How to Reset Your Twitter (X) Password: Email, Text or Logged In

That's the short version, and for most people it takes two minutes. The catch is that X can only help you if you still have the email address or phone number on the account. Lose both and X's own Help Center says your recovery options are limited, so it's worth knowing the order to try things in before you start guessing.

Three ways to reset or change your X password

Situation	Method	Where to start
You're logged in and know your current password	Change it in settings	Settings and privacy, Your account, Change your password
You're logged in but forgot the password	Send yourself a reset email from the password settings page	Settings and privacy, Your account, Change your password
You're logged out and have your email	Reset by email code	Forgot password? on x.com, mobile.x.com or the app
You're logged out and have your phone	Reset by text code	Forgot password? then enter your phone number
You use login verification (two-factor)	Email only, text reset isn't offered	Forgot password? then choose your email

How to reset a forgotten Twitter password by email

This is the route X recommends first, and it works on x.com, mobile.x.com and the X app for iPhone or Android.

1. Open the X sign-in page and click or tap Forgot password?
2. Enter your email address, phone number or X username.
3. Choose the email address you want the reset message sent to.
4. Check your inbox. X sends the message straight away, and it contains a code.
5. Enter the code on the password reset page and click Submit. The code is valid for 60 minutes.
6. Choose your new password when X asks for it.

If the email doesn't arrive, check your spam and promotions folders before you request another one. Each new request sends a new code, and it's easy to type an old one by mistake.

How to reset your X password by text message

If you've added a phone number to your account, X can text you the code instead.

1. On the Forgot password? page, enter your phone number, email or username.
2. Enter your phone number and click Search.
3. X shows the last digits of your number. Click Continue.
4. X texts you a code that's valid for 60 minutes.
5. Enter the code, click Submit and choose a new password.

Two rules trip people up here, and both come straight from X's Help Center. First, if more than one X account uses the same phone number, you can't use that number to reset. Second, text reset isn't available on accounts enrolled in login verification, so those accounts can only reset by email. If you've set up two-factor authentication on X, go straight to the email route.

How to change your password while you're logged in

On the X app for iPhone, the steps are:

1. Open the navigation menu and tap Settings and privacy.
2. Tap Your account, then Change your password.
3. Enter your current password.
4. Enter your new password, then enter it again to confirm.
5. Tap Done to save.

Android uses the same steps. On x.com, click the More icon in the navigation bar, choose Settings and privacy, then Your account and Change your password, and click Save at the end. And here's a useful detail X mentions: if you're logged in but can't remember the current password, you can send yourself a reset email from that same password settings page. You don't have to log out first.

What happens to your other logins after a reset

Resetting your password logs you out of every active X session. Changing it while logged in does the same, except for the session you used to make the change. That's a feature, not a bug. If you think someone else has your password, a change or reset kicks them out of every device they were using.

So expect to sign in again on your phone, laptop and any scheduling tools or apps that post for you. If your account was taken over and the email or phone number was changed, read my guide to a hacked Twitter account before you do anything else.

Can't reset your X password? Try these in order

X's Help Center gives a short recovery checklist for when the normal reset doesn't work. I'd run through it in this order:

1. Check if you're still logged in somewhere. The X app, mobile.x.com or X Pro may still have you signed in. If so, change the password from there.
2. Try the username and password you last remember. It sounds obvious, but old passwords come back to people.
3. Start with your username. Entering a valid username makes X ask for the email on the account. Try every email address you might have used.
4. Then try your phone numbers. If you can't work out the email, repeat the process with any number you might have added. X texts a code to the right one.
5. Contact X Support if none of that works.

If you've reset the password and still can't get in, X says you may be locked out for security reasons. That's a separate lock, and a new password won't lift it on its own.

Coming back after a break? reactivating a deactivated account explains the window.

Can you reset your X password without email or phone?

Not really, and I'd rather tell you that now than have you waste an afternoon. X's Help Center is blunt about it: you need access to the email or phone number on the account to reset the password, and if you can't reach either one, you may need to sign up for a new account. Support can look at your case, but X says recovery options are limited without an email or phone to prove it's you.

So my advice never changes. Keep the email and phone number on your X account current, add a backup method, and write down which email you used. It's the cheapest insurance you'll ever buy for an account you've spent years building. If you get SMS codes, my guide to Twitter SMS settings covers how texts from X work.

My advice

Use the email route first, every time. It works for every account, including ones with login verification, and the code lasts an hour. Once you're back in, check that your email and phone are still the ones you control, then turn on two-factor if you haven't already. The minute it takes now saves you from the one situation X can't fix: a lost password with no way to prove the account is yours.

If you use several logins, see switching between X accounts.

Frequently asked questions

How long is the X password reset code valid?

The code X sends by email or text is valid for 60 minutes. If it expires, go back to Forgot password? and request a new one, then use the newest code only.

Why can't I reset my Twitter password with my phone number?

X won't let you use a phone number to reset if more than one account is linked to that number. Text reset also isn't available for accounts enrolled in login verification, which can only reset by email.

Does resetting my X password log me out everywhere?

Yes. X says resetting your password logs you out of all active sessions. Changing it while logged in logs out every session except the one you used to make the change.

Can I reset my Twitter password without email?

You can reset by text if your phone number is on the account and you don't use login verification. Without either email or phone, X says you may not be able to recover the password and may need a new account.

I reset my password but still can't log in. Why?

X says you may be locked out of your account for security purposes. That lock is separate from the password, so a reset alone won't clear it.