I’m seeing a message that my account is locked or limited
We may lock an account or limit some of its features if it appears to be compromised or potentially in violation of the Twitter Rules or Terms of Service. If you see a message that your account has been locked or its features limited, continue reading for more information.
Your account has been locked for security purposes
If you are logged in to your account and see a message that your account has been locked for security purposes, this means that we have detected suspicious behavior and it appears as though your account may have been compromised. To unlock your account, please secure it by changing your password now.
If you have an email address associated with your account, we also sent instructions to that address. If you don’t see an email from us, please check your spam, junk and, social folders.
For more information and tips to keep your account secure, read this article.
If you need additional help unlocking your account, contact our support team here.
Your account is locked and we need to confirm you are the valid owner
If your account appears to have exhibited automated behavior that violates the Twitter Rules, we may lock it and request that you confirm you are the valid owner of the account.
To unlock the account:
- Log in to your account.
- Look for the message letting you know Your account has been locked.
- Click or tap Start.
- Enter your phone number. Please note that we will associate this phone number with your account.
- We will send you a text message, or you will receive a phone call, with a verification code. It may take a few minutes for the code to be delivered to your phone.
- Once you’ve entered the verification code, click or tap Submit to unlock your account.
If you have an email address associated with your account, we also sent instructions to that address. If you don’t see an email from us, please check your spam, junk and social folders.
If you need additional help unlocking your account, contact our support team here.
Your account is locked because it violated the Twitter Rules
If your account has been locked because it violated the Twitter Rules, we may request that you complete certain actions in order to unlock it. These actions may include verifying your email address, adding a phone number to your account, or deleting Tweets that are in violation of our Rules.
To unlock your account, log in and look for the message letting you know Your account has been locked. Click or tap Start and follow the instructions to complete the requested actions.
If you feel that your account has been locked in error, you can appeal by contacting our support team here.
Some of your account features are temporarily limited
Conversations are core to Twitter, but if we detect behavior that may violate the Twitter Rules or inhibit other people’s ability to express themselves freely, we may temporarily limit certain account features. For example, this could mean only your followers are able see your activity on Twitter, including Tweets, likes, Retweets, etc. Limiting the reach of potentially abusive content creates a safer environment and stronger Twitter community.
When you log in and see this message, click or tap Continue to Twitter to initiate the countdown to restore your account features. You can read more about Twitter’s abusive behavior policy here, and find guidelines for our hateful conduct policy here.