# Number on the "Pinterest" icon **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 22, 2017, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/number-on-the-pinterest-icon/782786 "2017-03-22T20:22:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![dougie\_monty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/439d5e/32.png) [@dougie\_monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dougie_monty)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2017, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/number-on-the-pinterest-icon/782786/1 "2017-03-22T20:22:35Z")
I have this on a screen on my Smartphone. How do you get it off? I will touch the icon to visit Pinterest, and when I leave the number is gone; but later it will reappear. And now it’s up to 77. What do I do about it?😕 ---
**Author:** ![dolphinboy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dolphinboy/32/330_2.png) [@dolphinboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dolphinboy)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2017, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/number-on-the-pinterest-icon/782786/2 "2017-03-22T20:44:02Z")
Leave the number alone. How else can our microwave camera see how often you use it. We’re watching you closely. ---
**Author:** ![dougie\_monty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/439d5e/32.png) [@dougie\_monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dougie_monty)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2017, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/number-on-the-pinterest-icon/782786/3 "2017-03-22T20:51:15Z")
Yeah? Maybe I should call your bluff–I’ll point the screen at what’s floating in my toilet bowl.😛 ---
**Author:** ![dolphinboy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dolphinboy/32/330_2.png) [@dolphinboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dolphinboy)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2017, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/number-on-the-pinterest-icon/782786/4 "2017-03-22T20:55:57Z")
Can you move a little the the left? The view is obstructed. ---
**Author:** ![dougie\_monty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/439d5e/32.png) [@dougie\_monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dougie_monty)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2017, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/number-on-the-pinterest-icon/782786/5 "2017-03-22T21:06:24Z")
Oh, by all means–I wouldn’t want to deprive you of the chance to see what interests you so much. ---
**Author:** ![yearofglad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/b782af/32.png) [@yearofglad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yearofglad)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2017, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/number-on-the-pinterest-icon/782786/6 "2017-03-22T21:19:46Z")
> [@dougie\_monty](#): > > I have this on a screen on my Smartphone. How do you get it off? I will touch the icon to visit Pinterest, and when I leave the number is gone; but later it will reappear. And now it’s up to 77. What do I do about it?😕 Is it just telling you how many notifications/new messages/new things to look that you have? (I don’t use Pinterest.) It sounds like it - when you touch the icon to visit Pinterest, it assumes you’ve “caught up” and thus, the number disappears. Not knowing much about Pinterest, that’s the best I can offer - if that’s the case, maybe you can turn off notifications, but my guess is that the little number is impossible to get rid of. ---
**Author:** ![Ace309](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ace309/32/1050_2.png) [@Ace309](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ace309)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2017, 2:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/number-on-the-pinterest-icon/782786/7 "2017-03-23T02:08:45Z")
> [@yearofglad](#): > > Is it just telling you how many notifications/new messages/new things to look that you have? (I don’t use Pinterest.) > > It sounds like it - when you touch the icon to visit Pinterest, it assumes you’ve “caught up” and thus, the number disappears. > > Not knowing much about Pinterest, that’s the best I can offer - if that’s the case, maybe you can turn off notifications, but my guess is that the little number is impossible to get rid of. This is probably correct. I don’t know what smartphone you use, but on the iPhone, you would fix this by going to Settings, Notifications, and then Pinterest (or whatever app is giving you notifications). I’d imagine your phone is similar, but if you tell us what type of phone you have someone may be able to provide more specific instructions. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![dougie\_monty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/439d5e/32.png) [@dougie\_monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dougie_monty)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2017, 4:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/number-on-the-pinterest-icon/782786/8 "2017-03-23T04:37:05Z")
It’s a Samsung GALAXY 5… ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2017, 10:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/number-on-the-pinterest-icon/782786/9 "2017-03-23T10:40:05Z")
> [@yearofglad](#): > > Is it just telling you how many notifications/new messages/new things to look that you have? (I don’t use Pinterest.) Yes. When anyone follows your collections, repins one of your pins, or otherwise interacts with you, it logs it. It’s not an especially useful feature, it’s not like they’re leaving a message or having an ongoing conversation. But then Pinterest is severely limited in practical functionality. I don’t think it has much of a future at this rate. ---
**Author:** ![Grrr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grrr/32/146_2.png) [@Grrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrr)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2017, 11:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/number-on-the-pinterest-icon/782786/10 "2017-03-23T11:18:20Z")
It’s not enough to just visit Pinterest. Once there, you have to click on your message icon. On my last phone, Pinterest icon was kind of wonky, even looking at my messages wouldn’t make that number go away.