Table of Contents:

How to Add Your Phone via SMS
How to Create an Account Using SMS
Using Your SMS-created Account on the Web
How to Add Your Phone via the Web 
How to Get Updates on Your Phone Without a Twitter Account

How To Add Your Phone via SMS

Did you know you can send Tweets by text message (SMS)? Adding your phone to Twitter makes it easy to tweet from places where even WiFi and mobile web don't work! Follow the instructions below to add your phone to an account you’ve already set up on Twitter. Don't have an account? Then you can skip to the next section to read about how to sign up via SMS.

How To Add Your Phone To Your Twitter Account

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 Create a Twitter Account Using SMS

Want to start sending Tweets from your mobile phone, but don’t yet have a Twitter account? Just follow the steps below from your phone to set up your brand new Twitter account and begin tweeting via SMS. (Already have an account? The previous section covers how to add your phone via SMS, or you can also add your phone via web.)

To create your new Twitter account...

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 less 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
When you send us a text, we'll ask you for a username.

• This is the name people will use to send you replies and messages.
• 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, it's easy to visit Twitter.com and change your username from the web settings.

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 claim your web account, you just have to add an email address and a password to complete your profile. We already have your phone number, so you'll use that to tell us who you are. Go to www.twitter.com and find the Sign in button at the top right of the page. Then, follow the steps below:

1. Click the link that says Already using Twitter on your phone? (First picture, below)
2. Enter your phone number when prompted.
3. Twitter will send a verification code to your phone. When you get that text message, enter the code as shown below in the second screenshot.
4. You'll then be asked to create an account by entering details such as 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.
5. 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.

TIP: Did you create an extra mobile account by accident? Check out our troubleshooting page to find out what to do.

How to Add Your Phone via the Web

If you already have a web account and want to receive SMS updates or start posting Tweets via SMS, you can 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 Get Updates on your Phone without a Twitter Account

Want to get updates from @Twitter but don’t want to create a Twitter account? You’re in luck! 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
• Text SIGNUP to [your 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.