In a pilot signal detecting method, a pilot signal detecting apparatus, and a receiver, deterioration of communication quality can be prevented in environments where out-of-lock is more likely to occur due to a reduced reception level of a pilot signal. When a demodulator is suffering from out-of-lock with an assigned timing, timings used in respective demodulators are excluded from timing candidates to be newly assigned to the demodulator in the out-of-lock state, such that a timing of a pilot signal, with which a received signal can be demodulated, is selected from the remaining timing candidates. Since the timings currently used in the respective demodulators in a receiver are excluded from timing candidates to be newly assigned so that a new timing selected from the remaining timing candidates is assigned to the demodulator in the out-of-lock state, it is possible to prevent second out-of-lock and accordingly avoid the receiver falling into repetitions of the detection of a pilot signal and the assignment of a timing to a demodulator in the out-of-lock state.