Getting Started with Twitter via SMS

Table of Contents:

• How to sign up for a new Twitter account via SMS
• How to add your phone to your existing account via SMS
• Using your SMS-created account on the web
• How to add your phone via the web 
• How to post a Tweet via SMS
• How to get updates (Tweets) on your phone without a Twitter account

How to sign up for a new Twitter account via SMS:

1. Send a text message to your Twitter shortcode (such as 40404 in the U.S.) with the word START.
2. Twitter will send you a reply and ask you to reply back with the word SIGNUP to create a new account. Send SIGNUP.
3. Next, Twitter will ask you to pick a username. Your username must be unique and fewer than 15 characters. Reply with the username you want (see below for advice on picking a username).
4. You will get a confirmation message when you pick a valid username (Twitter will tell you to pick a new name if someone else already has the username you wanted).
5. You're all set! Send a message and it will post as your first Tweet.

Choosing a Username

• This is the name people will use to send you replies and messages via Twitter.
• If you choose to log in to your account on the web, this name will be in your profile URL (Example: http://twitter.com/SFtweetie)
• Make sure that you select a username that is less than or equal to 15 characters in length, with no spaces or special characters (underscores are the only exception).
• If the username is taken, we'll give you three attempts to select a unique one – if you're out of ideas, Twitter will suggest and assign you an alternate username. If you want a new one later, just visit twitter.com and change your username from the web settings.

How to add your phone to your existing account via SMS:

1. Send a text to your Twitter code with the word START.
2. We'll reply and ask you to sign up if you're new or reply with your username if you already have an account.
3. Send your username (do not send any additional characters in the message, or we won't be able to read it correctly).
4. When Twitter asks for your password, carefully send your password to us (remember: passwords are case sensitive!).
5. Twitter will ask you to say OK if you want to use Twitter on your phone. Send OK, and you're all set! Now you can send messages to your Twitter code, and they will post as Tweets on your Twitter profile for all your friends to read.
6. To get others' updates delivered to your phone, you'll need to turn on mobile updates for those people. Until you do this, you will not receive any Tweets to your mobile phone. Check out these other phone commands for more tips and tricks!

How to start using your SMS-created account on the web:

When you join Twitter from your phone, we collect all of your updates on the web. When you're ready to activate your web account, all you have to do is add an email address and a password to complete your profile and log in.

1. Go to https://twitter.com/#!/login. 
2. Click the link that says Already using Twitter on your phone? (Shown below)
3. Enter your phone number when prompted.
4. Twitter will send a verification code to your phone. When you get that text message, enter the code (shown below).
5. You'll then be asked to create an account by entering your email address, a password, and a name for your account. Your username will already be entered, since you created this when you signed up via SMS.
6. Click Create my account as shown below, and you're all done! Twitter will walk you through finding some friends you may know on Twitter, then will direct you to your home page. From there, you can customize your profile page, find friends, and more.

How to add your phone to an existing account via the web:

• If you already have a web account and want to receive SMS updates or start posting Tweets via SMS, you can log in and add your mobile number to your account in your account’s Mobile Settings.  
• Learn more about how to add your phone to your account via the web in this article.

How to post a Tweet via SMS:

1. First, make sure you've linked your phone to your Twitter account using one of the methods described above.
2. Locate your Twitter short code. If you don't see your country on the list, we may not support your location or mobile carrier yet. We're working to support more every day!
3. Once your phone is added, simply send a text message containing your Tweet to your short code. 
4. That's all you need to do! It will post as a Tweet to your Twitter profile.
5. To check that your message posted to your Twitter profile, log in on the web and click on your Profile. You should see your Tweet posted there.

How to get updates on your phone without a Twitter account (Fast Follow):

Want to get updates from @Twitter but don’t want to create a Twitter account? No problem! Use Fast Follow to receive Twitter updates without having to sign up or add your phone to a Twitter account.

To get started:

• Send Follow [username] to your Twitter shortcode and you will start receiving Tweets from that user on your device.
• Example: sending follow Twitter to 40404 on a US-based AT&T phone would mean I'd start getting SMS updates whenever @Twitter posts a Tweet.

Some notes on Fast Following:

• Since you won't have a profile or username until you sign up for an actual Twitter account, your follow is not included in the user’s followers list.
• If you have a full Twitter account and a Fast Follow user follows you, your follower count on your profile page will not change.

Have a Fast Follow account but want to upgrade to a full Twitter account?

• Visit twitter.com and follow the sign up flow on the homepage.
• Or, text SIGNUP to your mobile provider's shortcode.

More instructions can be found here. Remember, even if you don't have a profile, your use is subjected to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.

Fast Follow Mobile Commands
Below you’ll see all of the SMS commands you can use as a Fast Follower. All other SMS commands, including those for registered users, can be found here.

• Follow [username] - allows you to receive updates from that user.
• OFF or STOP or LEAVE - turns off receiving updates from the users you are following.
• ON - will turn on device updates and you will start receiving tweets again.
• WHOIS [username] - retrieves the profile information of the user.
• STATS - returns the number of people that you are following.
• GET [username] - retrieves the latest update that user has posted.

How to remove your phone and fast follower list from Twitter:

• Sending STOP twice in succession to your shortcode will delete your follower list and remove your phone number from Twitter. You will no longer receive updates from us.
• You can send Follow [username] anytime and start receiving updates again!

Need Help? Check out our Twitter for SMS Troubleshooting Tips or Contact Mobile Support.