Making your Twitter profile private is an easy way to protect your tweets and account information from being seen by people you don’t want accessing it. Here is a step-by-step guide on how to make your Twitter account private, along with tips on other privacy settings you can configure.
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Why Make Your Twitter Profile Private?
Here are some of the key reasons you may want to make your Twitter account private:
- Control who sees your tweets – By default, anyone can view your tweets, even if they don’t follow you. Making your account private means only your approved followers can see what you tweet.
- Avoid unwanted attention – A public profile means anyone can find and interact with your tweets. This could lead to harassment, bullying, or just attention from people you don’t want.
- Keep personal information private – Details like your location, website, birthdate, may be visible on your public Twitter profile. Keeping your account private hides this from strangers.
- Improve security – Private accounts are less vulnerable to hacking attempts and online threats. It also prevents spammers from accessing your tweets and followers list.
Step-by-Step Guide to Make Twitter Profile Private
Making your Twitter account private only takes a few minutes. Follow these simple steps:
On Desktop
- Go to Twitter.com and log into your account
- Click More (the 3 dot icon) in the left sidebar and select Settings and privacy
- Choose Privacy and safety from the menu
- Under Audience and tagging, check the box next to Protect your Tweets
- Click Protect to confirm
On iPhone/Android
- Open the Twitter app and tap your profile icon
- Tap Settings and privacy
- Select Privacy and safety
- Under Audience and tagging, slide the toggle for Protect your Tweets to the on position
- Enter your password to confirm the change
Once you protect your tweets, a padlock icon will appear on your Twitter profile. This lets other users know your tweets are private.
Other Twitter Privacy Settings
In addition to making your tweets private, here are some other Twitter privacy settings you should check:
Photo tagging – Disable this to prevent people tagging you in photos without consent
Location tagging – Turn this off so your precise location isn’t shared in tweets
Direct Messages – Restrict messages to only people you follow
Discoverability – Limit finding your account via email address or phone number
Ads – Customize the types of ads Twitter shows you
Data sharing – Prevent Twitter from sharing your data with third-party websites
Account security – Set up two-factor authentication for extra protection
Blocked accounts – View and manage accounts you have blocked from interacting with you
Tips for Managing a Private Account
Once your account is private, you have full control over who can follow you and view your tweets. Here are some tips:
- Check follow requests regularly to approve/deny new followers
- Occasionally review your approved followers list and remove any suspicious accounts
- Be cautious about tweeting sensitive personal information even with a private account
- Use strong passwords and two-factor authentication to keep your account secure
- Avoid connecting third-party apps to your Twitter account
Making your Twitter profile private gives you much greater control over your privacy and security on the platform. Take just a few minutes to configure your settings as private, then routinely check back to ensure your account stays protected.
