How to Unblock Someone on Pinterest: Complete Step-by-Step Guide (2026)

Quick Answer: Blocked accounts live under Settings > Social permissions > Blocked accounts > Edit list, then Unblock next to the person and confirm. Pinterest never notifies anyone that they were blocked or unblocked. The one exception: they are alerted if they try to follow you or interact with your Pins.

If you are looking under Account management, that is why you cannot find it. Account management holds your account type, email and deactivation controls. Blocking is under Social permissions.

How to Unblock Someone on Pinterest

Method 1: Unblock on Mobile (iPhone/Android)

Step-by-Step:

Open the Pinterest app
Tap your profile photo (bottom right)
Open settings. On a personal account this is your profile photo at the top left; on a business account it is the ellipsis icon
Tap Social permissions, labelled Social permissions and activity in some app versions
Tap Blocked accounts
Find the person you want to unblock
Tap Unblock next to their name
Confirm Unblock

Result: The block lifts immediately. Nothing is sent to the other person.

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Method 2: Unblock on Desktop

Step-by-Step:

Go to pinterest.com and log in
Click the settings cog in the bottom left
Select Settings
Click Social permissions
Scroll to Blocked accounts and click Edit list
Click Unblock next to the person's name
Click Unblock again to confirm

Done: They're unblocked and can interact with you again.

What Happens When You Unblock Someone

They Can Now:

✅ See your public boards again
✅ Follow you (if they choose to)
✅ Comment on your pins
✅ Send you messages
✅ Save your pins to their boards
✅ Mention you in comments
✅ Find you in search

They Cannot Automatically:

❌ Re-follow you automatically - They must follow again manually
❌ See your secret boards (unless you invite them)
❌ Know you unblocked them - No notification is sent

What You'll See:

Previous Followers:

They won't automatically follow you again
Your follower count won't increase immediately
They'll need to find and re-follow your profile

Pins they saved from you: Anything they already saved to their own boards stayed there throughout the block, and still does. Blocking has never retroactively removed saved Pins. The same is true in reverse: Pins you saved from them remain on your profile unless you delete them yourself.

Previous conversations: Pinterest's help documentation does not state what happens to existing message threads after an unblock, and behaviour has varied by app version. Check your inbox rather than assuming either way.

Why You Might Want to Unblock Someone

Common Reasons:

Mistaken Block - Accidentally blocked someone
Resolved Conflict - Issues have been resolved
Personal Growth - Ready to move past disagreements
Professional Reasons - Need to collaborate or work together
Changed Privacy Needs - No longer need strict blocking
Family/Friend Reconciliation - Personal relationships improved

How to Find Your Blocked List

On Mobile:

Quick Path:

Profile photo > settings > Social permissions > Blocked accounts

What You'll See:

List of all blocked users
Profile pictures and usernames
Unblock button next to each name
Search function (if you have many blocked users)

On Desktop:

Quick Path:

Settings cog (bottom left) > Settings > Social permissions > Blocked accounts > Edit list

Interface:

Full list of blocked accounts
Large profile pictures for easy identification
One-click unblock buttons
Clearer overview than mobile

Alternative: Remove Follower (Don't Unblock)

If You Want to Keep Them Blocked:

Instead of Unblocking:

Keep them blocked - They can't see your content
Make boards secret - Control who sees what
Change privacy settings - Limit who can message you
Report if needed - For serious violations

When to Use:

Harassment continues
You need stronger boundaries
Safety concerns remain
Professional reasons require separation

What Blocking vs Unblocking Does

When You Block Someone:

They Experience:

Can't find your profile in search
Can't see your public boards
Can't follow you
Can't message you
Can't comment on your pins
Existing follows are removed

You Experience:

Can't see their profile
Can't follow them
Can't message them
Their Pins stop appearing in your home feed

What blocking does NOT do, and this is where expectations usually break:

Their Pins can still reach you through search results and group boards. The block cleans up your home feed, not the whole platform
Pins you already saved from them stay on your profile until you delete them yourself
Pins they already saved from you stay on their boards. Blocking is not a takedown tool

When You Unblock Someone:

They Experience:

Can find your profile again
Can see public boards
Can follow you (manually)
Can message you
Can interact normally

You Experience:

Can see their profile
Can follow them (if you want)
Can message them
All restrictions removed

Do They Get Notified When You Unblock?

No Notification: Pinterest does NOT notify users when you:

❌ Block them
❌ Unblock them
❌ Remove them as a follower

The one documented exception: Pinterest states that a blocked person is alerted if they try to follow you or interact with your Pins. So the block itself is silent, but the moment they attempt an action against your account, they find out. This is the detail most guides get wrong, including the earlier version of this one.

