You went to open Pinterest and your password no longer works, or you got an email saying your email address, username, or password was changed when you did nothing of the sort. Maybe you can still see your boards but a login from an unfamiliar computer or location showed up in your inbox. Whatever the trigger, the situation is the same. Someone may have gotten into your account, and every minute they have it they can change your recovery details or fill your boards with spam. The good news is that Pinterest builds most of the recovery path around two things you may still control, your linked email and any Google, Facebook, or Apple login you set up. Work through the steps below in order, on a device and network you have used to sign in before.
When you reset credentials, use a random password generator rather than inventing a variation of the old password. Random passwords generated locally in the browser are far harder to crack or guess.
Confirm you were actually hacked before you do anything else
Not every strange email means a takeover, but a few signals are worth taking seriously. If you received a message about a change you did not make, such as your email, username, or password being changed, or a login from a new computer or location, it is possible someone else got into your account. Pinterest documents this exact scenario in its "you got an email about a change you didn't make" article.
Pinterest also acts on its own. When it detects strange activity such as logins from unusual locations, many logins in a short period, or spammy behavior, it automatically emails you, resets your password, and logs everyone out. That auto-protection can feel alarming, but it often works in your favor by kicking an intruder out before they can do more damage. If you got one of those security emails, do not ignore it, and do not assume it is a phishing attempt without checking the sender first.
Lock the account and reset the password as your first move
If Pinterest sent you a security email about a change you did not make, the fastest action is inside that email. Click "Lock my account" in the email Pinterest sent you, then reset your password. Locking the account cuts off whoever is currently signed in, which buys you time to regain control.
If you can still receive Pinterest's email, resetting your password is the most direct route back in:
- 1.Go to the Pinterest password reset page at pinterest.com/password/reset.
- 2.Enter your email, name, or username and click Search.
- 3.Pick your account from the results.
- 4.Open the reset email and click "Reset password."
- 5.Enter a new password and click "Change password."
This works only if you still have access to the linked email address. If the reset link does not open correctly in your normal browser, try a private window in Chrome, Firefox, or Safari. Pinterest will not let you reuse a recently used password, so choose something new and unique.
Get back in with Google, Facebook, or Apple if the email was changed
If the attacker swapped the email on the account, or the address on file is old or inaccessible, the password reset above may not reach you. There is still a way in if you previously connected a Google, Facebook, or Apple login. Go to the login page and click "Continue with Google," or the Facebook or Apple equivalent, instead of entering your email and password. This bypass only works if your account was already set up to sign in that way, so it is not an option you can add after the fact while locked out.
Lock down the account the moment you regain access
Getting back in is only half the job. Until you change credentials and revoke the intruder's sessions, they may still have a foothold. Start by setting a fresh password from inside your settings.
- 1.Log in and go to Settings > Account management.
- 2.Click "Change" next to Password.
- 3.Enter your old password, then the new password twice.
- 4.Click "Change password."
Use a unique password that you do not reuse on any other site. Next, find out who else has been signing in. On desktop, click the more-options icon at the bottom left, go to Settings > Security, and under Connected devices click "Show sessions" to see the date and location of each login. Click "End activity" next to any session you do not recognize to revoke its access. This session view is currently desktop-only, so use a computer for this step.
Then clean up app access. Go to Settings > Security and review connected apps under Login options. On desktop that is the more-options icon > Settings > Security; on mobile it is your profile picture > profile photo > Security. For Facebook-connected access, you remove it from Facebook's "Apps and websites" settings. For Apple, disable the connection from your phone settings, and note that once you disconnect it you cannot reconnect it.
Turn on two-factor authentication so it does not happen again
Once the account is clean, add a second barrier. Go to Settings > Security, enable "Require code at login" under Two-factor authentication, confirm your email and password, enter your country code and phone number, and enter the verification code Pinterest texts you. Save the backup code Pinterest gives you in a secure location, because it is what gets you in if you cannot receive the text.
A few limits are worth knowing. Pinterest's two-factor authentication is SMS-based, meaning you provide a phone number so Pinterest can text you a code to log in. A phone number can only be linked to one account, and the feature is not available in all regions yet. If you later lose access to your phone or need to update the linked number, Pinterest says to contact it for help.
