Twitter has a history of suspending accounts that violate its rules. Millions of Twitter users have been temporarily or permanently suspended in the past few years. If your account has been banned or your tweets are restricted, here’s how to unsuspend your Twitter account.
- Verify your identity by confirming your email address or phone number.
- Change your password if your account has been compromised.
- Wait for 12 hours to seven days if you’re facing a temporary suspension.
- Comply with Twitter’s demands if they ask you to remove a tweet.
- File an appeal explaining why your Twitter account suspension was unfair.
- Use a VPN to bypass geographical restrictions.
If you can’t access Twitter due to geo-blocking, you can use a VPN to circumvent the restrictions and use the microblogging platform. We recommend using a top-tier provider like NordVPN.
We’ve tested NordVPN extensively, and it’s great for unblocking sites like Twitter and Netflix. NordVPN offers ultra-fast speeds and thousands of servers in 60 countries worldwide.
Continue reading the article below for more information about how to get out of Twitter jail.
Twitter is one of the top social media platforms. It’s used by celebrities, politicians, reporters, and everyone else. As part of its efforts to create a safe environment for everyone, Twitter often suspends users that violate its rules.
Several high-profile figures, including former U.S. President Donald Trump, have fallen foul of Twitter’s moderation policies. Sometimes, Twitter suspensions can seem unfair. For example, your account can be blocked for posting the same tweet too many times in a short period.
If access to your account has been blocked, this article explains how to unsuspend your Twitter account.
Why Does Twitter Suspend Accounts?
There are several reasons why Twitter may suspend your account or restrict the reach of your tweets.
- Twitter wants you to verify your identity by confirming your phone number or email address.
- Twitter suspects your account has been compromised.
- You’ve posted spammy tweets.
- Your account has violated Twitter’s rules on abusive behavior, harassment, violence, hate speech, or sexual content.
- You’ve traveled from your home country, and Twitter assumes the change of location is a sign of a breach.
Twitter will usually email you or send a notification explaining why your account has been suspended or restricted.
How to Unsuspend a Twitter Account
There are various ways to get Twitter to lift the restrictions on suspended accounts. Your method of choice depends on the type of Twitter ban you’re facing. Below, we’ll discuss the best ways to get a Twitter suspension lifted.
1. Verify your identity
Sometimes, Twitter may suspend or limit an account and request additional personal information. According to Twitter, this ensures individuals do not abuse anonymity or operate multiple accounts and harass others. You may be required to confirm your phone number or email address by providing a verification code.
If your Twitter account is suspended because you need to verify your identity, log in to your account and follow the on-screen instructions.
2. Change your Twitter password
Twitter may temporarily suspend an account over security concerns. For example, if they suspect the account has been compromised. This can happen if Twitter moderators notice strange things, like spammy behavior or actions that point to a bot.
In this case, Twitter will often send a mail requesting that you reset your password to block unauthorized access and ensure cybercriminals can no longer abuse your account.
If you receive an email from Twitter directing you to reset your password to regain access, follow the link in the email or go to Twitter’s password reset page to change your password. This should get your account unsuspended.
3. Wait for the Twitter suspension to expire
Sometimes, Twitter suspends accounts temporarily. According to Twitter, this can happen when “an otherwise healthy account is in the middle of an abusive episode.” Like a child given time out, you’ll receive access to your account after the suspension expires.
If you’re facing a temporary suspension on Twitter, your account will be switched to “read-only mode” for 12 hours to seven days. The duration of the suspension depends on the type of violation.
When your account is in “read-only mode,” you’ll be unable to tweet, retweet, or like any tweets. The only thing you can do is wait until Twitter lifts the suspension.
4. Comply with Twitter’s demands
In February 2023, Twitter announced it would take “less severe actions” against users who violate its rules and policies. According to Twitter, these actions may include “limiting the reach of policy-violating Tweets or asking you to remove Tweets before you can continue using your account.”
While this sounds like censorship, it means your account may not be suspended for violating Twitter’s policies. If you’re asked to remove a tweet to lift a Twitter shadow ban, we recommend complying with the demand.
5. File an appeal to dispute the suspension
If you believe your Twitter account was suspended unfairly, you can file a Twitter suspension appeal. Twitter recommends only filing an appeal if you’re facing a permanent account suspension.
Follow these steps below to appeal locked or suspended Twitter accounts:
- Log in to the suspended Twitter account.
- Open Twitter’s official appeal form.
- In the “description of problem” field, explain why your account suspension is unjust. For example, if you got your Twitter account suspended because of a tweet, explain why you believe that specific tweet doesn’t violate Twitter’s rules.
- Check whether your contact information is correct.
- If requested, upload a copy of a government-issued ID. This can be a passport, driver’s license, or any other widely recognized identity card.
- Click on the blue “submit” button at the bottom of the page.
When Twitter’s support team makes a decision regarding your appeal, you’ll be notified via email.
6. Use a VPN to get around a Twitter suspension
Many social media users get locked out of their accounts when they’re on holidays or a business trip. Twitter may assume the sudden change of location is a sign of suspicious activity, such as a hacker from another part of the world taking over your account.