How They Might Find Out:

Indirect Signs:

Search Results - Your profile appears in search again
Suggested Accounts - You appear in recommendations
Following Feed - If they re-follow, your pins appear
Shared Links - Links to your profile work again

They Won't Know Unless:

They actively search for you
They try to visit your profile
Someone mentions you to them
They receive activity from you (follow, save, comment)

Managing Blocked Accounts

Best Practices:

Review Periodically:

Check blocked list every few months
Unblock old/resolved issues
Keep list current and relevant

Consider Alternatives:

Use secret boards instead of blocking
Adjust privacy settings first
Mute rather than block (if available)

Safety First:

Don't unblock harassers
Keep boundaries with toxic users
Report serious violations before unblocking

How Many People Can You Block?

No Official Limit:

Pinterest doesn't publicize a maximum
You can block as many users as needed
List can grow quite large

Practical Considerations:

Large lists become hard to manage
Consider whether blocking is still necessary
Periodically review and clean up

Troubleshooting: Can't Find Blocked List

If "Blocked Accounts" Doesn't Appear:

Possible Reasons:

You're Looking Under the Wrong Menu
- This is by far the most common cause. Blocked accounts sits under Social permissions, not Account management
- Account management holds account type, email and deactivation. It has never held the block list
- On desktop the entry is collapsed behind an Edit list button, so the names are not visible until you click it
Business vs Personal Account Layout
- On a business account, settings open from the ellipsis icon rather than your profile photo
- Some app versions label the section Social permissions and activity
App Needs Update
- Old versions may have different menu structures
- Update Pinterest app to latest version

How to Fix:

Update Pinterest:

iPhone: App Store > Updates > Update Pinterest
Android: Play Store > My apps > Update Pinterest
Desktop: Refresh browser, clear cache

Check Which Account You're In:

Go to Settings, then Account management, which is where the account type genuinely does live
Verify you're logged into the right account
Switch between personal and business if needed, then go back to Social permissions for the block list

Blocks are per account. If you blocked someone from a business profile, you will not see them listed while you're signed in to a personal one.

Unblock vs Remove Follower

Key Differences:

Unblock (Reverses Block):

Use when you previously blocked someone
Restores full interaction ability
They can follow you again
Both can see each other's content

Remove Follower (Soft Block):

Use when you want someone to stop following
They can still see public boards
They can follow again (unless you block)
Less severe than blocking

When to Use Each:

Use Unblock When:

You previously blocked someone
You want to restore full access
Issues have been resolved
You want normal interaction again

Use Remove Follower When:

Someone is still following but you want space
Don't want to completely block
Want soft boundary
May reconsider later

After Unblocking: Next Steps

Decide on Future Interaction:

Option 1: Stay Neutral

Don't follow them back
Don't interact with their content
Keep casual distance
Let them make first move

Option 2: Re-Engage

Follow them back (if appropriate)
Comment on pins occasionally
Send friendly message
Rebuild connection gradually

Option 3: Block Again if Needed

If issues resurface immediately
If they harass or spam
If you feel uncomfortable
You can re-block anytime

Set Boundaries:

Protect Yourself:

Don't feel obligated to follow back
You can ignore messages
Use secret boards for private content
Re-block if they violate boundaries

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Pinterest notify someone when you unblock them?

No, Pinterest does not send any notification when you unblock someone. They won't know you unblocked them unless they try to view your profile or search for you and notice they can see your content again.

Can someone tell if you blocked them on Pinterest?

Not from a notification. Pinterest never announces a block. But it does alert someone who tries to follow you or interact with your Pins, so an active block is discoverable the moment they attempt something. Short of that, they might infer it from your profile no longer appearing in search or your boards no longer loading.

If I unblock someone on Pinterest, will they follow me again automatically?

No, unblocking does not restore follows. If they followed you before you blocked them, they'll need to manually follow you again after you unblock them. Your follower count won't automatically increase.

How do I see who I've blocked on Pinterest?

Go to Settings, then Social permissions, then Blocked accounts. On desktop you also need to click Edit list to expand the names. It is not under Account management, which is where most guides send you and the single most common reason people cannot find it.

What happens to Pins they already saved from you?

They keep them. Blocking does not retroactively remove Pins someone has already saved to their boards, and unblocking does not change that either. The same applies to Pins you saved from them, which stay on your profile unless you delete them yourself. If your goal is to get content off someone else's boards, blocking is not the tool for it.

Can I block someone again after unblocking them?

Yes, you can block and unblock the same person as many times as needed. There's no limit on how many times you can block/unblock the same user.

Conclusion

Unblocking someone on Pinterest is quick once you know where the setting lives: Settings > Social permissions > Blocked accounts, then Edit list on desktop, then Unblock. They won't be notified, but they'll regain the ability to see your content, follow you, and interact with your pins.

The single thing worth remembering is the menu. Blocked accounts is under Social permissions, not Account management, and looking in the wrong place is the reason most people conclude the option has been removed. You can always re-block if needed, and there's no penalty for changing your mind.

Related Pinterest Guides: Learn about Social Media Privacy Settings, How to Find People on Pinterest, Pinterest Marketing Strategy, and Pinterest Business Account Setup.

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