Pinterest's main parental control is a four-digit parental passcode. A parent sets it up from the teen's account under Settings, then Account management, and after that the teen can't loosen key settings such as email, password, profile visibility, messaging and comments without the code. It expires when the teen turns 18.
Pinterest's controls work from inside your teen's own account rather than from a separate parent dashboard. They combine strict defaults for teens with that passcode. Here's what both do and how to set them up.
The parental passcode, in short
| Detail | What Pinterest says |
|---|---|
| Who can set it | A parent or caregiver of a teen under 18 |
| Format | A four-digit passcode, plus the parent's email address |
| Where | On the teen's account: Settings, then Account management, then Parental passcode |
| Confirmation | Pinterest emails a link to verify it; the email is only valid for 24 hours |
| When it ends | It expires when the teen turns 18, based on the birthday on their account |
| Your email | Deleted after the passcode is turned off or expires |
Settings the passcode locks
Once the passcode is on, Pinterest asks for it before anyone can edit these settings on your teen's account:
- Password
- Profile visibility
- Ads personalization (the options depend on where your teen lives)
- Messaging
- @Mentions
- Comments
- Shopping recommendations
- Video recommendations (again depending on location)
Here's the clever bit. Pinterest says the passcode isn't required for changes that make your teen's account more private. So your teen can always tighten their own settings; they just can't loosen them without you.
How to set up the parental passcode
On a computer
- Log in to your teen's Pinterest account.
- Click the more options icon at the bottom left.
- Click Settings, then Account management in the left menu.
- Follow the prompts to create a passcode and add your email address.
- Open the confirmation email from Pinterest and click the link within 24 hours.
In the app
- Log in to your teen's account in the Pinterest app.
- Tap the profile picture at the bottom right, then the profile picture at the top left.
- Tap Account management, then Parental passcode.
- Create the passcode, add your email and verify it from the email Pinterest sends.
You and your teen both get a confirmation email once it's set up, so it's never a secret setting. To remove it, go back to Account management, choose to turn off Parental passcode and enter the four-digit code.
Limits worth knowing before you rely on it
- Keep access to your email. Pinterest says you'll need that inbox to make changes to the passcode, so don't use an address you rarely check.
- It locks settings, not content. The passcode controls who can contact your teen and how visible they are. It doesn't filter which Pins appear in their feed.
- Some options vary by country. Pinterest notes that the ads personalisation and video recommendation settings available depend on where your teen is located.
- It sits on one account. If your teen opens a second account, that one needs its own passcode.
Teen defaults that apply without a passcode
Even before you add the code, Pinterest applies these protections by age:
| Area | What Pinterest does for teens |
|---|---|
| Minimum age | At least 13, or higher where local rules require |
| Profile | Private for 13 to 15 year olds; private by default for 16 and 17, who can choose to go public |
| Boards and Pins | Under 16: visible only to the teen and people they invited to follow them |
| Messages | Under 16: only with mutual followers; group chats only from people they follow who follow them back |
| Comments | Under 18: turned off on Pins they create until they turn 18, though they can change it |
| Ads | Under 18 in the EU or UK: opted out of all ads personalisation |
| Business accounts | Only from age 16 |
Pinterest also says it's testing a school-day reminder: teens who open the app during school hours may see a nudge to put the phone down and pause notifications.
If you need to reset the login as well, my guide to changing a Pinterest password has the steps.
What your teen can do if something feels wrong
- Report it. Teens can report a Pin, comment, message, board or account from the more options icon. Pinterest says reports are usually anonymous, though in Brazil reports under the Digital Child and Adolescent Act can't be.
- Block someone. From a profile, the ellipsis icon has a Block option that stops that person following, messaging or interacting with their Pins. Here's how blocking works on Pinterest.
- Turn on two-factor authentication so nobody else can log in to the account.
A family plan that works
- Check the birthday on the account. The protections depend on it, and Pinterest says you can contact them if the wrong date was entered.
- Sit down together and set the passcode. It needs your email, so do it on the teen's account with them.
- Talk through what's locked and why. Pinterest even publishes resources for parents and a guide you can share.
- Review the feed together. Refine your recommendations lets you turn off recommendations based on past activity and see fewer AI Pins.
For the age rules in more depth, read my guide to how old you have to be to have Pinterest. If your teen also uses Instagram, my guide to Instagram parental controls covers that app's tools.
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My verdict
Pinterest's teen defaults are strong on their own, and the parental passcode closes the gap that matters: it stops a teen quietly switching their profile to public or opening up messages. It only takes a few minutes to set up. Do it together, keep the confirmation email, and remember it lapses automatically at 18.
Privacy settings sit alongside the passcode, and my guide to making a Pinterest account private explains them.
Frequently asked questions
Does Pinterest have parental controls?
Yes. Pinterest offers a four-digit parental passcode that locks settings such as email, password, profile visibility, messaging and comments on a teen's account, plus default protections for under 18s.
How do I set a parental passcode on Pinterest?
Log in to your teen's account, go to Settings, then Account management, then Parental passcode. Create a four-digit code, add your email, then verify it from the email Pinterest sends within 24 hours.
What happens to the Pinterest parental passcode at 18?
It expires when your teen turns 18, based on the date of birth on their account, and Pinterest deletes the parent email it stored.
Can teens make their Pinterest profile public?
Teens aged 13 to 15 can't. Teens aged 16 and 17 have a private profile by default but can choose to make it public, unless a parental passcode locks profile visibility.
