How to Find Friends on Pinterest in 2026 (4 Working Methods)

Pinterest never built a friends list the way Facebook did, which is why finding people there feels oddly hard. There is no single “add friend” button. Instead, four separate finders are scattered across the app: name search, contacts sync, Facebook linking, and suggested follows. In this guide, I’ll walk you through each one and show you exactly where it lives in the 2026 app.

First, open the right door

Step 1: Open the Pinterest app on your phone, not the website. Contacts sync only exists in the mobile app.
Step 2: Learn the two starting points: the search bar at the top (for finding by name) and your profile picture at the bottom right (for settings-based finders).
Step 3: Pick the finder below that matches your situation. Most people only need one of the four.

Labeled anatomy diagram of the Pinterest app showing where each friend-finding feature lives — Four finders, two starting points: search bar and profile.

What’s inside: the four ways to find people

1. Search by name or username

Tap the search bar, type the person’s name or Pinterest username, then switch the results filter to People. This is the fastest method when you know exactly who you are looking for. It works on both the app and the website, and it respects privacy: if someone has limited their discoverability in settings, they simply won’t appear.

Diagram of the four methods to find friends on Pinterest: name search, contacts sync, Facebook link, and suggested follows — One of these four will find almost anyone you know.

2. Sync your phone contacts (app only)

This is the highest-hit-rate method. Go to your profile, tap the three dots at the top right, open Settings, then Privacy and data, and turn on Store your contacts. Allow access when your phone asks. After that, contacts who are on Pinterest start surfacing in search results and in the share sheet when you send pins. You can turn the toggle off anytime to stop syncing.

3. Connect your Facebook account

In Settings, look for the option to log in with or link your Facebook account. Once linked, Pinterest can surface Facebook friends who are also on Pinterest as suggestions. One honest caveat: Meta and Pinterest change this integration from time to time, so if the option has moved, search Pinterest’s help center for the current path rather than trusting an old screenshot.

4. Suggested follows and email search

Pinterest suggests accounts based on your interests and on people your contacts follow, which is worth browsing even if you came for a specific person. And if you know someone’s email address, try searching it: people can be found by email when their privacy settings allow it.

A quick word on privacy

Following someone on Pinterest is quiet: unlike a Facebook friend request, they don’t get a pushy notification, though they can see you in their follower list. The reverse is also true for you. If you’d rather not be findable, the same Privacy and data settings page controls whether contacts and search can surface your profile. And once your friends are following along, our Pinterest SEO tips will help your own boards get discovered too. Once you are set up, our Canva alternatives guide covers the design tools for pins worth following.

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Osmanim

CEO at TechIlu

MK Osmanim founded TechIlu and writes about software, emerging tech, and practical how-tos. He would rather explain one thing well than cover ten things thinly.