My email, phone number, or username is already in use
If you're trying to create an account but are told your email address, username, or phone number are already in use on Twitter, here are a few explanations why:
- Your information is associated with a deactivated account
- Your username or email address is associated with a suspended account
- There is another active account on Twitter using your email address, username, or phone number
- You've created an account via your mobile phone
If your information is associated with a deactivated account:
- When you deactivate an account, the username and email addresses will be unavailable to use on another account for 30 days after the date of deactivation.
- If it has been more than 30 days since you deactivated the account, please contact our support team. They will not be able to restore your account, but can make sure your information gets cleared from our system.
If your username or email address is associated with a suspended account:
- Usernames and email addresses attached to suspended accounts are not available for use under any circumstances.
If there is another active account on Twitter using your email address, username, or phone number:
- An email address can only be associated with one Twitter account at a time. You may own another account on Twitter if your information is not available.
- To check if your email address is already in use, try sending yourself a password reminder email.
- To check if your username in already in use, try plugging the username into this URL: twitter.com/[enter username here]. If there is no account at that URL, the username is most likely attached to a deactivated or suspended account.
- If your phone number is listed as being in use already on Twitter, see the next section for completing mobile sign up.
If you've created an account via your mobile phone:
- You may have created an account via text message if you texted the word "Start" or "Follow username" to your Twitter shortcode. This process creates an account for you that is attached to your phone number.
- To see if this is the case with your phone number, enter your phone number here to access the account attached to it. If an account is found, complete web sign up by clicking Continue. You can then remove the number/address from the device settings page, and deactivate the account if you want to start over.
- If you are trying to sign up for a Twitter account with your phone number but are receiving an error message that indicates the phone number is already in use, read this article for information.
Note: If you don't delete your phone number from your Settings before deactivating an account, you won't be able to use the phone number on another account for 30 days.