If there has been activity on your Twitter account that you didn’t initiate — per se, tweets, retweets, likes or spammy behaviour or the account has been deactivated — it’s quite possible that your Twitter account has been hacked.
Security on the internet is an issue that hasn’t been fully resolved as of yet. It’s possible that your Twitter account has been or can be hacked.
In this article, we’re going to talk about how to retrieve your Twitter account if it has been hacked and how to keep your Twitter account safe.
Related Read:Â How to verify Twitter account: 5 things you need to know
How will I know if the account has been hacked?
If any of the following has happened, your account has been probably hacked:
- Unintended tweets sent out from your account
- Unintended direct messages sent from your account
- Following/unfollowing someone you didn’t
- Block/unblock someone you didn’t
- Received a notification from Twitter stating that your account may be compromised or that your information has been changed
- You’ve received an email carrying a password reset link and you didn’t ask for it
What to do if your Twitter account has been hacked?
If you think that your Twitter account has been hacked you can take the following two steps.
Reset your password
You can reset the password via the homepage of the Twitter website on a browser or the apps on either iOS and Android. Simply click/tap on Forgot Password?
Enter your username or email address and then check for a reset link sent to your inbox.
Once you reset the password, make sure that your account doesn’t have any unintended tweets and messages. Do not keep the same password as before and take steps to secure your account (scroll down to see them).
Make sure to also update the new password on trusted third-party apps that use your Twitter password or else you might get temporarily locked out.
Ensure that your email account isn’t compromised
It is also a possibility that the email address connected with your Twitter account has been compromised. Change the password of your email account too and set up two-factor authentication. If you’re unable to access your email account, it’s recommended that you change the email address in your Twitter profile via the app or website.
Keep a tab on Third-party applications
It’s also possible that your account is being compromised via a third-party app that has permission to post to your account — like TweetDeck, HootSuite or Buffer.
Contact Twitter support
If none of the above work, you can contact Twitter support here.
Use the email address that is linked to your hacked Twitter account. The Twitter support will then you additional information and instructions to your email address.
Include your username and the date you had accessed your account last.
Also read:Â How to mute Twitter trolls easily by setting up the Advanced troll filter
How to keep Twitter account safe?
If your Twitter account has been hacked several times, or even if it hasn’t been, you should follow these security tips:
- Turn on two-factor authentication (2FA) for logging into your account. This ensures a second security check apart from your password.
- Recently verified accounts are auto-enrolled to require personal information, such as phone number and email address, to reset your password. It’s recommended that you don’t change these settings.
- Always be cautious of the third-party apps that you allow access to your account. Check back connected apps frequently and revoke access to any app that you don’t use or you think you didn’t give access to.
- Secure the email address associated with your account, preferably with an app-based 2FA.
You might also like: How to deactivate and How to reactivate your Twitter account?
