- Why your Pinterest feed looks the way it does
- Step 1: Refine your recommendations
- Step 2: Tell Pinterest what you don't want
- Step 3: Check what you're following
- Step 4: Look at your private boards
- What won't change: the ads
- What each fix does, side by side
- Reset or start a new account?
- My advice
- Frequently asked questions
Pinterest doesn't have a single button that resets your home feed. The closest thing is Refine your recommendations in your settings, where you can turn off recommendations based on Pins you've engaged with and cut back AI content, combined with See fewer like this on the Pins you don't want and unfollowing the boards, topics and accounts they come from.
If your feed has filled up with wedding cakes after one search for a friend, or with ideas from a project you finished months ago, you're not stuck with it. Pinterest recommends Pins based on your saves, searches and browsing, and it gives you several levers to change that. Pulled together, they work like a reset.
Why your Pinterest feed looks the way it does
Pinterest's help pages say your home feed is a blend of Pins picked for you and Pins from the people, topics and boards you follow. The Pins picked for you come from what you save, what you search for and what you look at. So the feed changes when you change any of those.
To see why a particular Pin is there, click the three dots at the bottom right of the Pin. Pinterest tells you the reason, which shows you which lever to pull.
Step 1: Refine your recommendations
This is the main setting. On a computer:
- Log in to Pinterest.
- Click the more options icon at the bottom left of the screen.
- Select Refine your recommendations.
- Use the Activity and AI content tabs to change what you see.
In the app, tap your profile picture at the bottom right, tap the more options icon at the top right, then tap Refine your recommendations. On a business account, Pinterest says you'll find it under the three dots at the top right, then Settings.
Inside, the two tabs do different jobs:
| Tab | What it changes |
|---|---|
| Activity | Turns off recommendations based on Pins you've engaged with or looked at |
| AI content | Lets you see fewer AI-generated Pins. The Show AI content toggle turns off every AI topic at once, or you can switch topics off one by one |
Step 2: Tell Pinterest what you don't want
For the Pins that keep coming back, use See fewer like this:
- From your home feed, click or tap the three dots at the bottom right of the Pin.
- Select See fewer like this. In some versions of the app it's labelled See less.
From the same menu you can unfollow the board, topic or account the Pin came from. Pinterest says this helps it understand what you do and don't want to see. If whole categories have taken over, unfollowing the source works faster than hiding Pins one at a time.
Step 3: Check what you're following
Part of your feed is simply the boards, topics and people you follow. Go through them and unfollow anything you've outgrown. This is often where an old project hangs on, long after you've stopped searching for it.
Step 4: Look at your private boards
This one surprises people. Pinterest says you may see suggestions on your home feed based on your private boards. They're only visible to you, but they still shape what you're shown. If you've got a private board from an old project, archiving or deleting it can quieten that theme down.
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What won't change: the ads
Pinterest is clear that changing your recommendations won't affect the ads you see on your home feed. Ads are controlled separately, in Settings, then Privacy and data, where you can switch off options such as Use info from sites you visit and Use of partner info. If ads are the part that bothers you, that's the screen to visit.
What each fix does, side by side
| Fix | Best for | How long it lasts |
|---|---|---|
| Turn off Activity recommendations | A feed shaped by things you only looked at | Until you turn it back on |
| See fewer like this | One type of Pin that keeps reappearing | Ongoing, as Pinterest learns |
| Unfollow a board, topic or account | Whole themes you've outgrown | Until you follow again |
| Turn off Show AI content | Too many AI-generated Pins | Until you turn it back on |
| Archive an old private board | Suggestions from a finished project | As long as the board stays archived |
Mix and match. Most people only need two or three of these to get a feed that looks like them again.
Reset or start a new account?
Some people start a fresh account to get a clean feed. It works, but you lose your boards, followers and everything Pinterest has learned about what you like. For most people the steps above get you most of the way there without losing anything. If the app itself is misbehaving rather than just showing the wrong Pins, my guide to fixing Pinterest when it isn't working is the better starting point.
My advice
Do it in one sitting. Switch off Activity-based recommendations for a few days, unfollow the topics you've outgrown, and use See fewer like this on the first handful of unwanted Pins you meet. Then switch Activity back on and save a few Pins you love, so Pinterest has something new to learn from. If you use Pinterest for your business, keep personal browsing on a separate secret board or a separate account, because what you look at shapes what you're shown.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a reset button for the Pinterest home feed?
No. Pinterest doesn't offer a single reset button. Refine your recommendations, See fewer like this and unfollowing sources together do the same job.
Where is Refine your recommendations on Pinterest?
On a computer, click the more options icon at the bottom left and select Refine your recommendations. In the app, tap your profile picture, then the more options icon at the top right.
Why does Pinterest keep showing me the same Pins?
Your feed is based on your saves, searches and browsing, plus the boards, topics and people you follow. Change those and the feed changes.
Will changing my recommendations change the ads I see?
No. Pinterest says recommendation settings don't affect ads. Ads are managed in Settings under Privacy and data.
Can I see fewer AI Pins on Pinterest?
Yes. In Refine your recommendations, open the AI content tab and turn off Show AI content, or switch off individual topics.
