Easy Ways to Unlock or Unsuspend Your Twitter Account

Written by Nicole Levine, MFA

Last Updated: March 29, 2024 Fact Checked

If your X, formerly known as Twitter account is suspended, locked, or limited, there are some simple things you can do to get your account back. X may suspend or temporarily limit your account if they think you're using fake information, spamming, running a bot, impersonating other accounts, or engaging in abusive or suspicious behavior. Your account may also be locked or limited if X suspects you've been hacked or compromised. This wikiHow article will show you how to recover your locked or suspended X account, from verifying your personal information to submitting an appeal.

Things You Should Know

If X thinks your account activity is suspicious, they'll typically lock or limit the account until you verify your email address or phone number.
If your account is limited and you can't verify, you can wait until the restrictions lift automatically—anywhere from 12 hours to 7 days.
If you were permanently suspended by X and believe it's a mistake, you can file an appeal to unsuspend your account.

Method 1

Method 1 of 2:

Verifying Locked & Limited Accounts

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1
Log in to X. You can log in to X on https://twitter.com, or using the mobile app on your Android, iPhone, or iPad. If you see a message that says your account is limited due to suspicious activity or for violating X’s rules, you'll usually be able to restore your account by verifying your identity.
- X may lock or limit an account that exhibits suspicious behavior, including bot-like activity and violations of X’s abusive behavior and hateful conduct policies.^{[1]
  X
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- If your account was hacked and you can no longer log in, fill out the form at https://help.twitter.com/en/forms/account-access/regain-access/hacked-or-compromised.
2
Click or tap Start. If you see a message that says "Your account has been locked," "Please verify your account," or "Your account has been locked for security purposes," Twitter will prompt you to confirm your phone number and/or email address to secure your account.^{[2]
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- If you don't see the Start option, you won't be able to restore your account by verifying your phone number or email address. This usually happens when your account was reported for violating the platform X’s rules, and/or you've already verified your phone number or email address during a previous violation. You can click Continue to X/Twitter to use your account with limited features for the time specified.
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3
Enter your phone number as requested. X will prompt you to enter the phone number associated with your account. Once you enter your phone number, you can choose to receive a call or text message from X containing a unique confirmation code.^{[3]
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- If you can't receive phone calls or text messages on the phone number associated with your account, click Send email to verify by email instead. When prompted, enter your email address to receive the code.
- If you don't receive an email within a few minutes of entering your address, check your spam or junk mail folders.
It may take a few minutes to receive the code via phone call, text message, or email. Once received, enter it into the field provided by X to confirm your account.
5
Change your Twitter password. If your account was suspended for suspicious activity and you didn't do anything wrong, change your password as soon as your account is unlocked. If X doesn't take you to the password reset screen, here's how to change your password:^{[4]
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- Click the three dots in the left panel (if you're using a computer) or tap the navigation menu at the top-left on an Android, iPhone, or iPad.^{[5]
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- Click Settings & privacy.
- Click Your account.
- Click Change your password.
- Enter your current password, followed by your new password.
- Click Confirm Password and then Done.

Method 2

Method 2 of 2:

Appealing a Limited or Suspended Account

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1
Log in to X/Twitter. If your X/Twitter account is limited or suspended and you can't restore it by verifying your email address or phone number, you may still be able to use the platform X with temporarily limited features. If the suspension is permanent and you didn't do anything wrong, you can file an appeal.
- If your account was hacked and you can no longer log in, fill out the form at https://help.twitter.com/en/forms/account-access/regain-access/hacked-or-compromised.
2
Click or tap Continue to Twitter if available. If you don't see the option to verify your phone number or email address, choose this option to use X in a limited state.^{[6]
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- If your account is limited temporarily, you'll see a countdown that shows you how much time you have left before your account is restored automatically. The limitation will usually lift on its own anywhere from 12 hours to 7 days, depending on the severity of the violation.^{[7]
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- Certain features, such as Tweeting, retweeting, or liking may be suspended while your account is limited.
- If your account was limited for violating Twitter's rules,^{[8]
  X
  Research source} you can still browse Twitter and send direct messages to your followers, but you won't be able to tweet until the limitation is lifted.
- If your account was permanently suspended, you may not be able to use any features of X at all. In this case, all you can do is file an appeal.
3
Remove any prohibited tweets if possible. If you can still access your X account in a limited state, be sure to delete any tweets and re-tweets that violate X’s rules before appealing the limitation.^{[9]
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- If you can't get back into your account because it was permanently suspended, continue with this method to appeal the suspension.
Go to https://help.twitter.com/forms/general?subtopic=suspended in a web browser. This is X’s official appeals form for suspended and limited accounts. If you feel your account was suspended or limited in error, you can use this form to give X additional information to help them reconsider the limitation or suspension.
5
Explain why the suspension or account limitation is in error. In the provided field, explain why you believe the suspension or limitation is in error.
- Be specific about why your tweets or behavior are not in violation. For example, if you think you're the target of mass reporting by bots or trolls, tell them this.^{[10]
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- Similarly, if your account was hacked and you're not responsible for the content it shared, state that explicitly. If you've regained control of your account, let X know so they won't hesitate to give you back your account.
- Most importantly, be as polite as possible to ensure a fair and speedy decision.
If your information did not populate correctly from your account information, update each field as needed. The email address you enter is the one that X will communicate with you through.
If your account was suspended because X thinks you're underage or impersonating somebody else, you'll see an Upload image button. In this case, you'll need to click the button to upload a valid form of photo identification that includes the name associated with your X account.^{[11]
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After you fill out the form, click the button to submit it. X will contact you through email when they make a decision about your account. You only need to submit an appeal once.

Community Q&A

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Question

How can I recover my account if I no longer have access to my email address?

Community Answer

If you cannot remember your password and you don't have access to the email you used to create the account, then you won't be able to access the old account. The best thing to do would be to create a new account using an email address that you can successfully access.

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Question

Can I use a suspended Twitter username as my Twitter handle?

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You can't use an username of a suspended or deactivated account.

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What do I do if my Twitter account was suspended by mistake?

Community Answer

Contact Twitter about the issue via email and tell them that your account has been suspended by mistake.

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If you follow too many accounts in a short period of time, X may think you're a bot. Don't try to follow more than 400 users in a 24-hour period.^{[12]
X
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X may shadowban users who tweet duplicate content, tweet from multiple devices, or send more than 250 direct messages per day.

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Never use abusive words or anything that violates X terms of policy while submitting an application of recovery.

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