The three ways to add people on Pinterest

You can add people to your Pinterest account in three ways: by searching for them by username, by inviting contacts from your email or phone, or by following them when you find their profile. The method you choose depends on whether you already know their Pinterest username or want to import contacts you have saved elsewhere.

When you add someone on Pinterest, you are following their account. This means their pins will appear in your home feed, and they can see that you follow them. Unlike some social platforms, Pinterest does not have a "friend request" system — following is one-directional, so someone can follow you without you following them back.

Key Takeaways

  • You add people on Pinterest by following them, which you can do by searching their username, importing contacts, or clicking follow on their profile.
  • Following on Pinterest is one-way — the person you follow will see you as a follower but does not have to follow you back.
  • When you import contacts from email or your phone, Pinterest shows you which contacts already have accounts and lets you follow multiple people at once.
  • You can unfollow anyone at any time, and the person will not be notified that you unfollowed them.

Search for someone by their Pinterest username

The fastest way to add someone is to search for them if you know their username. Open Pinterest and tap the search icon at the bottom of the screen (on mobile) or the search bar at the top (on desktop). Type the person's username or full name into the search box.

Pinterest will show you results for people, pins, and boards. Look for the person's profile in the "People" section. Tap or click on their profile to open it, then tap or click the "Follow" button. Their profile picture and username will now appear in your following list, and their pins will start showing in your home feed.

Import contacts from your email or phone

If you have saved contact information for people you want to follow, you can import those contacts and see which ones already have Pinterest accounts. On mobile, tap your profile icon in the bottom right, then tap the three horizontal lines (menu icon). Scroll down and tap "Invite friends." On desktop, click your profile icon in the top right corner, then click "Invite friends."

Pinterest will ask permission to access your contacts. Choose whether you want to import from your email account, your phone's contact list, or both. After you grant permission, Pinterest displays a list of your contacts who have Pinterest accounts. Tap or click the "Follow" button next to each person you want to add. You can follow multiple people at once this way.

Follow someone from their profile page

When you land on someone's Pinterest profile — whether you found them through search, a link they shared, or another way — you will see a "Follow" button near their profile picture and username. Tap or click it to start following them. Their profile will then appear in your following list.

If the person has a private account, you may see a "Follow" button that says "Follow (Private)" instead. Private accounts let the owner control who sees their pins and boards. Following a private account works the same way, but the person may need to approve your follow request before you can see all their content.

What happens when you follow someone

Once you follow someone, their pins appear in your home feed mixed with pins from other people you follow and content Pinterest recommends to you. You will also see their saved pins and any boards they create. The person you followed will see your username in their follower list, but they will not receive a notification that you followed them.

Following someone does not give them access to your personal information beyond what you have made public on your profile. They can see your username, profile picture, and any pins or boards you have marked as public. If your account is private, followers cannot see your pins unless you have shared them directly with that person.

Unfollow someone or manage your following list

You can unfollow anyone at any time. On mobile, go to your profile, tap "Following," find the person you want to unfollow, and tap the "Following" button next to their name — it will change to "Follow." On desktop, click your profile, click "Following," find the person, and click the "Following" button to unfollow.

Unfollowing someone is private — they will not be notified that you unfollowed them, and they will not see it in their activity. You can also mute someone's pins without unfollowing them. On their profile, tap or click the three dots next to the Follow button and select "Mute pins from [person's name]." Their pins will stop appearing in your feed, but you will still be following them.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I see who follows me on Pinterest?

Yes. Go to your profile, tap or click "Followers," and you will see a list of everyone who follows you. You can follow them back from this list, or tap or click their profile to see their pins and boards.

What is the difference between following and saving pins?

Following someone means you subscribe to see all their pins in your feed. Saving a pin means you add that single pin to one of your boards. You can save pins from people you do not follow, and you can follow people without saving their pins.

Will someone know if I follow them?

They will not receive a notification, but they can see your username in their follower list if they check it. You appear as a follower on their profile the moment you follow them.

Can I follow someone with a private Pinterest account?

Yes, but a private account owner controls what you can see. You may need their approval to follow, or they may have set their account so only certain people can see their pins. Try following them — if they have restrictions, you will see a message explaining what you can access.

What if I want to follow someone but do not know their username?

If you have their email address or phone number saved in your contacts, use the "Invite friends" feature to import your contacts. Pinterest will show you which of your contacts have accounts. You can also ask them to share a link to their profile, then tap or click "Follow" from that link.