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How to Make Your Twitter Account Private

Twitter is a powerful platform for sharing thoughts and content, but by default, all of your tweets are visible to anyone online. That openness isn’t for everyone, especially if you want to keep things personal or limit your reach to a smaller group. If you’d like to protect your tweets and control who sees them, knowing how to make Twitter account private is a smart move. In this guide, I’ll walk you through exactly how to do that, whether you're on desktop or mobile.

Make Your Twitter Account Private

How to Make Your Twitter Account Private on Desktop

If you’re using Twitter from your computer, knowing how to make your Twitter account private takes just a few clicks, but it’s not immediately obvious where to go. Twitter has hidden the privacy controls

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under several submenus, and if you’ve never explored the settings before, it’s easy to get lost. Here’s how to make your twitter account private:

Step 1: Head to Twitter ’s website and log into your account. Once you're in, look at the left-hand side menu and click the “More” option, it’s near the bottom of the list.

Click More

Step 2: A dropdown will appear. Select “Settings and privacy”. This opens up a new column. From there, go to Privacy and safety then Your Tweets.

Audience and Tagging

Step 3: You’ll now see a checkbox labeled “Protect your Tweets”. Click it to enable the setting. This means that from now on, only people you approve as followers can see your tweets.

Protect Your Posts

Step 4: Twitter may prompt you with a confirmation box. If so, confirm your changes and exit the settings. Your tweets are now private, and no one new can follow you without your permission.

Confirmation

When I tested this, I appreciated that the confirmation box helps avoid accidental changes. However, the placement of this setting isn’t very intuitive. If I hadn’t known exactly where to look, I probably would’ve missed it. My advice? Follow these steps closely, and double-check that the setting stays on, sometimes Twitter updates can revert changes unexpectedly.

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How to Make Your Twitter Account Private on the Mobile App

More and more people access Twitter exclusively through their phones, and the mobile app layout is different from the desktop version. Thankfully, knowing how to private Twitter account from the app is just as easy, if you know where to look. The “Protect your Tweets” setting is buried in the Audience and Tagging section. Here’s how to make Twitter account private:

Step 1: Open the Twitter app and tap your profile icon in the top-left corner. This opens the main navigation drawer.

Click on Profile

Step 2: Scroll down and tap Settings and privacy.

Click on Settings

Step 3: Click on Privacy and safety then go to Audience and tagging.

Privacy Settings

Step 4: You’ll now see the option “Protect your Tweets” and toggle this switch on.

In my experience, the mobile version is slightly easier to navigate than the desktop site, mainly because the toggle is faster to access once you know the path. Just note that changes made here apply to your entire account, not just mobile browsing, so there's no need to repeat this on desktop unless you’re managing multiple profiles.

Bonus Tip – Using Toolsmart’s Twitter Video Downloader

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Even if your tweets are set to private, you might still want to download videos from your timeline, either your own or someone else’s content that you’ve been approved to view. Twitter doesn’t have a native video download option, which is where tools like Toolsmart’s Free Twitter Video Downloader come in. This web-based tool is perfect for anyone who values privacy. It works without asking for a login, doesn’t serve ads, and doesn’t force you to install an app. Whether you're saving a funny moment from your feed or archiving an old clip you posted years ago, Toolsmart makes it seamless.

Features of Toolsmart:

100% free and ad-free
No login or registration required
Downloads Twitter videos in HD MP4 format
Works smoothly on both desktop and mobile
Doesn’t store your data or history

Step 1: Open Twitter and find the tweet with the video you want to save. Tap the share icon and choose “Copy link to Tweet.”

Copy Link

Step 2: Go to Toolsmart’s Free Twitter Video Downloader in your preferred browser.

Toolsmart’s Twitter Video Downloader Interface

Step 3: Paste the copied link into the input box on the page and click Download and wait a few seconds while it processes the tweet.

Click on Download

Step 4: You’ll see many download MP4 options appear. Tap download on your desired choice, and the video will be saved to your device.

Download MP4 Video

I tested this tool on both mobile and desktop, and each time the video downloaded quickly, in full resolution, and without any branding or watermark. It’s a great option if you’re managing content or just want to keep a personal archive of your best posts.

Comparison – Twitter Privacy Settings and Toolsmart Downloader

To wrap up the key differences, here’s how making your Twitter account private compares with using a video downloader like Toolsmart:

Feature	Twitter Privacy Settings	Toolsmart Downloader
Controls who sees your tweets	✅ Yes	❌ No (separate tool)
Requires login	✅ Yes	❌ No
Hides tweets from public search	✅ Yes	❌ Not applicable
Downloads video from tweets	❌ No	✅ Yes
Mobile and desktop friendly	✅ Yes	✅ Yes
Ad-free experience	✅ Yes (Twitter Blue only)	✅ Yes
Saves videos without watermark	❌ Not available	✅ Yes

If you care about both protecting your tweets and saving content, the best combination is to make your account private and use Toolsmart when you want to download something.

FAQs

Q1: Can people still search for my username if I go private?

Yes, your profile remains visible in searches, but your tweets will only be viewable by approved followers.

Q2: Will existing followers lose access when I go private?

No. All current followers will retain access. Only new followers will need approval moving forward.

Q3: Can private tweets still be downloaded?

Only if someone is already approved to view them. If it’s your own tweet, you can use Toolsmart to download your own videos safely.

Q4: What happens to hashtags in private tweets?

They still work for internal search among your followers but won’t appear in public hashtag pages or search results.

Protect Your Tweets, Save Your Content

If you want to keep your Twitter activity personal, learning how to make Twitter account private is the first step. Whether you’re browsing on desktop or mobile, it only takes a few moments to protect your tweets and filter out who sees your posts. And if you're looking to download your own videos or save content you have access to, Toolsmart’s Free Twitter Video Downloader offers a clean, private, and ad-free solution that works across devices. From setting your privacy to archiving your posts, these steps help you take control of your Twitter experience without needing extra apps or subscriptions. Give Toolsmart a try next time you want to download a video, it’s simple, secure, and gets the job done without any noise.