How Long Does a Twitter Suspension Last? What to Do When You Get Suspended from Twitter

Get unbanned on X with this simple guide

Co-authored by Ben Whitehair and Eric McClure

Last Updated: December 22, 2024 Fact Checked

So, you’ve signed onto X (formerly Twitter) as usual, only to find a great big “Suspended” notification staring you in the face. You may be wondering how long you’ll be stuck in X limbo—and if there’s anything you can do to fix it. While getting locked out of your account can be a rude shock, don’t worry. Most suspensions are temporary, and you can usually fix them by taking a few simple actions, like verifying your identity or deleting a tweet that broke the rules. Read on to learn how long most X suspensions last, and how to get access to your account back faster.

Twitter Account Suspended? How Long Will It Last

X will normally suspend accounts by putting them in read-only mode for 12 hours to 14 days, although 48 hours seems to be the most common penalty. However, if your account has been flagged as spam or false media, the restriction cannot be removed. You can always try appealing any bans or flags, though!

1

Read-only suspensions last from 12 hours to 14 days.

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X uses read-only mode to put users in “time-out”. This might happen if you’ve gotten into a heated argument with another user and things get out of hand. If this happens, you’ll still be allowed to log in and browse X, but you won’t be able to post, reply, or like anything until the read-only period ends.^{[1]
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- If X has put you in read-only mode, there’s not much you can do except wait it out. However, you can always contact X support to get answers or make a case for lifting the restriction early: https://help.x.com/en/forms.
- Many users who have experienced this kind of suspension report that it usually lasts around 48 hours. However, the length of time varies based on the reason for the suspension and how many times you’ve been suspended before.

2

Verify your identity if prompted.

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X might ask for verification if they suspect you’re a bot. This can also happen in cases where your account has been flagged as a spam bot, if X seems to think you’re lying about who you are, or if X wants to confirm you’re a real person. If this happens, you’ll see a prompt to provide your phone number or confirm your email address when you log in. Follow the prompts to verify who you are.^{[2]
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- When you log in, you’ll see a message saying that your account has been locked for security reasons. Click “Start” to begin the verification process and unlock your account.^{[3]
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- After you enter your phone number, you’ll get a text or a phone call a few minutes later with a verification code. Enter the code on the X platform app or website in the account verification window to unlock your account.
- You should be able to start using X again right away once you verify your info. If not, no sweat—you can always contact the X support team for help.^{[4]
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3

Make “requested” changes to end post-based suspensions.

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X might temporarily lock your account if you break the rules. In these cases, X may prompt you to take certain actions in order to get full access to your account again. When you log in on the X website or app, look for a notification saying, “We’ve temporarily limited some of your account features.” The message may also list the reasons your account was locked and give instructions about how to unlock it. Click “Start” on the notification and follow the prompts. For instance, you might need to:^{[5]
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- Provide your phone number or verify your email address.
- Delete or edit the rule-breaking tweet that caused X to lock your account.
- In some cases, you’ll only be given the option to wait a certain amount of time until your account is restored.

4

Account notices, flags, and restrictions are permanent.

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Notices and restrictions aren’t suspensions, but they do limit you. In the old days of Twitter, you were either banned, suspended, or free to use the platform like anyone else. Now, there are a few “in-between” conditions that can be permanently placed on your account.^{[6]
X
Research source} These types of restrictions include:
- Media policy restrictions. These accounts either pretend to be official news sources or they post false news repeatedly.
- Sensitive/mature content. Aka NSFW accounts, these notices will automatically blur photos you post and may keep your account invisible if certain users search for you.
- State-based media affiliates. This is a new X feature; any account with an affiliation to another country’s media apparatus will have a special warning on their page.
- Spam accounts. These are probably the most common notices. If your account is flagged as spam, your comments and posts will be hidden behind a spam filter.
  - You can tell if your account is flagged as spam by viewing any post you’ve commented on from another account. If your comment is hidden behind a “see probable spam” button at the bottom of a thread, your account is flagged as spam. This is not functionally different from a shadowban, but Twitter does not have an official shadowban policy.

5

X may suspend your account permanently for severe violations.

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This will happen if you repeatedly break the rules. Breaking certain rules for the first time can also result in an immediate, permanent suspension—for example, this could happen if you post threatening or illegal content.^{[7]
X
Research source} In these cases, your account won’t come back unless you can convince the X moderation team that they made a mistake.^{[8]
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- If this happens, you’ll see a notice that your account is suspended next time you log into X, along with an explanation of why the suspension happened.^{[9]
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  Research source} You’ll also get an email explaining the source of your ban, too.
- Other users will also see a notice that your account is suspended if they try to view your tweets.

6

Appeal if you think the suspension was a mistake.

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You may be able to convince X support to lift the suspension. To appeal your suspension, log in with the username and password for your suspended account. You may see an option to contact the support team and appeal their decision. If not, you can also visit the X contact page and submit an appeal using this form.
- Describe the issue in as much detail as possible, and explain why you think the suspension was a mistake.
- All appeals are reviewed by X’s support staff, so it might take a few days to several weeks for you to get an answer.^{[10]
  X
  Research source} Try to be patient—this could take a while if they’re especially busy.
- You’ll need to provide your name and an email address where the X support team can contact you about their decision. You can also provide a phone number if you like, but this is optional.

7

Check X’s rules page to avoid being suspended again.

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Some of the rules are more obvious than others. If you’re not sure what you’re allowed to post on X, check out the list of rules here: https://help.twitter.com/en/rules-and-policies/x-rules. Be careful to follow X’s rules and community guidelines to keep your account from getting locked or even permanently suspended in the future. For example, in addition to the obvious rules (like not posting anything threatening, illegal, or abusive), X also requires that you:^{[11]
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- Don’t disclose other people’s private information without permission (aka doxing people).
- Are honest about who you are. You cannot pretend to be someone else in order to intentionally deceive other users.
- Avoid posting misinformation or media that has been manipulated in a misleading way.
- Respect the intellectual property of others. Don’t repost copyrighted or trademarked material without permission.

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Tips

As of January 2022, X support is reporting delays in responding to account suspension appeals.^{[12]
X
Research source} If your account has to be reviewed by a member of the support team, you may need to wait a few weeks (or even a month or more) to find out if your account can be restored.

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