Have you noticed that unannounced Twitter security updates are causing your account/s to be suspended? This can be very frustrating, especially in a time where communication and community engagement is more important than ever. We have put together steps on how to unlock your suspended Twitter accounts. It may not be initially apparent that your account is suspended, until you try to carry out an action, like following another account, Tweeting, or even accessing your personal information!

WHAT ARE THE REASONS FOR ACCOUNTS BEING SUSPENDED?

There are a number of reasons that accounts become suspended, and unfortunately our list does not cover it all (we definitely need an inside spy!). Here is what we have learnt:

Irregular Posting: If accounts are not posting regularly, Twitter will assume they are a bot account that has been created by an AI software, or something similar. Remember to post authentic content as regularly as you can, by sharing unique stories relevant to your department/subject.
No Mobile Number: The biggest cause of accounts being blocked is because there is no number attached. This didn’t used to be an issue - back in 2019 the majority of accounts did not have a number attached. It is vital that accounts have an accessible mobile number on the account, to help provide extra security and verification that these accounts are in fact real. Twitter have stated that if accounts do not update the account with a mobile number within 14 days, the account will be suspended.
Lack of Account Information: You can of course change your handle, email and password as much as you wish, but you will need to verify the email address through your new email account if you want to change it. Sometimes, it will seem like the email has been switched on the Twitter platform, but we always recommend logging out and logging back in to double check it has been successfully swapped. Otherwise, you guessed it, the account may be suspended.

WHAT WILL I NEED TO GET STARTED?

Your Twitter handle
Your Twitter password
Access to the attached email address.
Access to the associated phone number.
An interim plan (see below for our advice).

Once you have all/some of the above tools, follow the relevant instructions below to regain access to your account.

IF YOU DO NOT HAVE ACCESS TO THE PHONE NUMBER/EMAIL ATTACHED TO MY ACCOUNT/THE PHONE NUMBER IS NO LONGER ACTIVE:

Attempt to log on to Twitter with your Handle & Password.
If a phone number is requested, click on the Options drop down at the top right of the screen (right).
Click Help.
Scroll down to & click on the highlighted ‘forms page’ text (right).
Fill out the form on this page. A completed form example is in the next section of this blog.
Double check that the username & email are correct for the affected account.
Input a phone number if you have this to hand. It’s not important whether this number is active or not, it’s simply a security check.
Click continue and confirm that you are not a robot.
Check your email inbox for next steps from Twitter.
Respond to the verification email, if requested, to confirm that you have access to the account (below).
Usually, Twitter will respond quickly, but sometimes it can take a little longer than usual. Make sure to keep an eye on your inbox (& spam folder) each day.

I CAN LOG IN BUT I CANNOT PERFORM ANY ACTIONS (following, Tweeting, profile changes, etc.)

Log in to Twitter with your credentials.
Attempt to follow another user.
You will see a note at the bottom of your screen with the option to ‘Learn More’ - click on this (right).
Scroll down and click on ‘file an appeal’ (right).
Fill out the form on this page. A completed form example is in the above section of this blog.
Input a phone number, if you have this to hand (it’s not important whether this number is active or not, it’s simply a security check).
Click continue and confirm that you are not a robot.
Check your email inbox for next steps from Twitter.
Respond to the email, if requested, to confirm that you have access to the account (below).

As noted above, Twitter Support can sometimes take a little while to respond to appeals and are under increasing pressure during this time. For this reason, it’s important to have a temporary back-up plan. This plan will vary on whether this is one of your departmental/support accounts or your main account.

INTERIM PLAN SUGGESTIONS FOR SUSPENDED MAIN ACCOUNTS:

Unfortunately, you may have to be prepared for a period of time without the main Twitter account which is by no means ideal. However, there are still ways to be sharing your #SchoolStories while locked out.

While Twitter is brilliant for storytelling and curation of content from other departmental accounts, many other platforms offer solutions to immediate problems:

Videos: Instagram Stories, YouTube, Facebook, Flickr.
Music videos/recordings: SoundCloud, YouTube, Vimeo.
News: Facebook, Instagram Stories.
Polls: Facebook, Instagram Stories.
Artwork: Pinterest, Instagram Highlights.
Events: Facebook, Instagram Story Countdowns.
Moments/Curation: Instagram Highlights, Flickr albums.

We hope that helped! If you are still looking for further advice on how to get back into your blocked Twitter account, please reach out to our team of Digital Jedi.

MY TWITTER ACCOUNT IS SUSPENDED! HOW TO UNLOCK - UPDATED 2022