As a result of a recent official announcement and notification to all Twitter account holders, only Twitter Blue subscribers are able to use text message two-factor authentication on Twitter. They designed this to widen the gap between regular and blue accounts on the platform with the latter being a premium service that now retains text 2FA.

According to a statement by Twitter, they state that text message two-factor authentication on Twitter is widely used, but highly abused by several users. Much as this looks like an excuse, only Twitter Blue subscribers retain the ability to use the text authentication method ––– a hard way of Twitter noting regular users over-utilize the service’s features, cropping them off may force them to premium.

Well, to disable text message two-factor authentication on Twitter and keep your account safe from a lockout, follow the steps below.

Remove Text Message Two-factor Authentication on Twitter

1. Log in to your Twitter account.
2. Click the ...More button.
3. Click to expand Settings and Support.
4. Click Settings and Privacy to open your account settings.
5. Under Settings, click to expand Security and account access.
6. Click Security.
7. Find and click two-factor authentication.
8. Click the checked box next to Text message to uncheck, and disable text message authentication.
9. Enter your Twitter account password to save changes.
10. DONE: You have disabled Text Message two-factor authentication on Twitter.

For the best effect, we recommend you use Twitter Web to best disable the feature since its more updated and adaptive to changes instead of the Twitter mobile application on your smartphone.

Now, sources from the West African Country reveal that Twitter will be unblocked soon. According to Nation Online NG, Twitter has met all set conditions (6) as set by the Nigerian Government, these include:

1. Have a Nigerian office
2. Pay taxes
3. Have a country representative
4. Register with the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC)/get National Broadcasting Commission’s licence
5. Should be sensitive to national security and cohesion. It must not undermine the nation’s security
6. Train Nigerian IT personnel, and strategic intelligence officers on how to report twitter abuse /infractions noticed by the government.

The conditions were set as part of the negotiations between a dedicated government committee, and Twitter officials on how the suspension can be lifted in Nigeria.

But since the indefinite suspension of Twitter services in the country, users have resorted to the use of Virtual Private Network (VPN) Apps to bypass restrictions. And now, Twitter’s compliance with the set conditions means that the social media platform will be unblocked once the President feels ready to.

Twitter’s Compliance to the Conditions: What it means for the rest of Africa

In 2020, Twitter launched in Ghana with its main consideration points including free speech, online freedom, open internet, and democracy in the country. But with the platform’s compliance with Nigerian conditions, means, the state will hold more power over what happens on the platform.

As listed on condition 6, the government’s IT team will have the power to report Twitter abuse, and propose a suspension of accounts making Tweet attacks on the country’s officials, or promoting tough opposition speech in the country. This means, free speech for Nigerian Twitter users could soon turn into controlled speech, hashtags, trends.

Well, Nigeria is not the first country to block Twitter, In Uganda, and a few other African countries, the platform in conjunction with all social media sites, Facebook, WhatsApp, Telegram, among others are often blocked during election periods.

But with Twitter’s compliance to new rules, other African governments will pick a leaf from the Nigerian Trend to force the social media giant to play within their local rules. In simple terms, If you live in Africa, expect a Twitter office near you, but also, Europe or American style Twitter rules on speech may soon be void in your region.

In a blog post, Twitter notes that birdwatch has the potential of responding quickly when misleading information spreads by adding context that people can trust and find valuable. Published notes will be made available directly on the tweet in question with a consensus from a broad and diverse set of contributors.

“People come to Twitter to stay informed, and they want credible information to help them do so. We apply labels and add context to Tweets, but we don’t want to limit efforts to circumstances where something breaks our rules or receives widespread public attention”

–– Part of the Twitter blog post reads

At the moment, Twitter Birdwatch is run as a separate site in beta mode for users available in the United States. On the site, pilot users are able to rate the relevance of notes added by other users on potentially misleading Tweets. But once launched, pinned notes will have no effect on how people view tweets on the platform or receive automatic system recommendations.

Prior to launching Twitter Birdwatch, the company apparently conducted over 100 qualitative interviews with individuals across the political spectrum who use Twitter on a daily timeframe. With positive feedback registered from the interviews, Twitter decided to use notes as the best way to provide useful context to users contrary to mere flagging tweets true or false.

• All data contributed to Birdwatch will be publicly available and downloadable in TSV files 
• As we develop algorithms that power Birdwatch — such as reputation and consensus systems — we aim to publish that code publicly in the Birdwatch Guide. The initial ranking system for Birdwatch is already available here –– The Twitter Blog post further reads

Henceforth, the age of fake news and misinformation riding on the glory of social media platforms like Twitter, Facebook, WhatsApp seems to be coming to a steep end with Birdwatch as the first community-driven platform to set a benchmark grade.

On the control list, you can choose between Public, Tweeps you follow, or simply accounts mentioned in your Tweet. Once implemented, only the accounts/people you select will be able to reply to your published Tweet.

A major reason why you’d need to pound off a chunk of users from dropping a reply to your profile can be tamed around your audience dynamics and who you wish to keep in connection with on Twitter.

