How to Recover a Hacked Twitter Account

With how much relevance Twitter has gained since its inception in 2006, it is no surprise that brands, celebrities, political figures, and ordinary people’s Twitter accounts are hacked every day. Twitter has been at the forefront of this current information age, spreading data with its few hundred characters-long tweets. Twitter has become a venue where fortunes are made, fame is gained and lost – a forge of fates, if you will.

As long as there is something that could be had out of it, hackers will hack Twitter accounts. Everyone from all walks of life from yours to even the Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey has been hacked once upon a time. Nobody is safe, but thankfully, some measures can be done to recover a hacked Twitter account and prevent future violations to your Twitter account by hackers.

And when you’re finished, take a look at our other Twitter guides:

• How to Recover Deleted Tweets?
• How to Make Twitter Account Private
• How to Check If You’re Shadowbanned on Twitter

How to Know if Your Twitter Was Hacked     

There are more than a few tell-tale signs that indicate that your Twitter account has been hacked.

The most common Twitter hack calling card leaves you locked out of your own Twitter account. Hackers change the password you created so you, the original account owner, would be locked out and would not have proper access to the hacked Twitter account. If you can’t log in to your account despite multiple tries with the proper password, hackers have had your Twitter account hacked and email changed to a new one, so you won’t be able to rectify what they have done.

A Twitter account hacked by internet trespassers will be used for their nefarious purposes. From the moment they seize your Twitter account, expect these trespassers to send out direct messages to your followers, tweet out posts that you have no involvement in. Reasons for these trespassers may range from defamation of the account owners to using Twitter accounts for scams or other no-good reasons.

It is very important to act immediately if you are on the receiving end of a Twitter hack. The earlier you report that your Twitter has been hacked, there is a better likelihood that you will get to recover the account and prevent further damage.

How to Recover a Hacked Twitter Account: A Step-by-Step Guide

Upon knowing that your Twitter account has been hacked, there are steps you could implement to increase the chance that you recover your Twitter account. Time is of the essence as the sooner you recover your Twitter account from hackers, the lesser the likelihood of them using your personal information against you.

Damage control and reduction must be the immediate agenda when your Twitter account has been hacked. Beat your Twitter account hackers with urgency and decisive action, and you can recover your Twitter account just as fast.

We have prepared a comprehensive step-by-step guide on how to recover a hacked Twitter account in 3 scenarios:

Change your Password 

Upon noticing that your Twitter has a suspicious activity that you have not done, change your password to lock out anyone who has unlawful access to your Twitter account.

1.  To do so, head on to your Twitter account and click on ‘More’ or the (…) button on your Twitter home page.

2.  Under Settings, click ‘Your account,’ click ‘Change your password.’

3.  Twitter will require you to enter your old password and the new password change you would want to implement.

4.  Confirm the new password, and you will have a new Twitter password.

Recover your Account

Recovery is in order if you cannot gain access into your own Twitter account and Twitter rejects your password. In this case, follow these steps:

1.  When signing in to Twitter, click on ‘Forgot password?’

2.  Enter your email, username, or phone number and click ‘Search.’

3.  As Twitter locates your account, you will be sent a one-time password (OTP) that you will receive via phone or email.

4.  Enter the OTP and follow the on-screen instructions until you are asked to replace your old password with a new one. Click on ‘Reset password’ to complete your Twitter account recovery process.

Report the Hacking Incident

If the two prior steps still do not gain you access to your Twitter account, it is time you report it to Twitter Support.

1.  Go to Twitter Help Center and fill out a “Problems with account access” form.

2.  In the “How can we help you with your account?” choose the “I need to regain access to my account” option.

3.  And under the “Please tell us more,” select the “I believe my account is hacked or compromised.”

4.  Twitter will ask you to give them your Twitter handle, email address, and to describe your situation with account hackers.

5.  Click submit to complete reporting and have Twitter recover your account.

How to Prevent Getting Hacked on Twitter in the Future

We have prepared a list of things to do to proactively ward off hackers on Twitter:  

1. Have a secure password

As the first line of defense, the password is the first thing that hackers try to attack. Having passwords like ‘admin,’ or ‘1234,’ or your surname plus birthdate are common stuff that hackers guess, so don’t ever make this mistake. Use something more complicated and use a password manager, so you don’t forget them.

2. Do the 2-step Verification

Go to your Twitter account settings and turn on the “Require a verification code when I sign in’’ option. This way, you will be sent an OTP every time you log in to your Twitter. Hackers can’t beat that if trying to access your Twitter remotely.

3. Be skeptical of third-party apps

Beware of third-party Twitter apps that you use to help with your work on Twitter. These apps will have easy access to Twitter API and are just a step away from illegal access to your Twitter. Trust only the biggest and most legit third-party apps that have security agreements with their clients.

4. Be careful when using public Wi-Fi

A lot of establishments offer free Wi-Fi for clients on the go. However, hackers also lie and wait in public Wi-Fi networks as it is easier to gain access to your information in these public access points. If you want to make sure you are not hacked in these places, be sure not to use free Wi-Fi at these coffee shops, banks, malls, airports, etc.

5. Do not use public computers

Never use public computers to access your Twitter. These public portals can be pre-installed with password keyloggers that remember your Twitter password after logging off. Even a browser “remember password” function will work against you at places like libraries, internet cafés, and the like.

6. Beware of fake URL’s

Hackers use URLs that look exactly like Twitter’s login page that steal unsuspecting users’ login credentials. Always check the URL to links that need you to log in to Twitter, and never fall victim to these things.

Conclusion

Getting hacked is always a nuisance that may lead to major compromise in your professional or private life. Be sure you know what to do whenever attacked by hackers to avoid or control the damage. To avoid future Twitter hacks, have in place habits that prevent hackers from getting anywhere near your Twitter accounts and you will be golden.