The Truth About Inactive Twitter Accounts: Find + Unfollow Fast!

Inactive Twitter accounts. Find them, remove them, and avoid being them. All this and you questions answered!

We’re talking those ghost followers that haven’t tweeted in ages but still show up in your follower count. And even weird looking followers in your notifications…

Are they helping or hurting your engagement? Neither. But you can identify them, search for them, filter them out and get rid of them easily.

Also, what’s X’s policy on old inactive accounts anyway?

Here’s the tools and the answers you’re looking for:

X’s Mysterious Inactive Twitter Accounts Policy

First things first: What’s X (formerly Twitter) doing about these dormant accounts?

X’s official policy states that accounts need to log in at least every 30 days to not get your account ‘potentially’ removed. Sounds straightforward, right?

Well, if you view that page from as recent as April 2023 the policy stated people need to log in at least every six months from a previous version of that page according to the Internet Archive, which logs old page versions.

So, what’s the real deal? Truth is, it’s hard to say. But this is why we support the Fediverse platforms with scheduling tools because you own your data and are in control of your acount.

But here’s a pro tip: if you want to keep your account safe, try to log in at least once a month. Better safe than sorry.

Next, we’ll look at 3 tools that are included in one platform for finding any account that’s bad and getting rid of them!

Cleaning House: Removing Inactive Twitter Accounts

Now, let’s talk about something you can control: Finding and removing inactive accounts to improve your growth and experience on X.

We recently wrote about how to find those accounts fast by removing inactive Followers on Twitter from your follower list. But why?

Having a bunch of inactive followers can actually hurt your engagement rates. It’s like throwing a party and half the guests are mannequins – not exactly a recipe for a bumpin’ shindig.

Here’s how you can give your followers a good spring cleaning:

1. Find inactive Twitter accounts (steps in next section)
2. Head over to the person’s profile page
3. Click that little “…” menu
4. Choose “Remove this follower” or “Block @Name” if you’re feeling extra spicy

If you’re using Fedica (and honestly, why wouldn’t you be?), you’ve got some seriously powerful tools at your fingertips:

1. Sort Followers: Filter All Your Inactive Twitter Accounts

Want to know who’s following you but inactive? This is how you remove inactive followers on Twitter:

1. Head to the “Sort Followers” tool under Community Analysis in Fedica.
2. Add the ‘Last Active‘ filter. This is your magic wand for spotting the inactive folks.
3. Use ‘Last Activity After‘ to see who’s been active recently. For example, set it to “1 month ago” to see who’s been around this month.
4. Use ‘Last Activity Before‘ to find the long-term ghosts. Set it to “6 months ago” to see who hasn’t made a peep in half a year.

It’s like having X-ray vision for your follower list. No more guessing games!

2. Search & Explore: Find Any Account on X who is inactive

That means, anyone you’re following, or anyone someone’s account is following!

Pro Tip: There’s a simple version of this tool for finding inactive accounts you follow called “Accounts You Follow” under Community Building. Just select the checkmark for 2 months, or 6 months of inactivity.

Here’s how to find inactive Twitter accounts:

1. Go to the “Find Accounts” tool (aka Search & Explore) under Community Building.
2. Click on ‘Advanced‘ in the search criteria. This is where the magic happens.
3. Under ‘last activity‘, set your time frame. Let’s say 2 months. This will show you everyone who’s been MIA for the last two months.
4. Feel free to add more filters. Maybe you want to see inactive followers of a specific account, or accounts created on a certain date.
5. Voila! You now have a list of all the people recently inactive accounts you’re following, or someone’s following.

3. Quality Audit: Spot the Inactive and Bad Accounts

If you’re specifically looking for inactive accounts in your followers, try the Sort Followers tool, and for accounts outside your account, Search & Explore.

But this Bot Detection Tool finds all the accounts in your followers that hurt your growth.

1. Run a Follower Quality Twitter Audit. This is your lie detector test for followers.
2. Check out the list of accounts, sorted by lowest quality. These are your prime suspects.
3. Unfollow them faster than a cat video goes viral.
4. Visit their profiles and either remove them as a follower or block them on X.

