What is an X (Twitter) direct message (DM)?
An X (Twitter) direct message (DM) is a private form of communication between users on the platform.
Unlike tweets, which are public and visible to everyone, DMs are sent directly to specific individuals or groups of users, and only the intended recipients can view them.
DMs can be used for one-on-one conversations or group chats, and they can include text, images, videos, links, and other media. Depending on your settings, you may only be able to receive DMs from people you follow, or you can choose to receive DMs from anyone.
How to send a Twitter DM via web
To send a direct message (DM) on X (Twitter) via the web, follow these steps:
- In the left-hand menu, click on the Messages icon (an envelope).
- On the Messages page, click the New message button (usually represented by an icon of a speech bubble with a plus sign, located in the top right).
- In the pop-up window, type the username of the person you want to message. You can search for them by their @username or scroll through the list of people you follow.
- Once you’ve selected a recipient, type your message in the text box at the bottom of the pop-up window.
- After composing your message, click the Send button to send it.
You can now continue messaging back and forth in the direct message conversation.
How to send a Twitter DM on phone (iOS and Android)
The process of sending a Twitter DM on iOS and Android is nearly identical, but there are slight differences in the app’s design and button placement:
To send a Twitter DM on iPhone (iOS):
- Open the Twitter app and tap the Messages tab (envelope icon at the bottom right).
- Tap the new message icon (a pencil inside a square) in the top right corner.
- Use the search bar to find the recipient by their username or select them from the suggested list.
- Tap “Next”, type your message, and press Send.
To send a Twitter DM on Android:
- Open the Twitter app and tap the Messages tab (envelope icon at the bottom).
- Tap the new message icon (a “+” inside a speech bubble) in the bottom right corner.
- Use the search bar to find the recipient by their username or select them from the suggested list.
- Type your message directly in the text box that appears and press Send.
How can I start a group conversation on X (Twitter)
To start a group conversation on X (Twitter), follow these steps:
- Tap the envelope icon in the navigation menu to open the Messages tab.
- Click on the new message icon (a speech bubble with a plus sign) to initiate a private message.
- In the “To” field, type the usernames of the Twitter users you want to include in the group conversation. You can select multiple people.
- Type your message in the text box. If you want to share a photo, click the photo icon to attach an image.
- Once you’re ready, click the send icon to deliver the message to the group.
Now, all recipients will be able to receive direct messages from the group.
How to share a post via Direct Message
To share a post via Direct Message (DM) on X (Twitter) via the web, follow these steps:
- Scroll through your feed or search for the tweet you’d like to share.
- Below the tweet, click on the Share icon (it looks like an upward arrow coming out of a box).
- From the share options, click on Send via Direct Message.
- A window will pop up where you can type the username of the person you want to send the post to. You can search for their @username or choose from the list of people you follow.
- After selecting the recipient, click Next, and then click Send to share the post via DM.
Who can you send direct messages to on X (Twitter)?
On X (Twitter), you used to be able to send direct messages to anyone who had their DMs open. Now, that’s no longer possible unless they follow you.
If their DMs are open but they don’t follow you, you’ll need X Pro to send a message. This change makes it harder to reach accounts that don’t already follow you unless you’re subscribed to the platform’s premium plan.
X (Twitter) DM settings you need to know
Here are 5 DM settings for the X (Twitter) app you should know about:
- Choose who can send you message requests
- Edit a direct message
- Pin a direct message
- Snooze DM notifications
- Disable read receipts
- Send and receive direct messages on your phone via SMS
- Filter low quality messages
1. Choose who can send you message requests
People you follow will always be able to message you.
To receive direct message requests on X (Twitter) from other people, follow these steps:
- Open the X app on your mobile device or go to the website and log in with your credentials.
- Check your privacy settings:
- On Mobile: Tap your profile icon in the top left to open the menu. Go to Settings and privacy > Privacy and safety > Direct Messages. Ensure that “Receive messages from anyone” is enabled if you want to receive DMs from people you don’t follow.