Habits that keep your account out of reach
Beyond a strong password and two-factor authentication, a handful of habits close the doors attackers usually walk through. Pinterest's own guidance covers the essentials:
- 1.Use a strong, unique password with numbers and symbols.
- 2.Never share your password. Pinterest will never ask for it by email, message, or phone.
- 3.Only enter your password on pinterest.com or the official app.
- 4.Check that the address bar really ends in pinterest.com, not something like pinterest.somethingelse.com.
- 5.Keep your device, browser, and antivirus up to date.
That last point about the address bar matters more than it looks. Most account takeovers start with a fake login page, so confirming the genuine domain before you type anything is one of the cheapest protections you have. Never enter a verification code, password, or 2FA code anywhere someone sends you outside the official site or app, and never hand any of those to a person who asks, no matter how official they sound.
What to expect when you have to ask Pinterest for help
If none of the self-service routes work, the honest picture is that recovery becomes harder and success is not guaranteed. Use the "Get more help" contact form at help.pinterest.com/en/contact and choose the Account Access & Closure category for login and recovery issues. There is no published timeline for how long Pinterest takes to respond to or resolve a hacked-account contact request, so do not count on a fixed turnaround.
The hard limit is identity verification. Per Pinterest's "email is old or inaccessible" article, if you do not have access to your email address and you have not set up a Google, Facebook, or Apple login, Pinterest cannot verify that the account belongs to you. In that case it may be unable to restore the account, and it suggests creating a new account and searching for your old one so you can re-save the same Pins and follow the same people. That is not the outcome anyone wants, but it is the realistic one when there is no way to prove ownership.
One safety note while you wait. Do not create a new account just to appeal or report the affected one beyond Pinterest's own suggestion, and never pay a third-party "account recovery" or "unban" service. Those services are commonly scams and cannot do anything you cannot do through the official channels.
If someone is impersonating you or the account was closed
Sometimes the problem is not your own account but a fake one. If someone created or took over an account impersonating you, report it through the contact form by selecting "Report a policy violation" then "Report account impersonation." Provide the URL of the impersonating profile along with your real profile and identity verification. Pinterest reviews profile info, Pin descriptions, comments, and board titles when it evaluates the report. A merely similar username on its own is not treated as impersonation.
If your account was permanently closed, time is the deciding factor. You have 7 days from the close date to reactivate it by logging back in. After 7 days, the account and data are deleted and cannot be recovered. Separately, if you hit a temporary login block due to suspicious activity, wait thirty minutes before trying to log in or save Pins again, since most limits are removed automatically.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I recover my Pinterest account if the hacker changed my email?
Yes, if you previously connected a Google, Facebook, or Apple login. Go to the login page and click "Continue with Google," Facebook, or Apple instead of entering your email and password. If you never set up one of those logins and you cannot access the email on the account, Pinterest cannot verify the account is yours and may be unable to restore it.
How long do I have to get a deleted Pinterest account back?
If the account was permanently closed, you have 7 days from the close date to reactivate it by logging back in. After 7 days, the account and its data are deleted and cannot be recovered.
Does Pinterest charge to recover a hacked account?
No. Recovery runs through Pinterest's own free tools, the password reset, the "Lock my account" button in its security email, and the "Get more help" contact form. Never pay a third-party "account recovery" or "unban" service, as these are commonly scams.
What if I get a temporary block instead of being locked out?
If you see a temporary login or IP block due to suspicious activity, wait thirty minutes before trying to log in or save Pins again. Most limits are removed automatically, so you usually do not need to contact support for this.
Will turning on two-factor authentication require an authenticator app?
No. Pinterest's two-factor authentication is SMS-based, so you provide a phone number and Pinterest texts you a code at login. When you enable it, save the backup code Pinterest gives you, since that is what lets you in if you cannot receive the text. A phone number can only be linked to one account, and the feature is not available in all regions yet.
How can I tell if someone is still logged into my account?
On desktop, click the more-options icon at the bottom left, go to Settings > Security, and under Connected devices click "Show sessions" to see the date and location of each login. Click "End activity" next to any session you do not recognize to revoke its access. This feature is currently desktop-only.
