Hey there! Since you‘re reading this, I‘m guessing you want to take more control over your Twitter experience. I‘ve been tweeting for over a decade now, and customizing my account settings played a huge role in my Twitter success.
Whether you want to change your display name, boost security, download your data or beyond, your account settings have got you covered. I‘ll walk you through how to access them on mobile or desktop step-by-step. Then we‘ll explore key options around your profile, privacy, history and more.
Fair warning – we‘re gonna get detailed! But putting in this work upfront pays off every time you tweet. Let‘s dig in!
Accessing Your Twitter Account Settings
The first step is actually finding your settings. Here‘s exactly how to get to that handy hub no matter how you use Twitter:
On Desktop
- Click your profile picture
- Select Settings and privacy
- Choose Settings
- Click Account in the left menu
| Section | Capabilities |
|---|---|
| Account Information |
|
| Privacy and Safety |
|
| Security and Access |
|
On Mobile
- Tap your profile picture
- Select Settings and privacy
- Choose Account
Your mobile account settings actually have different capabilities than desktop. For example, you can only change basic account details and deactivate your account. For expanded options like data downloads, use Twitter on desktop.
Changing Your Username and Other Account Details
Let‘s start with key edits under Account Information. Have that perfect @ handle on lock? Or want to reinvent yourself? Rejoice! You can change your username infinitely on Twitter.
I went from @JulieSmith to @SocialMediaPro back in the day. Updates take effect right after confirming your password. Just know your old @ handle goes back into the pool for anyone to claim.
You can also easily modify:
- Name
- Phone
- Birthdate
I always keep my email and phone updated to stay secure. Consider setting a calendar reminder to reconfirm important recovery contact info.
Protect Your Tweets and More Privacy Tips
Now for one of my favorite parts – the additional settings exclusively on twitter.com. Take Protect your Tweets which makes all your posts private. I enable this when drafting threads before I‘m ready to publish.
You can also hide location tagging from your tweets and disable photo tags from anyone. I‘m all about social…except for random folks adding my location!
My last pro tip? Double check Personalization and Data to limit info Twitter tracks. This data fuels pesky targeted ads. Audit logins under Security and Access while you‘re at it!
Downloading Your Data Gold Mine
What you can uncover in your Data Archive is wild. We‘re talking:
- Every individual tweet
- Direct messages
- Shared images
- Ads clicked
- Devices used to access Twitter
- And much more!
I uses archives to:
- Back up my Twitter legacy
- Support reports and social analytics
- Import history if starting a new brand account
Consider requesting your archive anytime you‘re making major account changes. Oh and don‘t forget to disconnect deactivating profiles from tools like TweetDeck.
Deactivating Your Account
Speaking of, the permanent Account Deactivation section is tucked way down here if you ever decide it‘s time to fly the Twitter coop (please don‘t!).
Heads up:
Deactivated accounts can be restored for up to 30 days after deactivation. After 30 days, it is permanently deleted.
So be 100% sure before disabling your beloved profile and tweets! You‘ll also want to download your data archive beforehand if you have years of memories.
And that‘s everything on configuring your Twitter account settings! As you can see, poking around leads to serious customization. Consider an annual check-in to update, analyze, and secure your profile as needed.
Let me know if any other Twitter questions come up @SocialMediaPro. Until next time!
