Delete a pin from your own board in three steps
Open Pinterest and find the pin you want to remove. Hover your mouse over the pin (or tap and hold on mobile) until a menu appears. Click or tap the three dots in the upper right corner of the pin, then select "Delete pin" from the dropdown menu. The pin disappears when ready from your board and from your profile.
Once deleted, the pin no longer shows in your board, your profile, or in other people's feeds if they were following you. Anyone who saved that pin to their own boards will still see it there — deleting your pin does not remove it from boards you do not control. If you want to hide a pin without permanently removing it, you can instead unpin it from your board while leaving the original pin on Pinterest's servers.
The delete action is permanent and cannot be undone, so double-check that you are removing the correct pin before confirming. If you delete a pin by accident, you will need to create and upload it again from scratch.
Key Takeaways
- Deleting a pin removes it from your board and your profile when ready, but does not remove it from other people's boards where they may have saved it.
- You access the delete option by hovering over the pin and clicking the three-dot menu in the upper right corner.
- Deletion is permanent — Pinterest does not offer an undo or recovery option once you confirm.
- If you want to keep the pin but hide it from view, unpinning it from your board is a reversible alternative to deletion.
The difference between deleting and unpinning a pin
Deleting a pin removes it entirely from Pinterest's system as far as your account is concerned. Unpinning a pin removes it only from your specific board — the pin still exists on Pinterest and can be found through search or other people's boards. Use delete when you do not want the pin to exist anywhere under your name; use unpin when you want to remove it from one board but may want to save it to a different board later.
Unpinning is reversible. You can unpin a pin and then re-pin it to the same board or a different one without losing any information. Deleting is not reversible — once you delete, the pin is gone and you cannot recover it. If you are unsure whether you want to permanently remove the pin, unpin it first and see how you feel after a few days.
How to unpin instead of delete
To unpin a pin from a board without deleting it entirely, hover over the pin and click the three-dot menu. Instead of selecting "Delete pin," select "Unpin from [board name]." The pin disappears from that board but remains saved to your Pinterest account and can be pinned to another board at any time.
This option is useful if you are reorganizing your boards or if you saved a pin that no longer fits the theme of a particular board. You can search for the pin later using the search bar or by browsing your saved pins, then add it back to a different board if you change your mind.
Deleting pins on mobile devices
On the Pinterest mobile app for iPhone or Android, tap and hold the pin you want to delete until a menu appears. Tap the three dots or the menu icon, then select "Delete pin." The process is the same as on desktop, and the pin is removed when ready.
If you are using Pinterest through a mobile web browser rather than the app, the steps are identical to the desktop version — hover or tap the pin, click the three-dot menu, and select delete. Make sure you are tapping the correct pin, since the smaller screen can make it straightforward to select the wrong one by accident.
What happens to comments and likes when you delete a pin
When you delete a pin, all comments and likes attached to that pin disappear as well. Anyone who commented on the pin or liked it will see that the pin no longer exists, but they will not receive a notification that you deleted it. The comments are not stored anywhere else — they are gone permanently along with the pin.
If you want to preserve the comments or feedback on a pin before deleting it, take a screenshot of the pin and the comment section. This is the only way to keep a record of what people said about the pin after you remove it from Pinterest.
Deleting pins from group boards you manage
If you are the owner or manager of a group board, you can delete pins that other people have posted to that board. Hover over the pin, click the three-dot menu, and select "Delete pin." The pin is removed from the group board when ready, and the person who posted it will not receive a notification that you deleted it.
Group board members can only delete their own pins, not pins posted by others. If a member posts something that violates your board rules, you as the manager have the authority to remove it. Make sure your board description clearly states what types of pins are allowed so members understand why a pin was deleted.
Bulk deleting multiple pins at once
Pinterest does not offer a built-in bulk delete feature that lets you select and delete multiple pins in one action. You must delete pins one at a time by hovering over each pin and using the three-dot menu. If you need to remove many pins, this process takes time but is straightforward — there is no shortcut or batch operation available.
If you want to clear an entire board quickly, consider deleting the board itself rather than deleting each pin individually. When you delete a board, all pins on that board are removed at once. You can create a new board with a different name or purpose afterward if needed.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I recover a pin after I delete it?
No. Pinterest does not have an undo or recovery feature for deleted pins. Once you confirm the deletion, the pin is permanently removed and cannot be restored. If you need the pin again, you will have to create and upload it from scratch or find the original source and re-pin it.
Will people know I deleted my pin?
No notifications are sent when you delete a pin. People who liked or commented on the pin will straightforward see that it no longer exists, but they will not receive a message saying you deleted it. If the pin was shared widely, some people may notice it is gone, but Pinterest does not alert them to the deletion.
What if I delete a pin by accident?
You will need to re-create the pin or re-pin it from the original source. Check your phone or computer for the original image file, or visit the website where you found the pin and save it again. There is no way to retrieve a deleted pin from Pinterest's system.
Does deleting my pin remove it from other people's boards?
No. If someone else saved your pin to their own board, it will remain on their board even after you delete it from yours. Deleting only affects your own boards and profile. Other people's saved copies are independent and are not affected by your deletion.
Can I delete pins from boards I do not own?
You can only delete pins you posted yourself, unless you are the owner or manager of a group board. If you are a member of a group board, you cannot delete other people's pins — only the board owner or managers can do that. On regular boards you follow but do not own, you cannot delete any pins.