Twitter has been around for more than a decade and in that time has evolved into one of the go-to social networks for people who’re looking to have a conversation about diverse topics which include politics, music, sports, entertainment, culture and society, to name a handful. But like any other social media platform — and as is true in life — privacy is paramount.

Among other reasons, if you feel your tweets aren’t for everyone and you just wish to share them with your followers, you should consider switching your Twitter account to private. Unlike public accounts, which are the ones that are activated by default when you sign in, the tweets of private accounts are protected. This means that only the followers of that account will be able to see the tweets and engage with them.

You’ll receive a request whenever a new person wants to follow you, and you can choose to accept or deny. However, accounts that have been following you from before you made your Twitter account private will keep seeing your tweets and will be able to engage with them too unless you choose to block any of those who are already following you.

Authorised third-party applications will be able to see your protected tweets and your followers can also take a screenshot of the tweet to share it with others.

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How to switch to a private Twitter account?

To make your Twitter account private, follow the steps mentioned below.

• Tap on your profile picture located at the top-left of the Twitter app.
• From the menu, tap on Settings and Privacy.
• On the next page, tap on Privacy and Safety.
• Then toggle the switch on beside Protect your Tweets option at the top of the next page.

Your Twitter account will be made private now. To confirm, go to your Twitter profile and refresh the page. If a lock icon appears beside your name (as shown in the image below), then your Twitter account has been switched to private and your tweets are now protected. Also read: How to unlock Twitter account and everything about Limited account

What happens when your Twitter account is private?

In addition to the things mentioned before, once you make your Twitter account private, you’ll notice the following.

• Your tweets, including media files, and the permanent link to your tweets will only be visible to your followers. Only you and your followers can search for your protected tweets. Note that links of media files aren’t protected and are shareable.
• Your followers won’t be able to retweet your tweets, including with a comment (quote).
• Google search won’t index your protected tweets, and so they won’t end up in search engine results.
• If you reply to an account that isn’t following you, they won’t be able to see your tweets.
• All your public tweets from before making your Twitter account private will now also be protected and won’t appear in search results and will only be viewable to your followers. Switching back to a public account will be all of your tweets public.

Hoping this short guide has helped you today. For more such simple guides as well as tips and tricks for all things tech, bookmark us and keep coming back.

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