What to Do When You Get Your X (formerly Twitter) Account Locked

This article explains the steps you can take to fix an X account that's been locked, limited, restricted, or suspended. This can sometimes happen because of suspicious behavior by the user, while other times an X account may be locked to protect it from a potential hack or cyber attack.

Locked, Limited, Restricted, and Suspended X Accounts

The X social network has a range of ways to restrict access to user accounts, each with varying degrees of severity. Here are the most-common restrictions X uses and what causes them to activate.

• Locked X account: When an account is locked, X forcefully logs you out on all of your devices due to suspicious behavior or security concerns. This can be caused by repeated attempts to log in with the incorrect password, too many third-party services connected to your account, or account activity that’s higher than usual.
• Limited X account: If you violate X’s rules or are too active, the company may place limits on your account that will prevent you from tweeting, retweeting, and liking. Previously published posts from a limited account will also be hidden from search results and will only be visible to current followers during this period. Limits are usually automated to help prevent spam on the network but X staff can also activate them.
• Restricted X account: "Restricted" is often used to describe limited X accounts, but there's no real difference between the two.
• Suspended X account: This is the equivalent of being banned on X. Sometimes a suspension is temporary and can be appealed, but usually it’s permanent. X accounts are typically suspended for spam, fake news, being a fake account, impersonation, harassment, being hacked, and violating X rules.

How to Unlock an X Account

If you’re locked out of X, you’re usually presented with a message when you try to log in explaining why it was locked and how you can unlock it.

In addition to the message within the X app and website, you should also receive a notification of the lock via the email address and mobile phone number associated with your account.

The notification message will ask you to do one of the following:

• Reset your password by clicking on a link in the message.
• Enter a PIN number that they’ll send to your associated mobile phone number after clicking on a link in the message.
• A combination of the above.

How to Fix a Limited or Restricted X Account

Because the degree of an X account restriction can range from mild to serious, the appropriate response will vary.

No matter the cause of the restriction, X will always communicate with you via a direct message and email to explain why your account has been limited and what actions you need to take.

Here are some examples of actions that are usually requested of restricted users:

• Verify your email.
• Verify your phone number or add one to your account.
• Delete the tweets associated with the rules that were violated.
• Change your password.
• Submit an appeal using this official form.

What to Do With a Suspended X Account

Having your X account suspended is usually the end result of a major violation of the social network’s rules. However, mistakes can be made, and it's sometimes possible to get an X account reinstated.

Some suspended people will be presented with actions they can take to reinstate their suspended accounts when they try to log into X. These actions can vary by user and usually involve confirming your identity via email or phone number.

If no options are provided after trying to log in, you'll need to submit an appeal.

How to Delete a Locked X Account

Unfortunately, it’s impossible to delete an X account that’s been suspended, locked, or limited. The only way to delete a locked X account is to get it unlocked, then deactivate it using the usual methods.

Tips for Preventing Future X Account Locks

Here are some tips to help reduce the risk of having your X account limited, locked, or suspended in the future:

• Add mobile number: Add a mobile phone number to your X account. This will help prove you’re a real person and can also be used to reactivate your account if it’s ever locked in the future.
• Use an X avatar: Add an X avatar and fill in your profile information with true details on who you are. Also add a link to your personal or professional website. All of this will reduce the risk of others reporting your account as being a fake account.
• Set limitations: Don’t follow more than 400 accounts, send more than 2,400 posts, or write more than 1,000 DMs per day. Note that these numbers are for the entire day and you should focus on the average hourly limits, which are following 16 accounts, tweeting 100 posts, and writing 41 DMs.
• Don’t call out other users: This can be interpreted as harassment even if the other person is incredibly famous.
• Try to remain calm: Having heated arguments on X can easily devolve into insults and threats which are against X rules.
• Don't use auto-follow programs.
• Use X like X: Remember that X is a private platform with its own standards and the way you communicate elsewhere may not always be appropriate for the social network and its users.
• Don’t lie about your age: X will lock or suspend an account if it thinks that it was created when the owner was under 13 years of age so be honest with your age and don’t change your birth date in your profile. If you say you’re 21 years old now but your X profile is 9 years old, you may get in trouble.