How to Change Settings on Twitter

Getting your Twitter profile to work exactly how you want it to is all about knowing which settings to tweak. This guide cuts straight to the point, walking you through the essential adjustments you can make to your account, privacy, and notifications. We’ll show you, step by step, how to take control of your X experience and tailor the platform to your personal or brand's needs.

Finding Your Twitter/X Settings Menu

Before you can change anything, you need to know where to look. The path to your settings is slightly different depending on whether you’re on a computer or your phone.

On Desktop (Website)

Finding your settings on the desktop version of X is a quick process:

1. Log in to your account at X.com.
2. In the left-hand navigation menu, click on the More option (it looks like three dots in a circle).
3. From the pop-up menu that appears, click on Settings and privacy.
4. This will open the main settings dashboard, where all the customization options are organized by category.

On Mobile (iOS and Android App)

Accessing your settings on the mobile app takes just a couple of taps:

1. Open the X app and tap on your profile picture or the navigation menu icon in the top-left corner.
2. In the menu that slides out, tap Settings &, Privacy.
3. You'll be taken to the main settings screen, ready to start making changes.

Mastering Your Core Account Settings

Your "Your account" section is the command center for your profile’s identity, security, and presence. Here are the most common things people need to adjust.

Changing Your Username (@handle) and Display Name

It’s important to understand the difference between these two. Your display name is the bolded name that appears above your posts, and you can change it whenever you want. Your username (or @handle) is your unique identifier on the platform and what people use to tag you.

To change your display name:

• Go to your profile page and click or tap the Edit profile button.
• In the "Name" field, type your new display name.
• Click Save. You're done!

To change your username (@handle):

• Navigate to Settings and privacy ->, Your account ->, Account information.
• You may be asked to re-enter your password to confirm it's you.
• Tap on Username.
• Enter your desired new username. The platform will let you know if it's available.
• Keep in mind your old username immediately becomes available for others to claim. Also, changing your username means people who knew you by the old one will need your new @handle to tag you.

Updating Your Password, Email, and Phone Number

Keeping your account secure often starts with your password and recovery information. These are all found in the Settings and privacy ->, Your account area.

• Change your password: Found under the "Change your password" menu. You’ll need to enter your current password and then your new one twice. It's smart to do this every few months or if you suspect any unauthorized activity.
• Update your email address or phone number: Head to "Account information." You can update your linked email and phone number here. Keeping this information current is vital for account recovery and two-factor authentication. X will send a verification code to the new email or phone number you provide to confirm the change.

Deactivating Your Account

If you're ready for a break or want to leave the platform permanently, you can deactivate your account. Deactivation is a 30-day grace period. If you don't log back in within those 30 days, your account will be permanently deleted.

1. Go to Settings and privacy ->, Your account.
2. Click or tap on Deactivate your account.
3. The platform will give you some final information. Confirm your decision by clicking the "Deactivate" button and entering your password.

Taking Control with Privacy and Safety Settings

This is arguably the most important section for customizing your experience. These settings determine who can see your content, contact you, and find your profile.

Protecting Your Posts (Making Your Account Private)

By default, everything you post on X is public. If you prefer to have control over who sees your posts, you can make your account private. When your account is private, only your approved followers can see what you post.

• Go to Settings and privacy ->, Privacy and safety ->, Audience and tagging.
• Toggle the switch for Protect your Posts.
• From now on, anyone who wants to follow you will need to send a request that you must approve. Your past and future posts will only be visible to your followers.

Managing Your Audience, Tagging, and Direct Messages

Beyond simply locking your entire account, you can fine-tune who is allowed to interact with you in specific ways.

• Photo Tagging: In the same Audience and tagging menu, you can control who can tag you in photos. You can allow anyone to tag you, only people you follow, or turn it off completely. This can prevent you from being linked to spam or unwanted content.
• Direct Messages (DMs): Go to Settings and privacy ->, Privacy and safety ->, Direct Messages. Here, you can decide who can message you directly. Options typically include allowing message requests from everyone, only from people you follow, or only from verified users. This is a powerful tool for stopping spam DMs.

Muting, Blocking, and Advanced Filters

For a more tailored and positive experience, use the mute and block features to filter out noise, harassment, or content you simply don’t want to see.

• Mute: Muting an account removes their posts from your timeline without them knowing. You can also mute specific words, phrases, hashtags, or usernames. This is incredibly useful for avoiding spoilers or topics you find stressful. You can manage this under Settings and privacy ->, Privacy and safety ->, Mute and block.
• Block: Blocking an account prevents them from following you, seeing your posts, or interacting with you in any way. Blocked accounts also can't see your profile.
• Content You See: Under this setting in the "Privacy and safety" section, you can filter your feed to remove sensitive content. You can also manage your "Interests" which X uses to tailor your timeline and advertising.

Silencing the Noise: Customizing Your Notifications

Is your phone constantly buzzing with social media alerts? Taming your notifications is simple and effective for reducing digital distraction.

Navigate to Settings and privacy ->, Notifications to find all the controls you need.

Push Notifications vs. Email Notifications

You have granular control over what warrants a push notification to your phone and an email to your inbox.

• Push Notifications: From the "Notifications" menu, select Push notifications. Here you can turn on or off alerts for things like Mentions, new followers, Direct Messages, and retweets. If you manage a brand, you might want to keep Mentions and DMs on, but you can likely turn off notifications for Likes.
• Email Notifications: Select Email notifications to control what X sends to your email. You can toggle emails about activity related to your account as well as news and tips from X itself. To clear your inbox, this is the place to go.

Customizing Display and Accessibility

Finally, you can change how the platform looks and functions to better suit your preferences. These settings improve the user experience and can make the app more comfortable to use, especially for long periods.

Head to Settings and privacy ->, Accessibility, display, and languages.

• Display: This is where you can change your visual theme. X offers a Light mode, a dark blue Dim mode, and a pure black Lights out mode, which is great for OLED screens and nighttime scrolling. You can also adjust font size and select your main display color to personalize the look of buttons and links.
• Accessibility: Here, you'll find options for screen readers and motion settings. For instance, you can reduce motion which turns off some of the decorative animations within the app.

Final Thoughts

Taking a few minutes to go through your X settings gives you complete control over your account's privacy, presentation, and daily interactions. Whether you're tightening security, curating your feed, or just trying to get fewer notifications, the power to customize the platform is in your hands.

Now that your account preferences are working for you, the next step is making your content management just as efficient. To help with the chaos of managing multiple accounts or juggling content calendars, we built Postbase. Our platform is designed to make planning and scheduling your posts across different social channels simple and intuitive, letting you see your entire strategy in one beautiful calendar view so you can focus on creating great content instead of wrestling with your tools.

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