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Can Someone Claim Your Twitter Username if You Deactivate Your Account?

 
Nidhi Nangia
By Nidhi Nangia. Updated: September 15, 2023
Can Someone Claim Your Twitter Username if You Deactivate Your Account?

Twitter usernames are unique identifiers that are used to find and follow other users on the platform. They are also important for branding and identity. When you deactivate your Twitter account, your username becomes available to be claimed by anyone else. This means that if you want to keep your Twitter username, you need to take steps to protect it before you deactivate your account.

In this article by oneHOWTO, we will discuss what happens to your Twitter username when you deactivate your account, and how you can protect it from being claimed by someone else. We will also provide tips on how to reactivate your account if you decide to come back to Twitter later.

Contents
  1. Can someone else take your Twitter username if you deactivate your account?
  2. How to change your Twitter username
  3. How to deactivate Twitter account
  4. How to keep your old Twitter username after deactivation
  5. How to reactivate your old Twitter account

Can someone else take your Twitter username if you deactivate your account?

The simple answer is yes. Only active Twitter usernames are not available to be claimed.

Your old username becomes available to be taken as soon as you deactivate your account. This means that if you deactivate your Twitter account, it can be instantly claimed by anyone else.

How to change your Twitter username

Do you want to change your Twitter username but don't want to lose your old account? You can do this by following these simple steps:

  1. Log in to your Twitter account.

  2. Click on the Profile icon in the top left corner of the screen.

  3. Click on Settings and privacy.

  4. Click on Account.

  5. Scroll down to the Username section.

  6. Enter your new desired username in the Username field.

  7. Click on the Save changes button.

Twitter will let you know if the username you entered is available. If it is not available, you will see a message that says "This username is not available." In this case, you can try entering a different username.

You can also change your email address in the same way. To do this:

  1. Scroll down to the Email section.

  2. Enter your new email address in the Email field.

  3. Click on the Save changes button.

For more information on how to change your Twitter username, read this other article.

Can Someone Claim Your Twitter Username if You Deactivate Your Account? - How to change your Twitter username
Can Someone Claim Your Twitter Username if You Deactivate Your Account? -

How to deactivate Twitter account

To deactivate your Twitter account, you can follow these steps:

  1. Click on the Profile icon in the top left corner of the screen.

  2. Click on Settings and privacy.

  3. Click on Account.

  4. Scroll down to the Deactivate your account section.

  5. Click on the Deactivate account button.

  6. Enter your password and click on the Deactivate account button again.

  7. Twitter will ask you to confirm your decision to deactivate your account. If you are sure, click on the Deactivate account button again.

Your account will be deactivated immediately. However, your profile, tweets, and other data will still be stored by Twitter for 30 days. During this time, you can reactivate your account by logging in. After 30 days, your account and all of its data will be permanently deleted.

Here are some things to keep in mind when deactivating your Twitter account:

You will not be able to reactivate your account if you do not log in within 30 days.

  • If you have any pending follow requests, they will be canceled when you deactivate your account.

  • If you have any scheduled tweets, they will not be sent.

  • If you have any retweets, they will be removed from your profile.

Make sure to also read this other article where we explain in more detail how to log out of Twitter on your computer, Mac, iPhone, or Android device.

How to keep your old Twitter username after deactivation

Unfortunately, as mentioned before, you cannot deactivate your Twitter account and keep your old username. When you deactivate your Twitter account, your username becomes available to be claimed by anyone else. This is because Twitter usernames are not reserved for inactive accounts.

If you want to keep your old Twitter username, you can do one of the following:

  • Change your username before you deactivate your account: to do this, go to your Profile page and click on Settings and privacy. Then, click on Account and scroll down to the Username section. Enter your new desired username in the Username field and click on the Save changes button.

  • Reactivate your Twitter account within 30 days of deactivation: If you reactivate your account within 30 days, your old username will be available to you.

  • Create a new Twitter account with your old username: if you don't want to reactivate your old account, you can create a new Twitter account with your old username. However, you will not be able to transfer any of your old tweets, followers, or other data to the new account.

You might also be interested in this other article, where we explain how to download photos from Twitter using a computer or mobile device.

How to reactivate your old Twitter account

Here are the steps on how to reactivate your old Twitter account:

  1. Click on the Log in button.

  2. Enter your username and password.

  3. Click on the Log in button again.

  4. If you have forgotten your password, you can click on the Forgot password link and follow the instructions.

If your account has been inactive for more than 30 days, you will be prompted to enter your phone number or email address. This is to verify your identity and prevent unauthorized reactivation of your account.

Once you have logged in, your account will be reactivated, and you will be able to access all of your tweets, followers, and other data. Here are some things to keep in mind when reactivating your Twitter account:

  • You can only reactivate your account once every 30 days.

  • If your account has been inactive for more than 30 days, you may need to verify your identity.

  • If you have any pending follow requests, they will be canceled when you reactivate your account.

  • If you have any scheduled tweets, they will not be sent.

  • If you have any retweets, they will still be removed from your profile.

For more information, be sure to read this other article on how to reactivate your Twitter account in detail, including the cases in which you'll need to create a new account.

If you want to read similar articles to Can Someone Claim Your Twitter Username if You Deactivate Your Account?, we recommend you visit our Internet category.

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Can Someone Claim Your Twitter Username if You Deactivate Your Account?