- On Web: Click on your profile icon in the top right corner, then go to Settings and privacy > Privacy and safety > Direct Messages and enable the setting to allow messages from anyone if desired.
- To view your DMs, click on the Messages icon (envelope) in the navigation bar on either the mobile app or the website. This is where you’ll find all incoming messages.
2. Edit a direct message
To edit an older message you’ve sent on X (Twitter), follow these steps:
- Open the chat where you want to edit a message.
- Scroll through the conversation and locate the message you want to modify.
- Long-press the message you want to change, and from the popup menu, select Edit message.
- Modify your message as needed, then tap the Send button to update it.
Remember, you can only edit each message up to five times, and an “Edited” label will appear below the updated message
3. Pin a direct message
To pin a direct message on X (Twitter), follow these steps:
- Tap the envelope icon to open your DM inbox.
- Go to the conversation you want to pin, then tap or click on the more icon (three dots or a gear).
- From the options that appear, select Pin Conversation. The conversation will now stay at the top of your inbox.
Pinned conversations will appear in the order that you pin them, from top to bottom. To remove a conversation from your pinned list, tap or click the more icon again and select Unpin Conversation.
4. Snooze DM notifications
To snooze DM notifications on X (Twitter), follow these steps:
- Tap the envelope icon to go to your Messages tab on the left-hand side.
- Find the conversation you want to snooze notifications for and open it.
- Tap the information icon in the top right corner of the conversation. From the options, select Snooze notifications and choose the duration (e.g., 1 hour, 24 hours, etc.).
This way, you can manage how often you’re notified of incoming messages, especially if you want to temporarily mute a conversation without fully leaving it.
5. Disable read receipts
To disable read receipts for direct messages on X (Twitter), follow these steps:
- Tap the envelope icon to go to the Messages tab.
- Tap on your profile picture in the top left corner, then go to Settings and privacy.
- Under Privacy and safety, find the Direct Messages section and toggle off the option for Read receipts. This will prevent others from seeing when you have read their messages.
Once read receipts are disabled, you can receive direct messages without the sender knowing when you’ve read their message. When you send a message to someone, there will be no indicator showing that the message was seen, ensuring more privacy.
6. Send and receive direct messages on your phone via SMS
If your X account is connected to your mobile phone, you can send and receive Direct Messages (DMs) via SMS. If you haven’t added your phone number yet, you’ll need to link it to your X account first.
Once your phone is connected, you can use specific text commands to send DMs. It’s important to keep your messages under 160 characters, including the command and username, as longer messages may be split by your service provider, causing the second and subsequent messages to post publicly instead of as DMs.
7. Filter low quality messages
To filter low-quality messages on X (Twitter), follow these steps:
- Tap on the envelope icon to access your Messages tab.
- Tap your profile icon in the top left corner, then go to Settings and privacy.
- Navigate to Privacy and safety > Direct Messages.
- Look for the option to filter low-quality messages and toggle it on. This setting helps prevent unwanted or potentially harmful messages from appearing in your inbox.
After enabling this feature, any low-quality messages will be filtered and placed in a separate folder or marked for your review. You can then choose to delete or block unwanted senders.
How to start an encrypted message thread
To start an encrypted message thread on X, follow these steps:
- Go to the Messages tab and select the conversation you want to encrypt.
- Tap the user’s name or Conversation Info at the top of the thread.
- Look for the option labeled Start an encrypted message and tap it to enable encryption for that chat.
How can I review my X (Twitter) DM requests
To review your DM requests on X (Twitter), follow these steps:
- Tap on the envelope icon in the navigation bar to go to the Messages tab.
- If someone who doesn’t follow you sends you a DM, it will appear as a DM request. You’ll see a section at the top of your messages that says “Requests” or “Message requests”.
- Tap on the Requests section to see all the pending direct message requests.
- For each request, you can choose to:
- Accept: If you want to open and reply to the message, tap Accept.
- Delete: If you don’t want to receive messages from that user, tap Delete to remove the request.