Limiting who can reply to your Tweets

• Open the Twitter App or Twitter Web
• Click New Tweet
• From the Open dialog, locate an earth-like Icon (Everyone can reply)

• Once you click the icon, a list of options will be displayed for you to choose from
• Then, Select between ” Everyone, People you follow, Only people you mention” options for your Tweet’s audience limitation

• Done: Draft and then publish your new Tweet

In Summary, Twitter just made it easy to lockdown unwanted users from Interacting on your Tweets. By this fashion, you can easily keep your account clean from Spam and bots that could compromise your compliance to Twitter Terms and Conditions.

Currently, the ability to schedule tweets is available on Twitter web with a rollout to Android and IOS still in the pipeline. Well, to Schedule tweets, your account doesn’t need to pass any challenges or have a blue verified profile tick.

Particularly, to start sending out scheduled Tweets, all you need is your drafted tweets in ready notion, and descriptions to images in case you wish to add any, then finally the date/time when you wish to send out your tweets.

Scheduling Tweets on Twitter

• Visit Twitter.com to login to your account
• Click the Tweet button or press Ctrl + N on your Keyboard
• Paste or compose a draft of your Tweet
• Click the Schedule option (near polls and Emojis)

• Choose the date and time you wish to send your Tweet

• Click Confirm, and then Click schedule to put your Tweet in a que

• Done: Your Tweet Will be Scheduled, and Sent out at the Particular date/time you specified

How to Edit Scheduled and Draft Tweets

• Open the New Tweet Dialog Box
• From the top left corner, Click Unsent Tweets

• From the open dialog box, choose between scheduled and drafted tweets

At the moment, you can only schedule Tweets using Twitter web or Tweetdeck. But as time goes by, the feature will soon ship to Twitter mobile, and we shall publish an update on how to schedule within the Android or IOS App.

Previously, Twitter would suspend users by limiting their ability to tweet, but automatically unsuspend the accounts in hours without the user noticing it. In 2020, the tables have changed, and Twitter commonly suspends accounts with a need to verify associated Phone numbers.

With a warning notice of “ Sorry the request failed. Please try again later” bumping up each time you click the call me button. Accessing your Twitter account is an easy process if you send an Appeal for your account to be considered.

In most cases, Your requests may seem to be falling in deaf mailboxes, but as your suspension continues, you can regain access to your account if you follow the right steps. And here is how you can actually appeal your locked or suspended Twitter account.

Step 1: Login to your Twitter locked account

Yes! your Twitter account is locked, but you can login from any device. So, login to your account from any device, if possible from a web-based browser like Google Chrome since the official Twitter App mayn’t give you access to in-app options.

The Purpose of Logging-in-to your account is to be Identified during the appeal process since you cannot send a request if not from a locked account. Once you’re stuck at the same Locked out page, Hover, to the Twitter Account help page (Three dots options in the top-corner).

Step 2: Visit Twitter Support/help and Appeal for a Locked Account

Once you visit Twitter support, your account will have access to all FAQS available to unlock your account. So, look out for the suspended account page or click https://help.twitter.com/forms/general?subtopic=suspended to access the form.

Fill the form with your Full Name (Original Name or Business Name), Twitter handle (auto-filled), Email Address (associated with your account), Phone Number (Begin with your country code), Then explain the trouble you are facing with your Locked account, and why you think the suspension should be lifted.

Sample Explanation for your Locked Twitter Account

Step 3: Once you receive an auto-Twitter response, Reply it with further Information on Your Account

By Default, Twitter support bots send you an automated response to your Account Email address confirming receipt of your Appeal request. However, reply the sent Email with the trouble you’re facing with your account as stated in Step 2:

By Replying to the automated Twitter Email, your response will be added to a case number originally created when you fill the account Appeal form. So, Your case number will stand high to be worked on by the Human Twitter Support team.

Step 4: Log out your account from all active devices

Once you appeal for your locked out, Clearing your active sessions gives your account a clean sheet for Twitter to look into-it and unlock it much faster, than when you’re logged in.

Step 5: Wait for a Twitter Response in 3-7days

Depending on your country of residence, the Twitter support team will respond to your Appeal and clarify on why your account was locked with what you can do to regain access.

Luckily, in most cases, Twitter will apologize for suspending/ locking your account due to automated Spam checks by the service. Once you receive an Email showing that you account was blocked by mistake, It means you account is no longer locked and you’re able to log-in to start Tweeting again.

Step 6: Login to Your Account and Start using it again

It’s been a long wait, and hitting the Login button will fully unlock your account. For future instances, you should consider any recommendations mentioned in the Twitter response Email to prevent your account from getting a Spam flag leading to a lock-out if not a suspension.

In case of delays in receiving a Twitter Support response, always repeat the same process to have your account case number looked-into for fast action.

Excitingly, whether after 2 or 3 Weeks, Twitter support will always reply back to your query, and unlock your account without fail, all you have to do, is keep trying, until the glory message knocks on your Account mailbox.

