How to Unpin a Tweet on Twitter

Ready to update that all-important top spot on your X (formerly Twitter) profile? Removing or replacing a pinned tweet is a quick and simple process that keeps your profile fresh and relevant. This guide will walk you through the exact steps to unpin a tweet on any device, explore the strategic reasons for doing it, and help you decide what to do next with your profile’s prime real estate.

What Exactly is a Pinned Tweet, and Why Should You Care?

Think of a pinned tweet as the digital welcome mat to your X profile. It’s the very first post anyone sees when they visit your page, staying put right at the top, regardless of what you tweet afterward. Instead of visitors seeing your random musing from ten minutes ago, they see the exact message you want them to see. It’s a powerful but often underutilized feature that serves as a permanent headline, a mini-bio, or a direct call to action.

So, why does it matter so much? Your pinned tweet sets the tone for your entire presence on X. For brands and creators, it's a golden opportunity to:

• Make a Strong First Impression: New visitors instantly know what you’re about, what you offer, or what news you’re most excited about.
• Drive Traffic and Conversions: You can pin a tweet with a link to your latest product, a newsletter signup form, a new YouTube video, or a blog post you want everyone to read. It gives your most important link a permanent home.
• Highlight Your Best Content: Got a tweet that went viral? Pin it! It showcases your credibility and personality, keeping the momentum going long after the initial buzz has faded.
• Promote Current Campaigns: Running a limited-time sale, hosting a webinar, or launching a new course? Your pinned tweet is the perfect billboard to announce it to the world.

In short, a great pinned tweet works for you 24/7, turning passive profile visitors into engaged followers, subscribers, or customers. But even the best welcome mat needs to be changed occasionally to keep things from getting stale.

The “Why”: Top Reasons You Should Unpin a Tweet

Just as important as knowing how to unpin a tweet is understanding when to do it. A pinned tweet isn't meant to be a set-it-and-forget-it feature. If your pinned post is gathering dust from six months ago, you're missing out on a valuable opportunity. Regularly revisiting your pinned tweet is a smart social media habit.

Here are some of the most common strategic moments to hit that "unpin" button:

1. An Event or Campaign Has Ended

This is the most obvious reason. If your pinned tweet is promoting a webinar that happened last week, a holiday sale that’s over, or a contest that has closed, it immediately makes your profile look outdated. Unpinning it as soon as the event is over is good social media hygiene. It signals to your audience that you’re active and on top of your content.

2. You Have Something New and Exciting to Share

Maybe you published a phenomenal new blog post, landed a big press feature, launched a brilliant new feature, or released a new podcast episode. Don’t let your new, high-impact content get buried in the feed. Unpin your old post and pin the new one to give your latest and greatest work the spotlight it deserves.

3. Your Old Pinned Tweet is Outdated

Sometimes, a tweet doesn’t need to be tied to an event to become outdated. Did you recently rebrand? Did your mission statement evolve? Is the information in that old thread no longer accurate? Your pinned tweet should always be a reflection of your current focus. If it's not, it's time for a change.

4. Another Tweet is Performing Exceptionally Well

Every now and then, lightning strikes, and a tweet you thought was just another message takes off. If a recent post is getting massive engagement - lots of likes, replies, and shares - pin it to the top! This leverages social proof. New visitors will see a highly popular tweet and be more inclined to see you as an interesting account to follow.

5. You Want to Test a New Call to Action

Marketing is all about testing. The pinned tweet is a perfect place to run small experiments. Maybe you've been pinning a link to your homepage for months. Try unpinning it and pinning a tweet that directs people to your email list or a free resource. Track the clicks and see what resonates most with your audience. Rotating your pinned tweet allows you to gather data on what moves the needle for your business.

How to Unpin a Tweet: Your Step-by-Step Guide

Thankfully, the process of unpinning a tweet is incredibly straightforward on all devices. It only takes a few seconds. Here’s how you can do it whether you're at your desk or on the go.

