TL;DR: Turning on Protect your posts makes your posts visible only to followers you approve and keeps them out of outside search engines. But existing followers keep access, media links and t.co links can still be opened by anyone with the link, screenshots still travel, and posts that were public before may linger. Also switch off discoverability by email and phone, limit DMs and tagging, and remove location from posts.
How to protect your posts on X
Go to Settings and privacy, then Privacy and safety, then Audience and tagging, and turn on Protect your posts. X's help page on public and protected posts explains what changes.
- New followers must send a request that you approve.
- Only your followers can see your posts, including direct links to them.
- Protected posts don't appear in outside search engines, and on X only you and your followers can search them.
- Followers can't repost them with the repost button.
What protected posts don't hide
X is clear about the gaps:
- Existing followers keep access. Anyone who followed you before you protected your posts can still see them unless you remove or block them.
- Media links aren't protected. Anyone with the direct link to an image or video can view it.
- Screenshots still spread. Followers can capture and share your posts.
- Authorised third-party apps you connected may still see protected posts.
- Old public posts become protected, but someone who saw one in their timeline before the change may still see it.
Your profile name, photo, bio and header stay public. Don't put your city, employer or other identifiers there if you're trying to stay low-profile.
Settings that matter more than "protected"
- Discoverability: in Privacy and safety, open Discoverability and contacts and switch off letting people find you by email address or phone number. Also delete any address book contacts you synced. Matching emails and phone numbers to accounts is exactly what attackers did through an API flaw in the 2022 X data leak, covered in our Twitter/X breach guide.
- Direct messages: allow messages only from people you follow. Most scams on X arrive as DMs from fake support or "verification" accounts.
- Photo tagging: turn off, or limit to people you follow.
- Location: don't add precise location to posts, and check old posts for it.
- Ad and data sharing: review the Ads preferences and data sharing toggles under Privacy and safety and switch off what you don't want.
- Connected apps: in Security and account access, remove apps you no longer use.
Lock the account itself
Privacy settings don't help if someone takes the account over. Turn on two-factor authentication with an authenticator app or security key, and check active sessions for devices you don't recognise. If it has already happened, follow our hacked X account recovery steps. If someone has made a fake account using your name, see how to report an impersonation account.
Check what's already out there
The email and phone number on your X account may already be in breach dumps, including the 2022 scrape that matched emails to account names. A free email exposure check shows whether your email appears in known breaches.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I make my X (Twitter) account private?
Go to Settings and privacy, Privacy and safety, Audience and tagging, and turn on Protect your posts. Only followers you approve will see your posts.
Can people see my protected posts?
Only your followers can, including anyone who followed you before you protected them. Media links and screenshots can still spread.
Do protected posts show up on Google?
X says protected posts do not appear in third-party search engines.
How do I stop people finding my X account by phone number?
In Privacy and safety, open Discoverability and contacts and turn off the options to let people find you by email or phone.
Is my X profile public if my posts are protected?
Yes. Your name, photo, bio and header remain visible to anyone.