Source: Matt Cardy / Getty / X
The consensus is that X, formerly Twitter, has been trash since Elon Musk took over. We need a new space to share memes, jokes, and news that’s not MAGA-fueled and watch shows together as a family, and there are options. Wherever you choose to go, we are here to help you kick X to the curb.
It’s no secret ever since Elon Musk bought Twitter, changed the name to X, reinstated Donald Trump’s account, and introduced a bevy of changes that made the platform outright unbearable, users (especially Black Twitter) have been screaming for a place to take online cleverness, conversations, and jokes.
Well, if you are one of the 700,000 people who left X for Bluesky in the last few months, Instagram Threads or Spill, you are probably considering shutting down that old X account for good, just to stick it to the lord of Dark MAGA, Elon Musk.
If you need assistance, follow these steps to shut down your X account for good.
Make Your Account Private
First, you definitely should make your account private just to let the people you trust the most and want to migrate with you to the other app of choice.
If you post on X via the desktop, you can make your account private by selecting More > Settings and Privacy > Privacy and Safety> Audience, media, and Tagging> Protect your posts.
For mobile users, follow these steps: Settings & Support > Settings and Privacy > Privacy and Safety> Audience and tagging > Protect your posts.
When the browser pops up, just hit “Protect.”
Download Your Tweets
The second step is to download all of the Tweets you have posted throughout the years to retain all of that information.
Here’s how you do that: via the web browser, click on More > Settings and Privacy > Your account > Download an archive of your data.
If you’re on mobile, select Settings & Support > Settings and Privacy > Your account > Download an archive of your data.
Once you have completed those steps, you will be prompted to reenter your password. A verification code will then be sent to the email you signed up with, and possibly other verification codes as well.
Once that is complete, you select “Request Archive,” from there, it may take up to 24 hours to receive a copy of your archive.
Deactivate Your X Account
The final step is the most liberating one: deactivating your X account. You can begin the deactivation process in your browser by clicking more; on mobile, simply tap your profile icon.
For browser users, follow this process: settings and Support > Settings and Privacy> Your account > Deactivate your account.
Mobile users select Settings & Support > Settings and Privacy > Your account > Deactivate account.
Like with any app or service you are trying to cancel, you can expect some resistance trying to deter you from canceling; X is no different.
Once you complete the above steps, you will be given several paragraphs of information about what data will be available to you after deactivation.
X will also inform you that your account will not be permanently deactivated until after 30 days, giving you time to reconsider your decision.
But why would you want to do that?
If you followed all of these steps, you have taken the enormous step of liberating yourself from X.
Congrats!
See you on Threads or Bluesky.
