Not all Twitter users are happy that his tweet was retweeted by others and went viral. For some users, it can be more convenient if certain people only see their tweets.
To keep tweets “awake,” users can lock their Twitter account or change it to private. Private accounts are marked with a padlock icon to distinguish them from public accounts.
This padlock icon will be embedded on the right side of the Twitter handle, both when on the timeline and when opening the profile page.
By locking the account, tweets will only be visible to accounts already followers. In other words, tweets will not be shown to the public and can be retweeted by just anyone.
Accounts that have become following and followers cannot retweet tweets of locked accounts. They can only like or reply to tweets if they can be replied to by anyone (everyone).
In addition, changing their Twitter account to private can also help users filter out new followers on their accounts. Because new followers must first ask for permission, namely by sending a follow request to a private account so they can see the content of their tweets. So, how?
How to Make Your Twitter Account Private via PC/desktop
Locking a Twitter account or turning it into a private account requires several steps. Here’s how:
- Log in to your Twitter account
- Click “More” in the left menu section
- Click “Settings and Privacy”
- Select “Your Account”, then select “Account Information”
- After that, check the “Protect your Tweets” column
- Done, your Twitter account will turn into a private account with a “padlock” icon on your profile
How to Make Your Twitter Account Private on Phone
Apart from going through the desktop, how to lock a Twitter account or turning it into a private account can also be done via a smartphone. Here are the steps:
- Log in to your Twitter account via mobile
- Tap on your account’s profile photo on the top left
- Click “Settings and Privacy”
- Select “Privacy and Safety”
- On the “Protect your Tweets” menu, slide the toggle to the right to activate a private account.
- Done, your Twitter account is already locked or turned private.
How to unlock a Twitter account
To unlock your Twitter account that has turned private, do the same steps as to how to lock your Twitter account (steps number 1-5). In the desktop/PC version, in the “Protect your Tweets” menu, you can click the column on the right side to uncheck it.
While on the mobile or mobile version, slide the toggle to the left to return the private account to the public. Your Twitter account is no longer private, and the lock icon on your Twitter profile will disappear.
How to Approve a New Follower
As mentioned earlier, a locked Twitter account will prevent new followers from immediately following or seeing the content of tweets on the profile page.
New followers must send friend requests to follow the locked accounts. The private account will receive a notification if there is a friend request.
To accept or reject new followers requests can be done in the following ways:
- View the “Pending Follower” notification
- Click “View Now” to see a list of your “Pending Followers”
- Then a short profile of your new followers will appear
- Now you can accept or reject your followers.