X (Twitter) Privacy Settings: What Strangers Can See
A new X account is public by default. A few settings change who can see your posts, find you by email and message you.
By Siddharth ShankarUpdated October 21, 2026X accounts are public by default. To limit who sees your posts, turn on Protect your posts under Privacy and safety, then Audience and tagging. Only approved followers can then see them. You can also limit photo tagging, restrict message requests, stop people finding you by email or phone, and turn off precise location. Turning protection off makes previously protected posts public.
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On X, formerly Twitter, a profile and its posts can be seen by anyone unless you change the settings. Because your handle can also be linked to an email address (see the Twitter 200 million email leak), it is worth a few minutes to tighten it.
Protect your posts
The X Help Center explains that when you protect your posts, only approved followers can view them. To turn it on, tap your profile photo, choose Settings and privacy, then Privacy and safety, and under Audience and tagging switch on Protect your posts.
A guide from the UK Safer Internet Centre notes that when you set up an X account it is automatically public.
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Know the catch when you switch it off
The help page warns that unprotecting your posts will cause any previously protected posts to be made public. Review pending follower requests first, because any requests left pending are not accepted automatically.
Photo tagging
In a guide published by Incogni, under Audience and tagging you can turn photo tagging off or limit it to people you follow. That reduces how often your face and name appear in other people’s posts.
Direct messages
The same guide says to go to Privacy and safety, then Direct messages, and change who can send message requests from everyone to no one or verified users. Fewer strangers in your inbox means fewer scam and phishing attempts.
Discoverability by email and phone
Under Privacy and safety, Discoverability and contacts lets you uncheck the options that let people find you by email address or phone number. Incogni notes the limit: if someone already knows your username and searches for it, your account is still listed.
Location
In Privacy and safety, Location information has a switch for precise location. You can also remove the location when you compose a post. See how photos reveal your location for the other places it leaks.
What protection does not change
- Accounts that followed you before you protected your posts keep seeing your feed unless you remove them.
- Links you share in protected posts can still be opened by anyone who has the link.
- The help page does not say which profile details stay visible, so check your profile from a logged-out browser.
Think before you protect
Protecting your posts limits who can read them, but it also means new people must request to follow you. If you use X for work or to grow an audience, a protected account may not suit you. In that case, keep the account public but control what you post, limit tagging and watch your direct messages.
Review your followers
Go through your follower list now and then, and remove or block accounts you do not recognise. Combine this with a review of the apps connected to your account.
Apps and data sharing
Connected apps can read parts of your account, depending on the permissions you gave. Open the connected apps section in settings and remove ones you no longer use. Also check the data sharing and personalisation options if your app shows them.
A quick checklist
1Decide public or protected
Protect your posts if you only want people you approve to see them.
2Limit tagging and messages
Restrict photo tagging and message requests.
3Close the lookup routes
Uncheck discoverability by email and phone.
4Turn off precise location
Remove location from posts where you do not need it.
5View your profile as a stranger
Open it in a private window to see what shows.
Menus change often, so follow the labels you see in the app.
Sources
- X Help Center: How to make X private and public (protect your posts, steps, what happens when unprotecting)
- Incogni: How to make your Twitter (X) account private (tagging, direct messages, discoverability, location, limits)
- UK Safer Internet Centre: X checklist (PDF) (accounts are public by default, protected posts, tagging options)
Frequently asked questions
Are X accounts public by default?
Yes. A new X account is automatically public until you change the settings.
What does Protect your posts do?
Only your approved followers can see your posts.
Does protecting my account hide old posts?
Turning it on limits who sees your posts. Turning it off makes previously protected posts public.
Can I stop people finding me by email or phone?
Yes, in Discoverability and contacts, but anyone who knows your username can still find you.
Do existing followers keep access?
A guide notes accounts that followed you before keep seeing your feed, so remove anyone you do not want.
See if your email has already leaked
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- Shows which sites leaked it, when, and what leaked
- We do not store the email you check
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