Pinterest adds in-app prompts to help teens focus in schools and spend less time on devices
Image-sharing platform Pinterest has added a new in-app prompt encouraging its users to close the app during school hours and turn off all notifications in a bid to help teenagers focus on their schoolwork.
Students will see a prompt offering to pause notifications if they open the Pinterest app during school hours. With one tap, they will be able to mute notifications and the app will automatically close to reduce distractions.
After school hours, students can resume browsing and saving ideas on Pinterest again.
Pinterest surveyed 1,000 UK teenagers in August 2025 about their use of social media. It found that 57 percent 13-16 year olds are looking to better manage their time on mobile devices 54 percent believe excessive phone use is as dangerous, or worse than, eating junk food and not wearing sunscreen.
“In the classroom, students need the opportunity to learn without the constant distraction of apps on their phones,” explains Pinterest’s CEO Bill Ready. “Limiting the use of phones in schools is a topic more prevalent than ever amongst educators and government, but to be truly effective, tech companies need to be part of the solution. Pinterest is setting out to support students, parents and teachers, who should not shoulder the responsibility alone.”
Pinterest previously tested the prompts in the US and Canada earlier this year, claiming to be the first social media platform to introduce these measures. It says more than 1.3 million students viewed and clicked on the prompt in one month.
While teenagers welcomed the prompts, many said the notifications sounded like they were written by a teacher or parent so in response Pinterest updated the language to be more “casual and relatable”.
Mark Rowland, Chief Executive of Mental Health Foundation, adds: “We welcome the introduction of this measure by Pinterest. Digital platforms can offer opportunities for creativity, connection and self-expression. But they should be used in ways that support, rather than undermine mental health.
“As a society, we are still in the process of establishing where the boundaries should lie when it comes to technology, and what healthy and unhealthy use looks like. But one thing is clear – school should be a place for learning and developing real-world relationships with peers. We call on other tech companies to follow Pinterest’s lead in making their own responsible contributions to protecting the mental health of our children and young people.”
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