The three ways to add someone on Pinterest

You can add a friend on Pinterest in three ways: search for them by username, invite them from your contacts, or follow them directly from their profile. The method you choose depends on whether you already know their Pinterest username and whether you want a mutual connection or just to follow their boards.

Pinterest distinguishes between following someone (you see their pins in your feed) and being friends (you can message each other and see each other's saved pins). Most people use "following" as their main way to connect. True friendship — where both people have added each other — is less common but available if you want closer interaction.

Key Takeaways

  • Search for someone by their Pinterest username, then tap the follow button on their profile to see their pins in your feed.
  • You can invite contacts from your phone's address book to join Pinterest or follow you if they already have an account.
  • To message someone, you both need to be following each other — one-way following does not allow direct messages.
  • Pinterest does not send notifications when you follow someone, so they may not know you are following them unless they check their followers list.

Search for someone by username

Open Pinterest and tap the search icon at the bottom of the screen (or the magnifying glass at the top on desktop). Type the person's username into the search box. If their account is public, their profile will appear in the results.

Tap or click their profile to open it. On their profile page, you will see a "Follow" button. Tap it to start following them. Once you follow someone, their pins will appear in your home feed, and you can save their pins to your own boards.

If you want to send them a message, you will need them to follow you back. Once they do, a message icon will appear on their profile, and you can start a conversation.

Invite contacts to join or follow you

On the Pinterest app, tap your profile icon in the bottom right corner, then tap the three-line menu icon. Scroll down and select "Invite Friends." Pinterest will ask permission to access your phone's contacts.

You will see a list of your contacts. Next to each name, you can see whether they already have a Pinterest account. For contacts who are already on Pinterest, you can tap "Follow" to follow them. For contacts who are not yet on Pinterest, you can tap "Invite" to send them a link to download the app.

On desktop, go to your profile, click the menu icon, and select "Invite Friends." You can enter email addresses manually or upload a contact list. Pinterest will send invitations to those email addresses.

Follow someone from their profile link or shared pin

If someone sends you a link to their Pinterest profile or shares a pin with you, you can follow them directly from that link. Open the link, and you will land on their profile page. Tap or click the "Follow" button to start following them.

You can also follow someone if they share a pin with you in a message or email. Tap the pin, and it will open to show who pinned it. From there, you can tap their name to visit their profile and follow them.

The difference between following and being friends

Following means you see someone's pins in your feed and can save them to your boards, but they may not know you are following them. Following is one-way — you can follow someone without them following you back.

Being friends (or mutual following) means you both follow each other. When you are friends, you can send each other direct messages, and you can see each other's saved pins if you both choose to make them visible. To become friends, one person follows the other, and then that person follows back.

Most Pinterest users treat the platform as a one-way feed, similar to Instagram or Twitter. True friendship is optional and mainly useful if you want to message someone or collaborate on shared boards.

What happens after you follow someone

Once you follow someone, their new pins will start appearing in your home feed mixed in with pins from other people you follow and Pinterest's recommendations. You can save any of their pins to your own boards by tapping the save icon on the pin.

The person you followed will not receive a notification that you are following them, unless they check their followers list manually. If you want them to know you are interested in their content, you can send them a message (if you are both following each other) or leave a comment on one of their pins.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I follow someone without them knowing?

Yes. Pinterest does not notify users when someone follows them. They will only know if they visit their followers list and see your name there, or if you interact with their pins by saving or commenting on them.

What if I search for someone and cannot find them?

Their account may be private, they may have deactivated it, or you may have their username spelled wrong. Try searching again with different spelling variations. If their account is private, you will not be able to see their profile unless they follow you back and accept your friendship request.

Do I need to be friends with someone to save their pins?

No. You can save pins from anyone with a public profile, even if you are not following them. You only need to be following someone (or have them following you) to send them direct messages.

Can I unfollow someone?

Yes. Go to their profile, tap the "Following" button (which replaces the "Follow" button once you are following them), and select "Unfollow." They will not be notified that you unfollowed them.

How do I block someone on Pinterest?

Open their profile, tap the three-dot menu icon in the top right, and select "Block User." Once blocked, they cannot follow you, message you, or see your profile. You can unblock them anytime from your settings under "Blocked Users."