Type the username of the protected user whose tweets you would like to view. Phishing is when someone tries to trick you into giving up your … Some simple changes to your Twitter account settings instantly removes most of the bots and trolls and anything else you don't want from your feed, … Others, like the ability to turn off comments or send voice tweets, promise to introduce new issues instead of solving the current ones. Expert Interview. These options are meant to protect you from accounts used infrequently or anonymously to harass users. This will help prove you’re a real person and can also be used … Here's how to protect yourself while tweeting. Here, you can also delete location data from past tweets, but be advised that it could take awhile to roll out to all tweets. 3. From the main page, click the three-dot menu icon on the left sidebar and select Settings and privacy. Now, what if you want to make following invisible for your followers as well. Create Private Lists on Twitter Scroll down to "Settings." Aldana is a social media specialist who has been using platforms such as Tik Tok, Instagram, and YouTube for over 5 years. How do I set up a private account for my iPhone? the Account Protection feature on Twitter does NOT retrospectively protect your tweets. Last Updated: April 5, 2021 You can delete any tweets that were posted publicly to keep your information private. Twitters users who are not following you will not be able to read your replies to their tweets. Turn it on via Settings and privacy > Privacy and safety > Notifications and make sure that the quality filter is turned on. You can stop users from finding your account by deactivating just email addresses, just phone numbers, or both. Twitter uses phone and email contacts to find people you may know on Twitter and suggest them as people to follow. Navigate to Settings and privacy > Privacy and safety > Personalization and data. Turn all these features off at once by flipping the switch next to the Personalization and data heading. So, you need third-party tools to see personal tweets on Twitter. While no content has been redacted, some account-specific information has been hashed to protect account privacy. On desktop, navigate to Settings and privacy > Privacy and safety > Location information and uncheck Add location information to my Tweets. Some, like stopping people from sharing an article they have not read, may be helpful. Your tweets will not appear in any Google searches, and will only appear in Twitter searches conducted by your approved followers. This article has been viewed 1,362,170 times. A.J. What do I mean by that?… Well, if you decide, today, that you no longer want your tweets to be visible to non-followers, some of the tweets you posted before ‘protecting’ will … At first, DMs could only be exchanged between two people who followed each other. Well, in that case, follow the second method below. How can I tell if my personal information is public? Here are a few steps you can take to keep your Twitter account safe: Enable login verification (e.g. Read this wikiHow to learn how. How do I hide direct messages from others? If you're looking to secure your account and information, you may also want to control how Twitter collects and shares data. If you don't want to see your contacts on Twitter, you can manage your contacts and delete them from the app's records. {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/2\/28\/Make-Your-Twitter-Account-Private-Step-1-Version-3.jpg\/v4-460px-Make-Your-Twitter-Account-Private-Step-1-Version-3.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/2\/28\/Make-Your-Twitter-Account-Private-Step-1-Version-3.jpg\/aid1987244-v4-728px-Make-Your-Twitter-Account-Private-Step-1-Version-3.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":344,"bigWidth":728,"bigHeight":545,"licensing":"

License: Creative Commons<\/a>
\n<\/p>


\n<\/p><\/div>"}, {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/9\/91\/Make-Your-Twitter-Account-Private-Step-2-Version-3.jpg\/v4-460px-Make-Your-Twitter-Account-Private-Step-2-Version-3.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/9\/91\/Make-Your-Twitter-Account-Private-Step-2-Version-3.jpg\/aid1987244-v4-728px-Make-Your-Twitter-Account-Private-Step-2-Version-3.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":344,"bigWidth":728,"bigHeight":545,"licensing":"

License: Creative Commons<\/a>
\n<\/p>


\n<\/p><\/div>"}, {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/c\/cc\/Make-Your-Twitter-Account-Private-Step-3-Version-3.jpg\/v4-460px-Make-Your-Twitter-Account-Private-Step-3-Version-3.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/c\/cc\/Make-Your-Twitter-Account-Private-Step-3-Version-3.jpg\/aid1987244-v4-728px-Make-Your-Twitter-Account-Private-Step-3-Version-3.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":344,"bigWidth":728,"bigHeight":545,"licensing":"

License: Creative Commons<\/a>
\n<\/p>


\n<\/p><\/div>"}, {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/6\/69\/Make-Your-Twitter-Account-Private-Step-4-Version-3.jpg\/v4-460px-Make-Your-Twitter-Account-Private-Step-4-Version-3.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/6\/69\/Make-Your-Twitter-Account-Private-Step-4-Version-3.jpg\/aid1987244-v4-728px-Make-Your-Twitter-Account-Private-Step-4-Version-3.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":344,"bigWidth":728,"bigHeight":545,"licensing":"

