cited as the most popular category for searches and other activities on the platform. Style and fashion, beauty and fitness, travel, and wedding planning are also common topics for boards and searches.
Potential Risks of Using Pinterest
While Pinterest can be a compelling and convenient way to discover, save and share online content for future use, a user’s boards can also provide an opportunity for cybercriminals to gather details about their demographics, interests and more, raising the risk of digital and physical security breaches.
For example, pins to a travel-themed board may suggest that a user is planning an extended trip outside the country, while a wedding planning board can indicate upcoming nuptials. These details can then be used to craft convincing phishing attacks or plan a real-life burglary. And as with all social media platforms, the personal data users share with Pinterest upon registration is vulnerable to hacking and data breaches, which can result in financial and psychological devastation for victims.
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Deleting vs. Deactivating Your Pinterest Account
If your reasons for wanting to leave Pinterest stem mostly from concerns about data security, permanently deleting your account is probably the way to go.
However, if you’re engaging in a temporary digital detox or think you might like to return to the platform in the future, deactivating your account is a good in-between option.
When you deactivate your account, your boards and pins won’t show up in searches, although your data will still be stored on the site’s servers. Only deleting your account will ensure the absolute security of your private information.
How To Delete Pinterest Account via Web
To deactivate or delete your Pinterest account from a web-based browser:
- Log into your account and click the down arrow icon in the top right side of the screen.
- From the drop-down menu, choose Settings.
- Look to the list on the left side of the page and click Account Settings
- Scroll down to Account Changes, click either Deactivate Account or Delete Account and click Next.
- If you chose Deactivate Account, click Next. To restore your account and start using Pinterest again, simply log back in.
- If you chose Delete Account, Pinterest will ask you to provide a reason for deletion. Choose an option from the provided list and click Next, then Send Email.
- Check the email account associated with your Pinterest profile for a message confirming your request to delete. In the body of the email, click the Yes, Delete Account link to finalize the request.
- Once you’ve confirmed your request to delete, you have 14 days to change your mind and log back in and Pinterest will send you a link to restore your account. After 14 days, your account and all associated boards, pins and personal information will be deleted.
How To Delete Pinterest Account via Mobile
To deactivate or delete your account from the Pinterest mobile app:
- Open the Pinterest app and tap your profile icon in the bottom right corner of the screen.
- Tap the three-dot icon on the upper right side of the screen and then select Settings.
- On the Settings page, choose Account Settings.
- Go to the bottom of the next screen and tap Manage Account (iOS devices) or Account Changes (Android devices). Choose either Deactivate Your Account or Delete Your Account.
- If you selected Delete Your Account, choose your reason for deleting from the options provided and tap Next and then Send Email.
- Once you receive the email in the account you have registered with Pinterest, click the confirmation link within the message to verify your request. Your account will be deleted after 14 days unless you log back in and request to reactivate it.
Final Thoughts on How To Delete Pinterest Account
If you only use Pinterest sporadically, deleting your account can help you tighten up your personal digital security. The more social media platforms that have your personal information stored on their servers, the more vulnerable you are to potential data breaches, hacking and other violations of your online privacy.
This goes double if those platforms don’t have robust processes and systems in place to protect their users’ data. If improving your digital hygiene is one of your goals for 2022, deleting Pinterest may offer some low-hanging fruit to get you started.
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Let Removaly keep a watchful eye on your personally identifiable information with automated, real-time data removal.