Unpinning a Tweet on Desktop (using X.com)

If you're managing your social media from a laptop or desktop computer, follow these simple steps:

1. Navigate to X.com in your web browser and log in to your account.
2. Click on the “Profile” option in the left-hand navigation menu to go to your profile page.
3. Your pinned tweet will be the first one you see at the very top, always identified by a small pin icon and "Pinned" text above your name.
4. In the top right corner of that tweet, click the three-dot menu icon (...).
5. A dropdown menu will appear. From this list, select "Unpin from profile."
6. A confirmation box will pop up asking, "Unpin from profile?" Click the red "Unpin" button to confirm.

That's it! The tweet is no longer pinned. The page will refresh, and your normal, chronologically ordered feed will now appear at the top of your profile.

Unpinning a Tweet on the Mobile App (iOS and Android)

The process is just as easy on your phone using the official X mobile app.

1. Open the X app on your smartphone.
2. Tap on your profile picture in the top-left corner to open the side menu, then tap "Profile."
3. As on desktop, you will find your pinned tweet located at the very top of your timeline. It will be marked with the "Pinned" label.
4. Tap the three-dot menu icon (...) at the top right of the pinned tweet's box.
5. From the menu that appears at the bottom of your screen, tap "Unpin from profile."
6. Confirm your choice by tapping "Unpin" in the pop-up confirmation.

Your pinned tweet will instantly vanish from the top, and your profile will revert to showing your most recent tweets first.

What Happens After You Unpin a Tweet? (Relax, It Doesn't Disappear)

First-timers often have a moment of panic before unpinning. Will my tweet be deleted? What about all the likes and replies?

You can breathe easily. When you unpin a tweet, here’s what actually happens:

• The tweet is not deleted. It simply returns to its original place in your timeline, based on the date it was first posted. If you unpin something from a year ago, you’ll have to scroll way down to find it again, but it’s still there.
• You lose zero engagement. All the likes, reposts, bookmarks, and replies stay with the tweet forever. Its metrics are completely unaffected.
• Your profile is now "pin-free." Until you choose to pin a different tweet, your profile will simply show your most recent posts at the top, which is the default for all X users. It’s perfectly fine to have no pinned tweet at all.

Smart Pinned Tweet Strategies to Keep Your Profile Winning

Simply knowing how to unpin a tweet is half the battle. Using the feature strategically is what separates the novices from the pros. Once you're comfortable with the mechanics, integrate these best practices into your routine.

Pin Your Best Performers

Don't just guess what might work. Pin a tweet that has already proven its worth. Look through your analytics for posts with high engagement rates. Pinning a tweet that already resonates with people is a safe bet for making a great first impression.

Always Include a Visual Element

Tweets with images, GIFs, or videos consistently outperform plain text posts. When choosing a tweet to pin, favor one with a compelling visual. It will catch the visitor's eye immediately and make your profile look more dynamic and professional.

Update Your Pinned Tweet Regularly

Treat your pinned tweet like the featured content on a homepage. It needs to stay fresh! Set a recurring reminder in your calendar - perhaps monthly or quarterly - to review your pinned tweet. Ask yourself: Is this still relevant? Does this still align with my current goals? Is there something better I could highlight? This simple check-up ensures your profile never looks neglected.

Pin a Thread to Showcase Your Expertise

Want to establish authority? A well-written, informative thread is an excellent choice for a pinned tweet. It serves as a miniature blog post that hooks visitors with valuable insights and encourages them to follow you for more. You can pin the first tweet of the thread, and users can easily click to read the rest.

Engage with Replies on Your Pinned Tweet

Your pinned tweet will continue to get new eyes on it every day. When people reply, make sure you respond! Engaging with new comments keeps the conversation alive and shows visitors that you are an active and accessible account, which can make a big difference in whether they choose to follow you.

Final Thoughts

Unpinning a tweet is a simple, two-click task, but its strategic impact on your brand’s perception is massive. Taking a moment to remove an outdated promotion or swap in a high-performing new piece of content keeps your X profile dynamic, relevant, and working hard to achieve your goals.

Keeping a content calendar that includes a regular "pinned tweet review" can feel like one more thing to juggle. We find that a visual planner is a game-changer here. That’s why we built the visual calendar in Postbase. We create a special recurring task for ourselves right on the calendar to check our pinned post monthly, so it never gets stale or forgotten. It lets us plan our major content pillars, see what's coming up, and ensure our pinned tweet is always aligned with our biggest priorities.