License: Creative Commons<\/a>
\n<\/p>


\n<\/p><\/div>"}, {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/0\/02\/Make-Your-Twitter-Account-Private-Step-5-Version-3.jpg\/v4-460px-Make-Your-Twitter-Account-Private-Step-5-Version-3.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/0\/02\/Make-Your-Twitter-Account-Private-Step-5-Version-3.jpg\/aid1987244-v4-728px-Make-Your-Twitter-Account-Private-Step-5-Version-3.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":344,"bigWidth":728,"bigHeight":545,"licensing":"

License: Creative Commons<\/a>
\n<\/p>


\n<\/p><\/div>"}, {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/1\/12\/Make-Your-Twitter-Account-Private-Step-6-Version-3.jpg\/v4-460px-Make-Your-Twitter-Account-Private-Step-6-Version-3.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/1\/12\/Make-Your-Twitter-Account-Private-Step-6-Version-3.jpg\/aid1987244-v4-728px-Make-Your-Twitter-Account-Private-Step-6-Version-3.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":344,"bigWidth":728,"bigHeight":545,"licensing":"

License: Creative Commons<\/a>
\n<\/p>


\n<\/p><\/div>"}, {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/b\/b6\/Make-Your-Twitter-Account-Private-Step-7-Version-3.jpg\/v4-460px-Make-Your-Twitter-Account-Private-Step-7-Version-3.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/b\/b6\/Make-Your-Twitter-Account-Private-Step-7-Version-3.jpg\/aid1987244-v4-728px-Make-Your-Twitter-Account-Private-Step-7-Version-3.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":728,"bigHeight":546,"licensing":"

License: Creative Commons<\/a>
\n<\/p>


\n<\/p><\/div>"}, {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/c\/c1\/Make-Your-Twitter-Account-Private-Step-8-Version-3.jpg\/v4-460px-Make-Your-Twitter-Account-Private-Step-8-Version-3.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/c\/c1\/Make-Your-Twitter-Account-Private-Step-8-Version-3.jpg\/aid1987244-v4-728px-Make-Your-Twitter-Account-Private-Step-8-Version-3.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":728,"bigHeight":546,"licensing":"

License: Creative Commons<\/a>
\n<\/p>


\n<\/p><\/div>"}, {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/8\/83\/Make-Your-Twitter-Account-Private-Step-9-Version-2.jpg\/v4-460px-Make-Your-Twitter-Account-Private-Step-9-Version-2.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/8\/83\/Make-Your-Twitter-Account-Private-Step-9-Version-2.jpg\/aid1987244-v4-728px-Make-Your-Twitter-Account-Private-Step-9-Version-2.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":344,"bigWidth":728,"bigHeight":545,"licensing":"

License: Creative Commons<\/a>
\n<\/p>


\n<\/p><\/div>"}, {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/a\/aa\/Make-Your-Twitter-Account-Private-Step-10-Version-2.jpg\/v4-460px-Make-Your-Twitter-Account-Private-Step-10-Version-2.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/a\/aa\/Make-Your-Twitter-Account-Private-Step-10-Version-2.jpg\/aid1987244-v4-728px-Make-Your-Twitter-Account-Private-Step-10-Version-2.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":344,"bigWidth":728,"bigHeight":545,"licensing":"

