How to Delete a Pinterest Account in 2024 – A Friendly Guide

Hey there! Have you been thinking about deleting your Pinterest account lately?

You‘re not alone. With over 400 million users, Pinterest is one of the biggest social media platforms. But privacy concerns, wasted time scrolling, and unwanted old content make many people decide to delete their Pinterest accounts each year.

In this detailed guide, I‘ll walk you through how to permanently delete your Pinterest account, either through the mobile app or desktop site. I‘ll also cover how to temporarily deactivate your account if you want to take a break from Pinterest without fully committing to permanent deletion.

Here‘s a quick overview of what we‘ll cover:

• The pros and cons of deleting your Pinterest account – weigh them carefully!
• Step-by-step instructions to delete your account on mobile or desktop
• How to temporarily deactivate your account instead
• Tips for saving your pinned content beforehand
• Reactivating a deleted Pinterest account within 14 days
• Expert advice for troubleshooting issues and increasing privacy

After reading this guide, you‘ll feel empowered to decide whether to remove your Pinterest presence for good through account deletion. Let‘s get started!

Why You May Want to Delete Your Pinterest Account

First, let‘s discuss some of the top reasons people decide to delete their Pinterest accounts:

Privacy Concerns

Pinterest has faced scrutiny over its data collection practices before. In 2021, the company paid $22.5 million in a settlement over claims it illegally tracked users‘ private data for advertising purposes.

Recent research also found over 80% of the most popular Pinterest pins contain identifiable user data. This raises privacy issues for those wanting to remove personal info from the platform.

Too Much Time Wasted

A 2021 survey found that most Pinterest users spend around 2.5 hours per month on the platform. With the endless scrolling and stream of content, it‘s easy to lose track of time.

Deleting your account can help reclaim that time back and reduce distractions. According to one deleted user I spoke to, "Removing Pinterest helped me focus on more meaningful activities."

Unwanted Old Content

Over time, many users end up with Pinterest boards and pins that no longer represent their current interests or that they simply no longer want public.

Deleting the account completely removes all old content and allows a fresh start if they ever return to Pinterest.

Lose Interest

Finally, some users gradually lose interest in using Pinterest over time as other platforms take priority or their social media interests change.

With 412 million global users, Pinterest certainly isn‘t for everyone. Deleting your account cleans up your social media presence if you no longer get value from the platform.

Now let‘s go over how to actually delete your account if you decide it‘s time.

How to Delete Your Pinterest Account on Mobile

Let‘s start with using the Pinterest mobile app on iOS or Android to delete your account:

1. Open the Pinterest app on your iPhone, iPad or Android device. You can also use the mobile website if you don‘t have the app.

2. Tap on your profile icon in the bottom right corner. This is the circle with a hexagon shape inside it.

3. Select "Settings" from the menu that appears.

4. Scroll down and tap "Close account" on the Account page.

Note: To temporarily deactivate your account, tap "Deactivate account" instead. It hides your profile while keeping data intact.

5. Pinterest will ask why you are closing your account. Select a reason and tap "Close account."

6. Check the email account connected to your Pinterest profile. Open the confirmation email from Pinterest.

7. In the email, click "Yes, close account" to confirm you want to delete your account.

And that‘s it! Your Pinterest account will now be scheduled for deletion. Pinterest keeps accounts deactivated for 14 days before permanent removal, just in case you change your mind.

Simply log back in within 14 days and your account will be reactivated with all previous data intact.

Now let‘s look at deleting your account directly through the Pinterest website…

How to Delete Your Pinterest Account on Desktop

You can also delete your Pinterest account right from the Pinterest.com desktop website:

1. Go to Pinterest.com and log into your account through your web browser.

2. Click on your profile icon in the top right corner.

3. Select "Settings" from the dropdown menu that appears.

4. Scroll down and choose "Close account" located under “Account changes” towards the bottom of the page.

Tip: To temporarily deactivate instead, choose "Deactivate account".

5. Pinterest will ask why you are deleting your account. Pick a reason and click "Close account".

6. Check your email for a confirmation message from Pinterest. Click the link inside to confirm deletion.

7. Your account will remain deactivated for 14 days before being permanently deleted.

And those are the steps to remove your Pinterest account through the desktop site. Easy enough!

Reactivating a Deleted Pinterest Account

If you decide to temporarily deactivate your Pinterest account instead of permanently deleting it, you have 14 days to restore your account.

Simply log back into Pinterest anytime in that two week window and your account will automatically reactivate. All of your previous boards, pins, followers, profile details, and other data will reappear.

According to Pinterest, it will be like your account was never gone! Reactivating it preserves everything you had previously.

However, there is unfortunately no way to recover a Pinterest account after 14 days have passed from permanent deletion. At that point, the removal is irreversible.

So be absolutely sure before deleting your account for good! Deactivating gives you a cushion to change your mind.

Tips for Deleting Your Pinterest Account

Before pulling the plug on your Pinterest account, keep these tips in mind:

• Download or screenshot any pins, boards or other content you may want to save. Once your account is gone, that data will all be lost!

• Uninstalling the Pinterest mobile app does not delete your account. You need to fully deactivate the account through the steps outlined above.

• Having issues deleting your account? Try using a different web browser or clearing your cookies and cache to troubleshoot.

• If you permanently delete your account but later create a new one, you‘ll essentially be starting fresh. Your old content and followers can‘t be restored.

• To take a temporary break from Pinterest without fully committing to account deletion, try limiting your weekly time on the app or doing a social media detox.

Weighing the Pros and Cons of Deleting Pinterest

Before you decide to take the plunge and delete your Pinterest account, think carefully about these potential pros and cons:

Pros of Deleting Pinterest

• Increased privacy and control over your personal data
• No more wasted time endlessly scrolling
• Removes old content you no longer want public
• Opportunity to take a break and reevaluate how you want to use social media
• Frees you to focus on other preferred platforms

Cons of Deleting Pinterest

• Lose access to pinned content, boards and followers you want to keep
• Permanently gone after 14 days with no way to recover anything
• Can‘t change your mind after two weeks unless you only deactivated account
• Must start completely fresh if you create a new account later

Pros	Cons
Increased privacy	Lose access to content you want to keep
Remove old content	Permanently gone after 14 days
Take a break from the platform	Must start completely fresh if return
More control over data	Can‘t change mind after 14 days if deleted
Frees up time and focus	Lose followers and connections

Looking at the potential benefits and drawbacks can help guide your decision. How you personally use Pinterest will determine whether deletion is right for you.

Delete Your Pinterest Account – Final Thoughts

If you‘ve decided that the downsides of Pinterest now outweigh the upsides for you, deleting your account can provide a clean break from the platform.

Take the time to download any pins or boards you want to reminisce on in the future – once your account is gone, that content goes with it!

Also consider temporarily deactivating your account for 14 days before committing to permanent deletion. That cushion leaves you time to change your mind if you have second thoughts.

Overall, removing your Pinterest account is relatively straightforward. Just be absolutely certain before taking that irreversible step!

I hope this guide gave you all the knowledge needed to decide if and how to delete your Pinterest account in 2024. Let me know if you have any other questions!