How to Delete a Pin on Pinterest (Phone and Computer)

Old Pins pile up fast. A recipe you saved years ago, a product photo with the wrong colour, a test image you uploaded and forgot about: they all sit on your boards and shape what Pinterest thinks you're into. I like a regular clear-out, and deleting a single Pin takes less than a minute once you know where the button hides.

The catch is that Pinterest tucks Delete inside the edit screen rather than on the Pin itself. Below I'll walk you through the computer and phone routes exactly as Pinterest's help centre describes them, plus the gentler options when you're not sure you want something gone for good.

Deleting a Pin on Pinterest from a computer

On the website, the Delete button lives at the bottom of the Edit Pin screen. Here's the route Pinterest's help article gives:

1. Log in to Pinterest in your browser.
2. Click your profile picture at the top-right to open your profile.
3. Find the Pin you'd like to remove and click it to open it.
4. Click the ellipsis icon (the three dots), then select Edit Pin.
5. Click Delete at the bottom-left corner of the edit window.
6. Click Delete again to confirm.

That second Delete is your last chance to back out, so give the image one more glance before you click.

Deleting a Pin in the Pinterest app on iPhone or Android

Pinterest's help article gives one app route for both iPhone and Android, and the button names match on each:

1. Open the Pinterest app and make sure you're logged in.
2. Tap your profile picture at the bottom-right of the screen.
3. Find the Pin and tap it to open it.
4. Tap the ellipsis icon in the top-right corner, then tap the edit option.
5. Tap Delete this Pin, or the trashcan icon at the bottom of the screen.
6. Tap Delete to confirm.

Menus vary a little by app version, so you might see the trashcan rather than the words. Either one does the same job.

Why a deleted Pin on Pinterest can't come back

This is the part people miss. Pinterest's help centre says deleted Pins can't be recovered, so it suggests making sure you no longer want the Pin on your profile or board before you confirm. There's no recycle bin for single Pins and no undo button.

If the Pin is one you created, that means the title, description and link you wrote go with it. If you might want the image again later, keep a copy of the original file on your phone or computer before you delete anything.

Moving a Pin instead of deleting it on Pinterest

Quite often the Pin isn't wrong, it's just in the wrong place. A wedding idea saved to your kitchen board, say. Moving it keeps the Pin and tidies the board. Pinterest's help describes a bulk route that's handy for big clear-ups:

1. Open one of your boards from your profile.
2. Click or tap Organize at the top of the board.
3. Select the Pins you'd like to shift.
4. Choose Move, then pick the destination board or section.

For one Pin, you can also open Edit Pin and change the board name there. It's the same screen you'd use to delete, so it's worth pausing on it for a second and asking which you really want.

Hiding a whole board of Pins on Pinterest without deleting

If you've gone off an entire theme, archiving the board can be a better choice than deleting Pins one by one. Pinterest's help says an archived board moves to the bottom of your profile, disappears from your public profile, and can be unarchived at any time. You can't save new Pins to it while it's archived, but nothing is lost.

What you want	Best Pinterest option
Get rid of one Pin for good	Delete it from Edit Pin
Keep the Pin but tidy your boards	Move it with Edit Pin or Organize
Hide a whole theme for now	Archive the board
Stop seeing someone's Pins in your feed	Block or unfollow the account

Deleting Pins on a Pinterest business profile

For small businesses and creators, Pins are a shop window. Old offers, out-of-date product photos and broken links send people to the wrong place, so a clear-out every few months is good housekeeping. I'd tidy with a plan rather than in a rush:

• Start with Pins that point to pages you've removed from your website.
• Replace outdated product images with fresh Pins rather than leaving a gap on the board.
• Keep seasonal Pins that come round again each year, and move them to a seasonal board instead of deleting them.
• Check the board after deleting, so the cover image still looks right.

If you're building Pinterest into your marketing from the ground up, my guide on learning Pinterest marketing from scratch covers how to plan boards so you need fewer clear-outs later. And if you're wondering whether the platform is worth the effort for your business at all, I've set out the reasons in why Pinterest works for promoting a business.

If the Pinterest delete option is missing

A few things usually explain a missing Delete button:

• You've opened the Pin from someone else's board or your home feed. Open it from your own profile instead, then try Edit Pin.
• You're on an older app version. Update Pinterest from your app store and look again.
• You're tapping the image itself rather than the ellipsis icon. Delete sits inside the edit screen, not on the Pin.

If you blocked an account, Pinterest's help notes that Pins you'd already saved from them stay on your profile, and you can edit or delete them in the usual way. When something still won't budge, Pinterest's help centre is the place to ask, since its team can see things you can't from your side.

Frequently asked questions

How do I delete a Pin on Pinterest?

Open the Pin from your profile, select the ellipsis icon, choose Edit Pin, then select Delete (or the trashcan icon in the app) and confirm. On a computer, Delete sits at the bottom-left of the edit window.

Can I get a deleted Pin back on Pinterest?

No. Pinterest's help centre says deleted Pins can't be recovered, so check you don't want the Pin before you confirm. If you might need it again, move it to another board instead.

Why can't I see the Delete button on my Pin?

Delete lives inside Edit Pin, which you reach through the ellipsis icon. Make sure you've opened the Pin from your own profile and that your app is up to date.

Is it better to delete or archive Pins?

If you want a single Pin gone for good, delete it. If you've lost interest in a whole theme for now, archive the board, which hides it from your public profile and can be undone at any time.

What happens to Pins I saved from someone I've blocked?

Pinterest says they stay on your profile after you block the account. You can edit or delete them yourself in the usual way.