It’s like having a bouncer for your Twitter account. No fake IDs allowed, so Find Fake Followers with Quality Audit!

Twitter Changes the Block Feature

X recently changed its blocking feature. Now, when you block someone, they can still see your public posts but they can’t interact with you. If you want to keep your posts under wraps, you might want to consider making your account private.

Keeping Your Account Active

Before we wrap up, let’s talk about keeping your own account active. Here are a few quick tips:

1. Set a reminder to log in at least once a month (that’s all you need to do)
2. Share or retweet something interesting if you’re short on original content (not necessary to avoid deactivation)
3. Engage with others by liking or commenting on their posts (just to be sure)
4. Use Fedica’s scheduling tool to keep your account active even when you’re busy, or crosspost with custom content to other platforms at the same time!

Remember, social media is about being social. Don’t let your account gather dust!

So there you have it, folks. The lowdown on inactive Twitter accounts and how to keep your follower list fresh and engaging. With these tips and tools, you’ll be well on your way to building a thriving, active community on X. Now get out there and tweet like you mean it!

FAQ: Inactive Twitter Accounts, Blocking

Still got questions? We’ve got answers! Here’s a roundup of what confuses people about inactive Twitter accounts:

Does Twitter delete inactive accounts?

Well, it’s complicated. Twitter says they ‘may’ delete accounts that don’t log in at least once a month. But it used to be once every 6 months. In reality, most folks have found that Twitter rarely follows through on this threat. But hey, why risk it? Just log in now and then, and you’ll be golden.

How long until Twitter deletes deactivated accounts?

Twitter says they ‘may’ remove accounts that don’t show signs of life for a month. Many users have noticed that Twitter has not deleted inactive accounts as much as they claim. Still, a quick monthly log-in will keep you off their radar.

How do I find inactive Twitter accounts?

There are a few ways to find those inactive accounts:

1. For your followers: Use Fedica’s Sort Followers tool. It’s like a time machine for your follower list. Filter out the inactive ones from any date you choose – 2 months, 6 months, you name it!
2. For anyone on X: The Find Accounts feature in Fedica’s Search & Explore tool is your new best friend. Find all the inactive accounts on X, filtered by who they follow, who follows them, or just anyone!
3. Bonus round: Want to find followers who are active but might be hurting your growth? The Quality Audit tool is your go-to. It sniffs out accounts with negative traits like spam behavior, inactivity, or following too many people.

Can you claim an inactive Twitter account in 2024?

It’s not easy, but here are your best bets, ranked by likelihood of success:

1. Reach out: Try messaging the account or tracking down the owner. Who knows? They might be willing to sell the handle.
2. Trademark dispute (for companies): If you’ve got a trademark, you might be able to claim a username that’s violating it.
3. Report impersonation (for individuals): Some folks have had luck reporting impersonation for handles of their full name.

Keep in mind, X hasn’t been super responsive to these requests lately. If you’re striking out, consider tweaking your desired username. Try adding numbers, underscores, or abbreviations like FedicaHQ, Fedica_, or TryFedica. We prioritized leaving our name in the first characters to help with search!

Why won’t Twitter delete inactive accounts?

With all the new competition in the social media space, X is probably more focused on growing their user base than spring cleaning old accounts. More accounts, even inactive ones, might look better on their books.

How do I find a deactivated Twitter account?

It’s like looking for digital breadcrumbs:

1. Search their name. If the account’s deactivated, you’ll see a message saying so.
2. Try the Wayback Machine. This internet time capsule might have old snapshots of their profile.

Are deactivated Twitter accounts still visible?

Nope, they vanish like a ghost in the machine. You won’t be able to search for the account or find its URL. If you type in the URL directly, you’ll just see an error message saying “Deleted or Deactivated Account”.

There you have it, folks! The inside scoop on inactive Twitter accounts. Remember, whether you’re managing your own account or cleaning up your follower list, Fedica’s got the tools to make your Twitter life a whole lot easier. Now go forth and tweet with confidence!