How to Change Your Pinterest Username

Changing your Pinterest username is one of those simple tasks that can have a surprisingly big impact on your brand’s consistency and findability. Whether you're rebranding, standardizing your social media handles, or just tidying up an old profile, updating your username takes just a few minutes. This guide will walk you through the exact steps for both desktop and mobile, explain why your username matters, and cover what you need to do before and after you make the change.

Why Your Pinterest Username Is More Important Than You Think

On the surface, a username seems like a minor detail. But in the world of social media, it’s a foundational piece of your digital identity. It's not just a login, it's your unique address on the platform, your primary identifier, and a direct line for people to find and tag you. It's the part that comes after pinterest.com/ in your profile URL, and aligning it with your brand name creates a seamless experience for anyone looking for you.

Imagine you're a content creator known as "SundayMorningBakes" on TikTok and Instagram. If your Pinterest handle is a leftover from college, like "CupcakeQueen2012," you're creating a disconnect. A potential follower who loves your Reels might search for you on Pinterest and give up when they can't find a matching name. A consistent username across all platforms acts like a digital handshake - it's recognizable, professional, and makes you instantly discoverable.

Your Username vs. Your Display Name: What's the Difference?

Before we go further, it's helpful to understand the distinction between your username and your display name, as people often mix them up.

• Your Username is your unique @handle and URL. It has to be one-of-a-kind on the platform and can only contain letters, numbers, and underscores. For example, pinterest.com/yourexactusername.
• Your Display Name is what appears in bold at the top of your profile. It doesn’t have to be unique, can include spaces and special characters, and is often used more descriptively. For example, your display name could be "Jane Doe | Vintage Home Decor."

While you can and should optimize both, this guide focuses on changing your unique username - the one that really locks in your digital address.

A Quick Checklist Before You Change Your Username

Making the switch is easy, but a little prep work can save you headaches later. Run through this quick checklist before you click "Save."

1. Check for Availability

Your dream username might already be taken. The simplest way to check is to type pinterest.com/desiredusername into your browser. If a profile loads, it's taken. If you get a "Hmm... that page doesn't exist" error, it’s likely available. Don't worry if your first choice isn't free, we have some tips on what to do in the troubleshooting section below.

2. Aim for Cross-Platform Consistency

The goal is to make it easy for people to find you everywhere. Ideally, your Pinterest username should match your handles on Instagram, TikTok, X, and your website domain. If you are @yourbrandname on every other platform, you want to be @yourbrandname on Pinterest, too. This consistency reinforces your brand identity and makes you look more professional and established.

3. Plan to Update Your Links Afterward

Once you change your username, your old Pinterest URL will be broken. Any link to your profile from your website, email signature, Linktree/bio link page, or other social media bios will lead to a dead page. Make a mental list (or a real one!) of all the places you'll need to update the link immediately after you make the change. This is the single most important post-change step.

4. Give Your Audience a Heads-Up (Optional)

If you have a significant, engaged following, it might be worth mentioning the name change in a Pin or on your other social channels. A simple post like, "Hey everyone! Just a heads-up, we're simplifying our brand and our new Pinterest handle is now @newusername. You can find all our same great content there!" can help avoid any confusion for dedicated followers.

How to Change Your Pinterest Username: Step-by-Step Guides

The process of updating your username is slightly different depending on whether you're using a computer or the mobile app. Here are the clear-cut instructions for both.

On a Desktop Computer (Web Browser)

Using the Pinterest website is the most straightforward way to edit your profile details. Here’s how:

1. Log in to your Pinterest account at Pinterest.com.
2. Click the downward-facing arrow in the top-right corner of the screen to open the menu.
3. From the dropdown menu, select Settings.
4. You'll land on the Edit Profile tab. This page contains all of your public-facing information.
5. Look for the Username field. It's usually the fourth or fifth field down, right below your Display Name and pronouns.
6. Delete your old username and type your new one. Remember the rules: it must be between 3 and 30 characters and can only contain letters, numbers, and underscores (no spaces or special characters). Pinterest will tell you if the name is already taken.
7. Once you've entered your new, available username, scroll to the bottom of the page and click the red Save button.

That's it! Your username and profile URL are now updated. To confirm, look at the URL in your browser's address bar - it should now show pinterest.com/newusername.

On the Pinterest Mobile App (iOS &, Android)

If you prefer to manage things from your phone, changing your username on the Pinterest app is just as simple.

1. Open the Pinterest app on your phone and log in.
2. Tap on your profile picture icon at the bottom-right of the navigation bar to go to your profile page.
3. Underneath your follower count, tap the Edit profile button. (On some older versions, you might need to tap the three-dot icon in the top-right and select 'Settings' first).
4. On the 'Edit profile' screen, tap on the field labeled Username.
5. Erase your old username and enter your desired new one. The same rules about characters and length apply, and the app will validate its availability as you type.
6. Once you're happy with the new username, tap Done in the top-right corner to save your changes.

Your profile is now updated across the platform. Be sure to force-close and reopen the app if you don't see the change reflected immediately.

What Happens After You Change Your Username?

The immediate change is your URL, but what else happens behind the scenes? Here’s a quick rundown of the after-effects.

• Your old URL is gone. This is the big one. The link pinterest.com/oldusername will no longer work and will show a 404 error page. It's critical to update this URL everywhere you've shared it.
• Your old username is released. As soon as you save the change, your old username is freed up for someone else to claim. Reversing your decision isn't always possible, so be sure about the change before you commit.
• Your followers and Pins are safe. Don't panic! Changing your username does not affect your existing content or audience. All your boards, Pins, and followers will remain exactly as they were. The change is purely to your profile's address and @handle.
• Your SEO might temporarily dip. If you embedded direct links to your profile on high-traffic websites or blog posts, those broken links can cause a temporary dip in referral traffic and SEO authority until they're updated. It's another reminder to be proactive about updating your most important links right away.

Troubleshooting: Common Username Change Issues

Sometimes things don't go as planned. Here are fixes for the most common issues people face when updating their Pinterest name.

Problem: "My ideal username is already taken."

Solution: Get a little creative. If @brandname is taken, try these alternatives:

• Add a verb: @getbrandname or @trybrandname
• Add your industry: @brandname.design or @brandname.creative (Note: Pinterest now allows dots, which can be a great way to separate words!)
• Add an official-sounding suffix: @brandname.hq, @brandname.inc, or @theofficialbrandname
• Use an underscore: @brand_name can sometimes be available when the combined version isn't.

Problem: "My new username won't save, and I see an error message."

Solution: The culprit is almost always a violation of Pinterest's username rules. Double-check your new name for:

• Prohibited characters: It can only be letters, numbers, and underscores. Remove any spaces, hyphens, ampersands, or other symbols.
• Length: It must be between 3 and 30 characters long.
• Offensive language: Make sure your chosen name doesn't contain any words that might violate Pinterest's community guidelines.

If your username follows all the rules and still won't save, try logging out and logging back in, clearing your browser cache, or trying on a different device. This can often resolve temporary glitches.

Final Thoughts

Changing your Pinterest username is a quick, simple action that pays off in brand clarity and discoverability. By aligning it with your other social profiles and your overall brand identity, you create a stronger, more cohesive online presence that's easy for your audience to find and follow.

As we built our own businesses, we constantly felt the friction of trying to keep our branding consistent across all socials, an orchestra where one player is out of tune. At Postbase, we designed a tool to solve exactly this kind of problem. We offer a single, beautiful visual calendar where you can plan, schedule, and see all your content for all your platforms at once, making sure the seamless brand story you begin with a unified username stays consistent in every single post.