So, since it’s 2020 and being late to learn something new is almost impossible. Cruising to new Tweeting levels is easy and that’s why we have created a mini-guide to help you Tweet like a pro in this new year.

Send Tweets without an Active Internet Connection

Did you know Twitter allows you to actively Tweet to your account without opening your Smartphone App or visiting their desktop portal. Well, it’s very possible to use your phone’s SMS capability to actively send Tweets to your profile

All you have to do is connect your Phone Number to your Twitter profile. To do that, simply visit your Account Settings ->Select Mobile -> Add Phone Number to receive your Twitter shortcode you can always send your Tweets to using your phone’s SMS wing.

This means, whether you hold a feature phone or a Smartphone level one like the Kai Os powered MTN Kamunye or TECNO T4 series, you can actively tweet to your profile by simply sending an SMS to your Account’s SMS ID.

Use Threads for long Tweets

Twitter initially had a tough 144 characters cap on Tweets, But ever since the limit was lifted to 240 Characters, we’re optimistic that support for 480 characters will soon be on the launch pad since pro users now use Threads and external links for long Tweets.

Well, the next time you want to Tweet something long, do it the professionals way, simply tap the + sign whenever you’re composing a Tweet whether on Mobile or desktop to create a threaded Tweet.

Use Professional 3rd Party tools to send Tweets

Unlike Facebook, Twitter’s API is accessible by developers who can easily frame new solutions for the service and create new 3rd party apps trusted by end users.

To tweet like a pro, a Twitter client becomes your best go to solution with a majority allowing you to manage more than 1 Twitter account at the same time. In fact, you’re able to track mentions and hashtags without opening your notifications pane to read Tweets.

Nevertheless, here is the list of some of the best Twitter clients we recommend

PC:

• Tweetdeck
• Tweetbot
• Tweeten
• Fenice for Twitter
• Twitter for Windows
• Twitter for Mac (Catalina)

Smartphone:

• TweetBot (Iphone)
• TweetCaster
• Talon
• Twidere

Among the exciting features that make have always lifted Tweetdeck to the Netizen standards include excellent unique hashtag tracking tabs that cant be met on any other authorized 3rd party service. Amazingly, the new Tweetdeck features ship in at a time when the initial desktop design changed from a crisp ordinary view to a tablet like formation a few weeks back.

With hashtag tracking, Polls, Threads, GIFs, Images and Videos all in one multi-account window, Tweetdeck is one big Twitter variant that will not only take over as the most used 3rd party app, but also bring an end to the floshy official desktop client glory. As a fact, the 3rd party service was already popular without the new features as the desktop client duplicates will now spice its ranks to the Alexa top 10 list.

The new Tweetdeck features

• Threads
• Polls
• Emoji’s
• GIFs
• Dark Mode for the Tweet Bar

All in all, these new TweetDeck features are enough to make desktop Tweeps change their minds from creating threads in the default client and copy the talk with flowing hashtags in one Window. Hence, must we say Rest In Peace to the Twitter desktop client or a big thumbs up for Tweetdeck through the overall ranks? To us, the new features have already twisted our thoughts to riding with a comfortable multi-account Tweeting spree though Tweetdeck is another OTT taxed platform.

From the time Twitter rolled out the Retweet with a comment feature, it has been one of the most used features on Twitter coming close to the rate of replies, and now media is an even better spicer to the rhythm. Twitter confirmed the new media support through a tweet that read

It’s easy to express yourself by re-tweeting with a comment. What if you could take it a step further and include media? Starting today, you can retweet with photos, a GIF, or a video to really make your reaction pop

However Twitter didn’t announce when this feature will be fully rolled out to all users, but we expect it to be available soon as an additional option under the retweet with a comment sequence. Nonetheless, this is one of those signals showing Twitter’s devotion to making tweets popular than any other social media posts on the web.

[bs-quote quote=”Twitter does not use political ideology to make any decisions, whether related to ranking content on our service or how we enforce our rules” style=”style-7″ align=”left” author_name=”Jack Dorsey” author_job=”CEO Twitter”][/bs-quote]

Although social media platforms are now seen as a tool of direct democracy with lots of rumors spread on a wide scale. Twitter’s actions triggered a fatal impact on the conservatives side in the United States even after the massive twitter impressions generated by the worldwide rant about a Ugandan based politician. By the same token, the Twitter CEO inked that the platform neither supports political ideologies nor sponsors political content but keeps a neutral ground for the public.

“We believe strongly in being impartial, and we strive to enforce our rules impartially.”

“The purpose of Twitter is to serve the public conversation, and we do not make value judgments on personal beliefs,” Dorsey said in his remarks.

Google which was aswell invited to the same court hearing in Washington declined to send its CEO Sundar Pichai through but instead submitted a letter from its chief legal officer Kent Walker. However, as the Twitter political rants and Fake news flag by president Donald Trump continue to dominate the blue social media platform, the congressional hearing with Us tech giants including Facebook continues is still underway at the State Intelligence Committee on capitol hill in Washington.