License: Creative Commons<\/a>
\n<\/p>


\n<\/p><\/div>"}. Getting to know and controlling your settings is an important part of helping protect your information. But it's been misused by some to harass or spam others, so Twitter lets you control who can tag you in photos. They may not be visible from your Twitter, but anyone who has favorited, retweeted, or linked formerly public Tweets can still access them regardless of whether you have approved them as followers. 2. This is the single best action you can take to increase your account security. Review muted accounts via Settings and privacy > Privacy and safety > Muted > Muted accounts. Click on "Settings and privacy". When it comes to staying safe on Twitter, it's important to note that social media companies thrive on conflict. "I'm new to Twitter, and this helped me loads!". Aldana. If you click an affiliate link and buy a product or service, we may be paid a fee by that merchant. Checking this option will require you to provide an email address or phone number whenever you try to change your password. Subscribing to a newsletter indicates your consent to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. The good news is that Twitter allows you to deactivate this feature at any time. Two-Factor Authentication (2FA) is a way to make sure your child’s Twitter account is secure from intruders. Scroll down to Protected Tweets, click the arrow, and check the box next to Protect my Tweets. Any @replies you send will not be seen, unless you send them to your approved followers. Click the three-dot icon from the account page and select Report, or open the drop-down menu on a specific tweet and select Report Tweet to tell Twitter why you find this content to be offensive and/or abusive. Under Advanced filters, you can opt to mute notifications from people: you don't follow; who don't follow you; with a new account; who have a default profile photo; who haven't confirmed their email; and who haven't confirmed their phone number. Log out of Twitter, then search for your name and Twitter on Google. Twitter; Mail; While it's still extremely important to be aware of fraud, the unfortunate reality is that scammers have, and will always, adapt to find new methods. You will only be able to share permanent links to your tweets with your approved followers. PCMag Digital Group. Check the status of your DMs under Privacy and safety > Direct Messages to control who can message you and whether they can see you read their message. Check the box next to “Protect my tweets.” Enter your Twitter password in the open box. The person's tweet is the text that follows the username. References You can turn off personalized ads, and personalization based on identity, location, and device. Your Twitter profile will only show your name, profile picture, and bio. You can access these settings by going to More > Settings and Privacy > Account > Security. He believes tech corporations are bad, but you might as well know how to use technology in everyday life. Let's start building! If you follow them, you'll still see replies and mentions in your notifications; if you don't follow them, they won't appear. Scan your computers for viruses and malware, especially if unauthorized account behaviors continue to be posted after you've changed the password. Twitter allows its users to tag each other in photos as another means to share experiences across the platform. If I switch from public to private tweets, will my current followers have to re-follow me or will they stay as they are now? This feature can help users share where they have been and connect with others in the same location. The wikiHow Tech Team also followed the article's instructions and verified that they work. It may also be worth exploring an alternative like Mastodon. Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 1,362,170 times. You have the option to send tweets with location data attached to them. What happens if you set your profile to private? If you been running any bot/software to automate your Twitter - stop it. How to protect your Twitter account from being hacked like Joe Biden and Bill Gates. And, for the Twitter for the iOS and Twitter for the Android apps, you should uncheck the slider or box next to the option that says Protect your Tweets. Your Twitter account is set to public by default, but you can make it private so that only approved users can subscribe to and view your tweets. Can I restrict tweets to just my followers without completely blocking people or using protected tweets? link your Twitter account with your mobile phone number; switch to mobile data; Let’s go into more details for each method: 1. Hit "Save changes". We Rented One to Find Out, Intel Ships Record Number of Laptop Chips on Rising PC Demand, Apple's New Siri Remote Doesn't Support Motion Controls, Netflix: Relax, We're Not Cracking Down on Password Sharing, Read Great Stories Offline on Your Favorite, How to Free Up Space on Your iPhone or iPad, How to Save Money on Your Cell Phone Bill, How to Find Free Tools to Optimize Your Small Business, How to Get Started With Project Management, Two-Factor Authentication: Who Has It and How to Set It Up, How to Spot and Avoid Credit Card Skimmers and Shimmers, The Best Email Encryption Services for 2021, How to Set Up Dark Mode on Your Favorite Apps, Need to Switch a PNG to JPG? For example, if you tweet a celebrity they will not be able to see it, as you have not approved them to follow you. On mobile, you can flip the switch to on. The display of third-party trademarks and trade names on this site does not necessarily indicate any affiliation or the endorsement of PCMag. How to manage multiple accounts. Aldana. You can also prevent Twitter from sharing collected data with advertisers. But in 2015, Twitter allowed people to open their DMs to anyone, which can be helpful for some and dangerous for others. These datasets include profile information, Tweets and media (e.g., images and videos) from accounts we believe are connected to state linked information operations. Review blocked accounts via Settings and privacy > Privacy and safety > Blocked accounts. Here are some tips to help reduce the risk of having your Twitter account limited, locked, or suspended in the future: Add mobile number: Add a mobile phone number to your Twitter account. Help with a compromised account. We want to share more on the work we're doing to protect your account and keep Twitter secure. All of your tweets will be hidden from your profile, and the only thing visible on your profile will be your picture, name, and bio. Accounts that began following you before you protected your Tweets will still be able to view and interact with your protected Tweets unless you block them. Or tap the downward-facing arrow from within your feed and choose Mute or Block. The only guaranteed way to protect yourself is to spend less time on social media or delete your account. That means you will show up to people who have your contact information. If you want certain Twitter users to have the ability to read your replies, encourage those users to follow you. If you don't want to go through the hassle of muting and blocking words and accounts, this filter might help. Learn more about blocking. Why Twitter Users REALLY Protect Their Accounts April 25, 2015 Bob Leggitt When most people see a protected Twitter account, they’ll either Follow it, ignore it, or, if my relevant blog stats are anything to go by, come to this site in a bid to find out how to covertly spy on it. Your account won’t be accessible until you do so, to ensure that unauthorized individuals don’t have access. Be aware that any protected tweets you published while your account was private will now become public and will be visible to and searchable by anyone. No, you will have to use protected tweets to restrict it to only your followers. Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered. Social Media Specialist. two factor authentication). Tested. People have been targeted by coordinated harassment campaigns that can involve anything from threats and spamming to account hacks and worse. No. A.J. © 1996-2021 Ziff Davis, LLC. You can protect your Twitter account from hackers, who have breached even CEO Jack Dorsey's account, by turning on two-factor authentication. If you're the one tweeting sensitive information, check the box next to Mark media you Tweet as containing material that may be sensitive.