How to Change Your Pinterest Email (and Fix "Already in Use")

Your email is how you log in, reset your password and get important notices from Pinterest, so it's worth keeping current. The steps differ slightly between personal and business accounts and between desktop and the app, so here they are side by side.

First, find which email your account uses

If you're not sure which address is on the account, check before you change anything. On a personal account on a computer, click the more options icon at the bottom left, select Settings and Support, then Account management; your email is listed under Email. On a business account, open the menu from the arrow at the top right, choose Settings, then Account management.

In the app, tap your profile picture at the bottom right, open the menu at the top right and tap Account management, then Email address.

Change the email on a personal account (computer)

1. Log in to Pinterest.
2. Click the more options icon at the bottom left of your screen.
3. Click Settings.
4. Click Account management on the left.
5. Type your new email address in the Email field.
6. Click Save.

Change the email in the Pinterest app

1. Open the app and log in.
2. Tap your profile picture at the bottom right.
3. Open the menu at the top right and tap Account management.
4. Tap Email address and enter the new one.
5. Tap Confirm email address to save it.

Change the email on a business account

Business accounts add a verification step. After you enter the new address in Account management, Pinterest sends a code to that new inbox. Look for an email with the subject line "Your Pinterest verification code", then type the code into Pinterest and select Enter (or Continue in the app).

If the code doesn't arrive, check spam and promotions folders and make sure you typed the address correctly. The code goes to the new email, not the old one, so you need access to the new inbox before you start.

"This email is already in use": what it means and the fix

This is the error that trips most people up. Pinterest links each email address to only one account at a time. If you see this message, the address is already attached to another Pinterest account, sometimes one you created by accident.

Pinterest's fix is specific: deactivate that other account, then wait seven days for the email address to become available again. After the week is up, go back and add it to the account you want to keep.

Situation	What to do
Email is on an old account you own	Log in to the old account, deactivate it, wait seven days, then use the email
You can't remember the old account	Search your name or username on Pinterest's password reset page to see a hint of the email linked to it
Your account uses Google or Apple to log in	Use Continue with Google or Apple; Pinterest says this only works if the account was set up that way
Email on the account has a typo	Try logging in with the typo version, then correct it in Account management

If you've lost access to your old email

Pinterest is strict here, and it's worth knowing before you get stuck. If you can't get into the old email and you never set up a Google or Apple login, Pinterest says it can't verify the account is yours and can't give you access. Its advice is to create a new account and then search for your old profile to save your public Pins to the new one.

Common typos Pinterest lists include .con instead of .com, .com instead of .net, yahoo.com instead of ymail.com and missing numbers from an address. Pinterest also warns its support team may be limited in helping when the typo is in the part after the @.

Teen accounts with a parental passcode

If a parent has set a parental passcode on a teen's account, Email is one of the locked settings. The passcode has to be entered before the email can change. That's deliberate, so a teen can't swap the address the parent relies on.

After you change it

• Log out and back in with the new email to check it works. Here's how to log out of Pinterest on each device.
• Update any password manager entry so it matches.
• If you stop getting Pinterest emails you want, check the address in Account management again before blaming notifications.

If login still fails after the change, my guide to fixing Pinterest when it's not working covers the wider login checks.

My verdict

Changing your Pinterest email takes a minute when the new address is free. The real time-waster is the already in use error, and the only fix Pinterest offers is deactivating the other account and waiting a week. So check first, plan for the wait, and keep a Google or Apple login connected as a backup in case you ever lose that inbox.

Frequently asked questions

How do I change my email on Pinterest?

Go to Settings, then Account management, enter the new address in the Email field and click Save, or tap Confirm email address in the app. Business accounts confirm with a code sent to the new email.

Why does Pinterest say my email is already in use?

Each email can only be linked to one Pinterest account at a time. Pinterest says to deactivate the other account using that email and wait seven days for the address to become available.

Can I change my Pinterest email without access to the old one?

If you're logged in, you can change it in Account management. If you can't log in and have no access to the old email or a Google or Apple login, Pinterest says it can't verify the account.

Can one email have two Pinterest accounts?

No. Pinterest links each email address to only one account at a time, so a second account needs a different email.