While this is technically not a suspension, it has the same effect — you can’t use Twitter. Fortunately, you can get around this with a VPN. A VPN allows you to spoof your location by changing your IP address. If you select a server from your home country, you should be able to regain access to your account.
When we tested various VPNs with Twitter, we found that NordVPN worked perfectly for unblocking the social network.
Note: Twitter may require you to verify your identity or change your password before you can continue using your account.
Choosing the Best VPN for Twitter
It’s important to choose a secure and reliable VPN to avoid putting your privacy at risk. We’ve found VPNs leaking users’ IPs, and some are known to share user data with third parties.
Another thing to consider is speed. If your connection is slow, you may be unable to view pictures and videos on Twitter. You may not even be able to sign in to the platform. Most importantly, choose a VPN with multiple servers in your home country. Otherwise, you’ll be unable to access Twitter while traveling abroad.
We’ve tested dozens of VPNs, and NordVPN is our top choice for bypassing geo-restrictions! This VPN has plenty of servers (over 5000 servers in 60 countries), and offers excellent speeds, solid security, and affordable prices.
- Fast and large worldwide network of VPN servers
- No logs, perfect for privacy
- Great for streaming sports and Netflix
You can read more about this VPN in our in-depth review of NordVPN.
Using a VPN to get around a Twitter ban
Follow the steps below to use a VPN to get around a Twitter suspension.
- Get a subscription with a solid VPN like NordVPN.
- Download and install the VPN on the device you use to access Twitter.
- Open the NordVPN app and log in.
- Connect to a server in your home country.
- Log in to Twitter and enjoy tweeting!
How to Avoid Being Suspended by Twitter
It’s relatively easy to avoid getting suspended on Twitter. Here’s what you need to know:
- Secure your account to prevent unauthorized access. We recommend using a strong password. A password manager, like NordPass, can help you generate and store secure passwords. Also, we recommend activating Twitter’s two-factor authentication.
- Refrain from posting the same tweet repeatedly over a short period, as this could be considered spammy.
- Read Twitter’s rules and follow them.
- Connect to a VPN server in your home country when you’re traveling.
Twitter's ban evasion policy.
Twitter may take action against users who attempt to circumvent a ban or suspension by creating a new account or repurposing an existing account to replace a suspended one. According to Twitter, doing this will “result in permanent suspension at first detection.”
What is Shadow Banning?
A shadow ban refers to a restriction on your account reach. This means your tweets will be less visible to others. Victims of shadow bans are often unaware their account has been restricted.
Although many social media platforms practice shadow banning, only a few are transparent about it. Twitter claims it doesn’t practice shadow banning. However, critics insist otherwise.
How to know if you have been shadowbanned on Twitter
In December 2022, Twitter CEO Elon Musk said the company is working on a software update that will notify users when they’ve been shadowbanned. But the company is yet to release this update.
It can be difficult to tell if you’ve been shadowbanned on Twitter. However, there are some clues.
If your tweets are attracting significantly less attention, it could be a sign you’ve been shadowbanned by Twitter. You should, however, first rule out all other possibilities. For instance, your tweet may have just gone out at an unfortunate time. Sometimes, people believe they have been shadowbanned, but their followers aren’t just interacting with their tweets.
To avoid getting suspended or shadowbanned on Twitter, we strongly recommend abiding by the rules of the platform.
Final Thoughts: Secure Your Twitter Account
Twitter can be a fun and engaging platform, but it can also pose a risk to your privacy. The company collects vast amounts of user data, including your IP address, location, contacts, and even your off-Twitter activity. This data is used to create a profile of you to deliver targeted ads. You can secure your account by optimizing your Twitter privacy settings. We also recommend using a VPN to stop this intrusive tracking.
Our guide to what Twitter knows about you contains more information about what data the app collects and how to secure your privacy.
Check out the articles below for information about how to get around restrictions on other social media platforms:
- How to Get Unbanned From Omegle
- Accessing WhatsApp Abroad
- Facebook Restrictions Abroad
- How to Access Instagram in Russia
- How to Get Around a TikTok Ban
- How to Access Google Bard From Anywhere in the World
Do you have a specific question about how to unsuspend a Twitter account? Check out our FAQ section below for answers to common questions. If we haven’t answered the question on your mind, feel free to leave a comment!
You can be permanently banned from Twitter if the moderators of the platform deem a violation severe enough to warrant this. However, Twitter suspensions are usually temporary, and is lifted when you take certain steps, such as verifying your identity or deleting an offensive tweet.
Usually, when your account is suspended, Twitter recommends a course of action to follow to lift the restriction. If your Twitter account is suspended permanently, you can file an appeal if you believe this is unjust. When Twitter has taken a decision, you’ll be notified by email. If your appeal is successful, Twitter will unsuspend your account.
Yes, in some cases, you can get around a Twitter suspension with a VPN. This is the case when Twitter doesn’t grant you access to your account when you’re abroad. Connecting to a VPN server in your home country will most likely give you access to your Twitter account. You can learn more in our article “How to Unsuspend a Twitter Account.”
