After the recent US elections, the social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, saw a significant exodus of users. Around 115,000 US web visitors deactivated their X accounts on Nov. 6, according to Similarweb. Additionally, many celebrities and public figures have announced their departures from the platform in the past week. Even the British news publication The Guardian announced that it was archiving its X accounts and would no longer be posting on the network. This decision was made as the negatives of being on X were seen to outweigh the benefits, and resources could be better utilized elsewhere. The recent change in X’s block feature could also be a contributing factor to people leaving the platform.
Bluesky, a new social network, seems to be a popular destination for users leaving X, with the official Bluesky account reporting that over a million people have signed up for the service since Nov. 5. For users who are considering leaving X, there are options available to deactivate or delete their accounts. Deactivating an account is not the same as deleting it, with deactivation allowing users to restore their accounts within 30 days. Deleting an account involves not accessing it within the 30-day deactivation period, after which the account and username will be permanently deleted.
To delete an X account on a mobile device, users can follow a few steps including signing in, accessing settings, and deactivating the account. Similarly, on a computer’s web browser, the account can be deleted by signing in, navigating to settings, and deactivating the account. It’s important to remember to disconnect third-party apps from the X account to prevent them from reactivating the account. If a user changes their mind about deactivating their account, they can reactivate it within 30 days, but restoration of posts and followers may take some time.
To protect X posts so only approved followers can see them, users can adjust privacy settings either on a mobile device or a desktop computer. By enabling the option to protect posts, only approved followers will be able to view them, and new followers will need to be approved. Additionally, enabling this feature prevents posts from being indexed by search engines. Reversing this setting to make posts public again is a simple process of disabling the “Protect your posts” option in the settings. Lastly, users who are considering leaving X may find the new social network Bluesky to be a viable alternative, as many users have already signed up for the service since its launch.
