You can reduce ads on Pinterest by adjusting your privacy settings, using browser extensions, or switching to a paid account

Pinterest shows ads based on your browsing history, searches, and the pins you save. If you want fewer ads, you have three main routes: change what data Pinterest collects about you, use a browser tool to filter ads, or pay for Pinterest Premium to remove them entirely. None of these routes stops Pinterest from collecting data — they change how that data is used to target you.

The free methods take a few minutes to set up. The paid option costs $7.99 per month or $79.99 per year and removes ads completely, though you still see promoted content from creators you follow.

Key Takeaways

  • Turning off "Personalized ads" in your Pinterest settings reduces the ads you see, but does not stop Pinterest from collecting your data.
  • Browser extensions like uBlock Origin and Adblock Plus can filter out ad content on Pinterest and most other websites.
  • Pinterest Premium removes all ads for $7.99 per month, though promoted pins from creators you follow still appear.
  • Clearing your Pinterest search history and limiting what you allow Pinterest to track makes ads less targeted but does not eliminate them.
  • Pinterest collects data about you whether you turn off personalized ads or not — these methods only change how that data is used.

Turn off personalized ads in your Pinterest settings

The simplest free method is to disable personalized advertising. Open Pinterest on a browser or the mobile app, go to your profile, tap the settings icon (three horizontal lines on mobile, a gear on desktop), and select "Settings." Look for "Ads and offsite data" or "Ad preferences." Toggle off "Personalized ads based on your activity." This tells Pinterest not to use your browsing history, searches, and saved pins to target ads toward you.

After you turn this off, you will still see ads — Pinterest needs to show something — but they will be generic rather than matched to your interests. A person who saves gardening pins will see the same ads as someone who saves fashion pins. This change takes effect within a few hours.

You can also limit what data Pinterest collects by toggling off "Ads and offsite data" in the same menu. This prevents Pinterest from tracking your activity on other websites and using it to target ads. Again, you will still see ads; they will just be less precise.

Use a browser extension to filter ads

uBlock Origin and Adblock Plus are free browser extensions that block ads on Pinterest and most other websites. Both work on Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Edge. Install the extension from your browser's app store, and it begins filtering ads when ready — you do not need to adjust settings unless you want to.

uBlock Origin is lighter on your computer's memory and faster than Adblock Plus, but both are effective. Some websites detect ad blockers and ask you to turn them off or pay to read; Pinterest does not do this. If you use an ad blocker, you may see blank spaces where ads would normally appear, or the page may load slightly faster because it is not downloading ad content.

Ad blockers work only in the browser where you install them. If you use Pinterest on your phone's app, you will need a different tool — most phones do not allow ad-blocking apps for individual websites, though some phones let you block ads system-wide through settings.

Pay for Pinterest Premium to remove all ads

Pinterest Premium costs $7.99 per month or $79.99 per year and removes all ads from your feed and search results. You still see pins from creators you follow, including promoted pins they have paid to boost, but you do not see ads from brands or advertisers you do not follow. The paid version also gives you features like the ability to schedule pins and see detailed analytics about your pins' performance.

You can start a free trial of Pinterest Premium for seven days to see whether the ad-free experience is worth the cost to you. After the trial, your payment method is charged automatically unless you cancel. You can cancel anytime and your access ends at the end of your billing period.

Clear your search history and limit Pinterest's data collection

Pinterest uses your search history to decide which ads to show you. Go to Settings, find "Search history," and select "Clear all." This removes the record of what you have searched for on Pinterest. You can also turn on "Don't save my search history" so Pinterest does not record future searches — though it will still track what you click and save.

In the same Settings menu, look for "Connected apps and websites." This shows which other websites and apps have permission to share data with Pinterest. Remove any you do not recognize or use. You can also turn off "Allow Pinterest to use cookies and similar technologies" in the privacy section, though this may make some Pinterest features work less smoothly.

These steps make the ads you do see less targeted, but they do not stop Pinterest from collecting data about you. Pinterest still knows what you click, what you save, and how long you spend on each pin — it just does not use that information to personalize ads if you have turned off personalized advertising.

Understand what Pinterest collects and why

Pinterest collects data about your activity on the platform — what you search, what you save, what you click, how long you look at each pin — and also tracks you on other websites if you have not turned off "Ads and offsite data." This data is used to build a profile of your interests, which advertisers then pay to reach. Turning off personalized ads does not stop this collection; it stops Pinterest from using the profile to target ads.

Pinterest also buys data about you from data brokers — companies that collect information from public records, purchase history, and other sources — and uses that to refine the ads you see. Turning off personalized ads does not prevent this. If you want to limit what data brokers know about you, you would need to contact those companies separately, which is a different process outside of Pinterest.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will turning off personalized ads stop Pinterest from collecting my data?

No. Turning off personalized ads only stops Pinterest from using your data to target ads toward you. Pinterest still collects information about what you search, click, and save. If you want to limit data collection itself, you can turn off "Ads and offsite data" to prevent Pinterest from tracking you on other websites, but Pinterest will still track you on its own platform.

Can I block ads on the Pinterest mobile app?

You can turn off personalized ads in the app's settings, which reduces targeted ads. Most ad-blocking browser extensions do not work in the Pinterest app itself. Some phones allow system-wide ad blocking through settings, but this is not standard. Your best option on mobile is to use the personalized ads setting or switch to Pinterest Premium.

If I use an ad blocker, will Pinterest ban my account?

No. Pinterest does not ban users for using ad blockers. Unlike some websites, Pinterest does not detect or penalize ad-blocking extensions. You can use uBlock Origin or Adblock Plus without risk to your account.

Does Pinterest Premium still collect my data?

Yes. Pinterest Premium removes ads but does not change data collection. Pinterest still tracks your activity on the platform and uses it for other purposes, such as improving recommendations and selling anonymized insights to advertisers. You are paying to remove ads, not to stop being tracked.

What is the difference between an ad blocker and turning off personalized ads?

An ad blocker prevents ads from loading at all, so you see blank spaces instead. Turning off personalized ads still loads ads, but they are generic rather than matched to your interests. Ad blockers work in your browser; the Pinterest setting works across all devices where you are logged in.