Guide
How to Use X (Twitter): A Beginner's Guide to Posting
To use X, the app that used to be called Twitter, you make an account, follow some people and start with a few posts. This guide covers the screens, the actions you will use every day and how the feed works.
Set up your account
Sign up with an email or phone number, choose a display name and a handle, add a picture and write a one-line bio. Follow a few accounts on topics you like, so the feed has something in it from the start.
The parts of X you will use
The home screen has two feeds: For You, a mix chosen by X, and Following, which shows the accounts you follow. The post button writes a new post. Under any post you can reply, repost, like, bookmark and share. Messages hold private chats.
Write your first posts
A post can be up to 280 characters, with links counted as 23 and most emoji as two. Say one thing, plainly. Reply to a post you enjoy, which is the quickest way to be noticed by new people.
How X works in the feed
People see your posts if they follow you, or if X's For You feed thinks they will like them. Lists, mute and block help you shape what you see. Our guide to the algorithm on X says more.
Keep it up without living there
Write a few posts at once and schedule them, so the account stays active between your visits. Dripost schedules text posts to X and checks the count the way X does.
Questions
How does X (Twitter) work?
You follow accounts and see their posts in your feed, and X also shows posts it thinks you will like. You can reply, repost and message people.
Is X free to use?
Yes, a basic account is free. X sells paid plans with extra features.
Do I need to post every day?
No. A steady rhythm you can keep is better than a burst followed by silence.