How to unlock your Twitter account without a phone number

momoka
Updated on 2022-12-26
This section provides information on how to unlock your Twitter (Twitter) account and what to do when you unlock your account. If you have a lock on your Twitter account but want to return it to a regular public account, we hope this will be helpful.

When you try to access your Twitter account

It is locked.

Desperately retry the password, but unfortunately, damage has occurred and cannot be undone.

When a user is locked out of their account, Twitter asks them to reconfirm their identity using a code. This is part of the 2-step verification process that helps determine if the person trying to unlock your account is really you.

Fortunately, there is a way to fix this. The easiest way to unlock your account is to request a confirmation code. Sounds easy enough. But what if you did not sign up with a phone number? How do I unlock my Twitter account without a phone number that can send an SMS with a confirmation code?

Why is my Twitter account locked?

There are many ways a person can be locked out of their Twitter account. In fact, even minor violations of the Terms of Service can be grounds for being locked out of an account (according to Twitter's standards). Posting spammy content (according to Twitter's standards), having an unusual follower following, or having multiple Twitter accounts can get you locked out of your account.

There are, of course, varying degrees of severity, but the three most common are

  • Locked accounts: Twitter actively logs accounts from all devices. This is usually the most common. This is usually done when Twitter detects suspicious account activity, such as repeated logins with incorrect passwords or more frequent account activity than usual.
  • Restricted/Restricted Accounts: You will continue to have access to restricted accounts with slightly less restrictive limits, but you will not be able to tweet, like, or re-share other tweets. This usually happens when Twitter suspects that your account is sending spam.
  • Suspended account: This means that you have been banned from Twitter. However, suspensions can be appealed and are usually punishment for accounts suspected of sharing fake news, spam, or harassment.

Again, there are many ways to restrict accounts. Therefore, we recommend that you review Twitter's Terms of Service and its rules and regulations to ensure that you are not violating them.

4 Ways to Unlock Your Twitter Account Without a Phone Number

Fortunately, there are ways to unlock a locked Twitter account without requiring an active phone number. Of course, they all require you to let Twitter unlock your account and re-access it. These methods include

  • Using a trusted VOIP such as Google Voice (which provides a virtual phone number)
  • Reset your password using your email (first option)
  • Fill out an account recovery form (time consuming, but worth it)
  • Contact Twitter Support directly

Use VOIP (but there are pitfalls)

VOIP ( Voice over Internet Protocol), also known as IP telephony, is a type of service that allows you to place calls to localized landlines over the Internet. This may sound very technical, but you are probably already using one; Skype and Google Voice are two of the most popular VoIP services available online. Most VoIP is free, but paid VoIP offers a few additional services, such as an available phone number and text messaging.

But there are pitfalls. Most, if not all, VoIPs are not recognized by Twitter and even Skype. With hackers and spammers constantly evolving their tactics, Twitter has had to ban most VoIP as well, citing a lack of security. However, Google Voice continues to be recognized by Twitter, usually with a Google Voice number at sign-up. This is because Google allows SMS to be sent to the generated Voice number. Needless to say, it is Google, one of the most trusted companies out there.

If you lose access to your account, try registering for a (free) Google Voice number and using it as your Twitter confirmation code. Usually this works, but some phone numbers generated by Google Voice are not recognized by Twitter (some people complain to Twitter about unsupported phone numbers), so you may have to try several times. However, if it does work, Google Voice will receive a confirmation SMS sent by Twitter and your account will be accessible again.

Reset your password using your email.

This is the first option when trying to access a locked Twitter account. Simply find the "Reset Password" button on the login page and click on it. If you do not have a cell phone number, enter your email to reset it (make sure it is the same one you used when signing up). Once completed, Twitter will send you an email with a temporary password that you can use to access your locked account. Once in, you can change this password to anything you like.

Fill out the Account Restoration Form (or contact Twitter Support)

The Account Restore Form is available to anyone who is trying to gain full access to a locked Twitter account. It can be requested from the Twitter Help section. The form will ask several questions to verify your identity as the original owner of the account, including your original login information.

This can take some time, as the form itself is quite long. It may also take a long time for a human operator to respond, as they verify each individual.

If all else fails, don't be afraid to contact Twitter directly. Their Twitter support page has a series of questions that will guide you through resetting your password and regaining access to your locked account. It is the same process as filling out an account recovery form, but may take a little longer.

How to avoid being locked out of your Twitter account

Twitter protects its users. If we sense that you are engaging in abusive, spammy, or unethical behavior online, we will lock you out. These rules are designed to protect your account and ensure the security of all users. If you violate their rules, you will be locked out.

Instead of stressing over a suspension, here are some ways to avoid being locked out of your Twitter account

  1. Avoid creating multiple Twitter accounts. Unless you are part of a large organization with many different departments, it is recommended that you continue to use one Twitter account. If you are found to have multiple accounts, Twitter will suspend all related accounts.
  2. Avoid posting the same content repeatedly. If you keep posting the same links, photos, or content over and over again, Twitter will assume that you are spamming your followers. Spam is Twitter's worst enemy. Therefore, if we believe you are spamming other users, you will be locked out. Paraphrasing posts will not help either. Instead, post a variety of content to your account.
  3. Pay attention to your follower-to-following ratio; Twitter monitors how aggressive accounts are when following other accounts. With this in mind, avoid following or unfollowing hundreds of accounts in a day. For example, if you have 100 followers, do not follow 10,000 accounts.
  4. Do not share links randomly; while Twitter is a great place to share links to content of interest, the platform is also designed to interact with followers. If you continue to post links to every post, you are more likely to be suspended. Please engage in conversation with other users, not just post links.
  5. Avoid hashtag abuse. Adding a hashtag to a tweet indicates that it is part of a particular tweet group. However, the use of unrelated hashtags is considered abuse by Twitter and may lead to account suspension.
  6. Please do not send automated DMs. Sending templated, canned, or automated direct messages may flag you as a spammer. If you send multiple DMs to followers, use Twitter's third-party automation services to send more personalized messages.
  7. Avoid abusing trending topics Jumping on trending topics on Twitter is the smartest way to promote your account or organization. This is especially true if the tweets are related to the content of your profile. However, spammers abuse trending topics by tweeting irrelevant ideas. Unless you have something to talk about, avoid suspension by pausing the trending topic.
  8. Be active on your Twitter account. If an account is inactive for 6 months, Twitter will suspend the account.