Skip to main content

How to secure your Twitter account

Twitter seems to be an easy target for hackers. In late 2019, Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey’s account was hacked and then used to send out racist and anti-Semitic retweets. In a strange turn of events that could only happen in topsy-turvy 2020, Twitter’s competitor, Facebook, had their Twitter account  taken over by a hacker group called OurMine in February. More recently, dozens of major Twitter accounts were hacked in massive Bitcoin scam. That’s only a few of the more high-profile hackings.

This news could leave a devout Twitter user a little nervous. Though there’s no foolproof way to keep hackers at bay, you can make your account much more secure. Here’s how to secure your Twitter account.

A girl with a hacked Twitter accountPassword smarts

First, let’s tackle the easiest step: Perfecting your password. Change your password so that it’s different from any other password you use, and make it as random as possible with capital letters, lowercase letters, numbers, and symbols. Also, make your password long. Twitter recommends a password that is at least 10 characters long. If trying to remember a whacky password scares you, get a good password manager to safely store all of your passwords.

Once you have a great password, make sure it can’t be easily changed — select options that require your email address or phone number before a change can be made. Here’s how to set this security feature up:

  • Log in to your account.
  • If you’re using a browser, click More in the menu on the left side of the screen.
  • If you’re using the app, tap your Profile Icon in the upper left.
  • Choose Settings and Privacy > Account > Security.
  • Tick the box beside the Password Reset Protect option.
  • To finish, enter your password and choose OK.

Use two-factor authentication

Next, set up your account to use two-factor authentication. This security measure makes it so your account can only be accessed if you enter your password and a code or a security key to confirm your identity.

Here’s how to set it up:

  • Log in to your account.
  • If you’re using a browser, click More in the menu on the left side of the screen.
  • If you’re using the app, tap your Profile Icon in the upper left.
  • Choose Settings and Privacy > Account > Security > Two-Factor Authentication.
  • Choose which secondary method you would like to use to identify yourself when you log in.

Be smart

While the steps above will keep your account secure from most hackers, there are a few more things you should remember. If your computer has a virus, a hacker may be able to use it to access your account. Be sure to use up-to-date malware protection on your computer to help prevent this type of hack. When you combine all of these tips together, your Twitter account should be very safe from any would-be hackers.

Editors' Recommendations

Alina Bradford
Alina Bradford has been a tech, lifestyle and science writer for more than 20 years. Her work is read by millions each month…
What is Mastodon? Here’s why everyone’s talking about this Twitter alternative
Series of four mobile screenshots showing Mastodon's sign-up process.

By now you've no doubt heard about Mastodon. It's a social media platform that's been bandied about as an alternative to Twitter, particularly among users who aren't comfortable with the direction Twitter is going in now that Elon Musk is at the helm.

In fact, since Musk first announced that he was planning on buying the popular microblogging platform, Mastodon has garnered quite a bit of attention and experienced significant growth. But though you've likely heard about Mastodon, you may not be familiar with how it works or haven't decided whether or not it would be a good fit for you if you ever choose to leave Twitter and need an alternative social media platform. Don't worry. We've got you covered. In this guide, we'll get you up to speed on everything you need to know about social media's buzziest new platform.
What is Mastodon?

Read more
Twitter’s SMS two-factor authentication is having issues. Here’s how to switch methods
A person's hands holding a smartphone as they browse Twitter on it.

It might be a good idea to review and change your two-factor authentication options for Twitter. Elon Musk's Twitter has another issue for its users to worry about.

Twitter has reportedly been having issues with its SMS two-factor authentication feature (2FA). According to Wired, beginning as early as this past weekend, some Twitter users have reported difficulties logging in to their Twitter accounts due to the app's SMS 2FA feature not working properly. Essentially, the feature relies on the app sending users an authentication code via text message, which they can then enter as a second step in the login process.

Read more
Twitter has reportedly suspended signups for Twitter Blue
Twitter Blue menu option on a white screen background which is on a black background.

The start of Elon Musk's tenure as owner of Twitter has not been without its struggles and chaos. And so far, the chaos Twitter currently finds itself in shows no signs of letting up anytime soon.

So it seems fitting that the latest news on the Twitter front is that signups for the microblogging platform's $8-per-month Twitter Blue subscription have reportedly been suspended. On Friday, Forbes reported that new signups for Twitter's newly revamped Blue subscription have apparently been disabled, having "verified that users have not been able to sign up to the service for more than an hour," and also citing that the option to sign up for Blue on the iOS app had disappeared as further proof of the suspension. The Verge also noted that some users may still see the option to subscribe, only to then be met with an error message. One of the editors at Digital Trends said the option to sign up for the service is just missing from his iOS app's menu, noted that it had been like that "since at least 8 p.m. PT last night," and shared the following screenshot:

Read more