Twitter’s direct messaging (DM) feature allows users to send private messages to each other. While this can be useful for having private conversations, it also opens the door for harassment, spam, and unwanted messages.
If you’re tired of getting unwanted DMs, here are some ways to block or limit direct messages on Twitter.
Table of Contents
Turn Off “Allow Message Requests From Everyone”
By default, your Twitter account is set to receive direct messages from any other Twitter user. This “open DM” setting means anyone can message you, even if you don’t follow them.
To limit DMs only to people you follow:
- Go to your Twitter Settings
- Click on Privacy and Safety
- Go to the Direct Messages section
- Uncheck the box for Allow Message Requests From Everyone
Once you uncheck this box, only users you follow will be able to DM you. Anyone else who tries to message you will get an error saying you don’t accept messages from them.
Pro Tip: You can also limit DMs only to users you follow and users who follow you back by checking the “Receive Direct Messages from people you follow” box instead. This further limits messages only to mutual followers.
Review and Decline Message Requests
If you keep “Allow Message Requests From Everyone” turned on, you’ll get pending message requests from users you don’t follow.
These requested messages won’t appear in your main DM inbox. Instead, you’ll have to manually look in your message requests folder and choose to accept or decline each request.
To review requests:
- Click the envelope icon for DMs
- Click the Message Requests tab
- Review requests and choose Accept or Delete for each
Declining a request will delete the message. The user won’t know if you’ve seen it or not. Over time as you decline more requests, you may get fewer unwanted messages.
Block Users From Messaging You
You can block individual Twitter users from messaging you, even if you have open DMs turned on.
To block a user:
- Open the DM conversation from that person
- Click the information icon (i inside a circle)
- Select Block @username
- Confirm the block
Blocking prevents that user from messaging you again unless you unblock them. They also won’t be able to add you to group messages.
Disable Read Receipts
With read receipts turned on, other users can see when you’ve read their DMs. This can lead some people to send more unwanted messages if they know you’re reading them.
You can disable read receipts:
- Go to your DM settings
- Turn off Read Receipts
Now other users won’t know if or when you’ve read their messages.
Use Third-Party Twitter Apps
Many third-party Twitter apps like Tweetbot don’t have access to Twitter’s group DM features. So you won’t get added to unwanted group messages.
These apps also often have more granular DM controls. For example, Tweetbot lets you easily mute conversations to hide them from your inbox.
So using a third-party client can reduce some DM nuisance without fully disabling the feature.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I completely disable DMs on Twitter?
No, Twitter doesn’t allow completely disabling your DM inbox. But you can limit messages only to mutual followers or heavily filter requests.
What happens when I block someone from DMs?
Blocking prevents that user from messaging you again unless you manually unblock them. They won’t get any error or notice – your conversation will just disappear from their side.
Do message requests notify the other user?
No, declining a message request deletes the message without notifying the sender. So feel free to silently decline unwanted requests.
Can I get in trouble for blocking or declining DMs?
No, you cannot get in trouble for managing your own DM inbox and blocking users from messaging you. Twitter provides these controls so you can limit unwanted messages.
What’s the difference between blocking and reporting a DM?
- Blocking stops future messages but doesn’t notify Twitter
- Reporting tells Twitter about rule violations but doesn’t block that user
So if someone sends harassing messages, both block them and report the messages to Twitter. Blocking prevents future harassment while reporting puts the violations on Twitter’s radar.
The Bottom Line
Unwanted direct messages can be annoying at best and harassing at worst. Thankfully, Twitter provides several controls allowing you to filter and limit DMs.
Turn off open DMs, judiciously block users who harass you, disable read receipts, and filter message requests. Combining several of these options can drastically reduce DM nuisance.
While you can’t disable DMs completely, savvy use of Twitter’s tools allows you to take back control of your inbox. Filter out the noise and keep having great conversations with people you actually want to hear from.
