There is no switch labelled "private account" on X. The setting is named Protect your posts, and once it is on, only people you approve as followers can read what you post. It takes about a minute, it applies to your whole account rather than one device, and you can switch it off again whenever you like.

Quick steps:

  1. Open the X app or x.com and sign in.
  2. Open the main menu: your profile photo on iPhone, the menu or profile icon on Android, or More on the web.
  3. Go to Settings and privacy, then Privacy and safety.
  4. Find the Audience and tagging section.
  5. Turn on Protect your posts (a slider on iPhone, a checkbox on Android and the web).
  6. From now on, review new follower requests and approve only people you know.

On iPhone

  1. In the X app, tap your profile photo in the top menu.
  2. Tap Settings and privacy, then Privacy and safety.
  3. Under Audience and tagging, look for Protect your posts.
  4. Drag the slider so it is on.

On Android

  1. In the X app, look at the top menu. Depending on your app version, you will see either a navigation menu icon or your profile icon. Tap whichever one appears.
  2. Tap Settings and privacy, then Privacy and safety.
  3. Under Audience and tagging, find Protect your Posts.
  4. Tick the checkbox.

On the web (x.com)

  1. On x.com, click the More icon in the side menu.
  2. Choose Settings and privacy, then Privacy and safety.
  3. Open Audience and tagging.
  4. Tick the box next to Protect your posts.

To go public again, repeat the same steps and clear the box (or switch off the slider). Know two things before you do: pending follow requests are not approved automatically, so those people would have to follow you again, and every post you wrote while protected becomes visible to everyone.

What changes and what doesn't

Accounts on X start out public, which means anyone can read your posts, even people with no X account at all. Protecting your posts changes that in these ways:

Anyone who doesn't follow you Your approved followers
Cannot read your posts or open their direct links Can read your posts and open the links
Cannot find your posts through Google or other search engines Can find your posts in X search (as can you)
Cannot see photos and videos attached to your posts Can see your media
Has to send a request to follow you, which you can accept or decline Cannot repost or quote your posts
Will not see replies you send them Can see and reply to your posts as usual

A few details are easy to miss:

  • Your old posts are covered too. Posts you wrote while the account was public stop being visible on X and in search. Someone who already had one in their timeline may still see it there, but they can't open it or interact with it.
  • Tags and mentions still work. X notes that photo tags still show on protected posts, and mentions can show up in posts of any kind.
  • Your account can still be reached. New people can still send you a follow request. Protection limits who can read your posts; it does not delete or hide the account.

X's Grok help page describes one more effect: once your account is private, your posts are left out of the material used to teach Grok and xAI's models, and Grok won't surface them when other people ask it questions.

More settings worth changing

A few other settings decide how people find you and what X does with your data. All of them live in Settings and privacy.

  • Discoverability by email and phone. On iPhone, go to Privacy and safety and look under Discoverability and contacts for Let others find you by your email and Let others find you by your phone. On Android and the web, look for the same options in Settings and privacy; menu wording can vary. Turning them off also stops X from using contacts you uploaded to suggest your account to others. Your email and number are never shown publicly either way; this only controls whether someone who already has them can match them to you.
  • Photo tagging. In Privacy and safety, under Posts, open Photo tagging. You can turn it off or allow tags from Anyone can tag you or Only people you follow can tag you. X says a change here can take up to 30 minutes to apply. If you have already been tagged, open the menu at the top of that post and choose Remove tag from photo in the app, or Remove my tag from photo on the web.
  • Direct Messages. Under Direct Messages in Privacy and safety, switch off Allow messages requests from everyone on iPhone, or clear Receive messages from anyone on Android and the web. People you have already talked to can still write to you. The same area has Show read receipts, which is on by default.
  • Grok training. In Privacy & Safety, scroll to Data sharing and personalization, open Grok & Third-party Collaborators, then Data Sharing, and untick the option that lets your public data and Grok interactions be used for training. You can still use Grok afterwards. Features built on Grok, such as recommendations, may keep learning from how you use X, and thumbs up or down ratings can still be used.
  • Sharing with business partners. X has a setting called Allow additional information sharing with business partners in its Personalization and Data settings. According to X, what it shares with ad partners can include your IP address, identifiers X creates, and your device's advertising ID, though not your name, email, phone number or username. Switch it off if you prefer, and note that X says the change may take a while.
  • Location. X's precise location feature is off unless you opt in, and you can remove location data from posts you made earlier. If you once added a location, check whether later posts still carry a general place label before you share them.

Followers, removing people and blocking

Protection is about the future, so the people who already follow you matter most. Anyone who followed you before you switched it on keeps seeing your posts unless you block them.

  • Approve requests carefully. Once your posts are protected, each new follower has to ask first. Accept people you actually know and decline the rest.
  • Remove a follower (web). On x.com, open your followers list, click the More icon next to the person, choose Remove this follower, then Remove. You can also do it from their profile. Removing someone doesn't stop them from sending you a new request later, so decline it if it comes.
  • Block anyone you never want to see your posts again. Blocking is the stronger option and also cuts off older followers.

Some things protection can't undo:

  • Screenshots and copies. A follower can capture or forward anything you post.
  • Media links. If someone has the direct link to a photo or video you shared, they can still open it.
  • Already indexed pages. Copies that search engines collected while your account was public sit outside x.com, and X cannot remove them for you.
  • Connected apps. Third-party apps you gave access to may still be able to read your protected posts.

Secure your X login

Privacy settings only help if no one else can sign in as you.

  • Two-factor authentication. In the app, go to Settings and privacy, then Security and account access, Security and Two-factor authentication. You can choose Text message, Authentication app or Security key; an authenticator app or a security key is generally harder to intercept than an SMS code.
  • Apps and sessions. Under Settings and privacy, open Apps and sessions. The Sessions list shows where and when your account is logged in. Use Log out next to anything you don't recognise, or Log out all other sessions. In the apps list, use Revoke access for apps you no longer use. If anything looks wrong, revoke access and change your password.

For a simple routine around passwords, see our guide to password hygiene after credential leaks.

Protected posts and your IP address

Protected posts decide who can read what you write; they don't change what the network can see. X still receives your IP address every time you use the app or site, and its page about business partners says that address can be shared with ad partners unless you switch that setting off. The Wi-Fi network or mobile provider you are on can also see that you are connecting to X. A VPN hides your real IP address from the sites and apps you visit, and keeps the local network from seeing which services you connect to or what you send, which is useful on public Wi-Fi. It does not make your X account anonymous: you are still logged in, and X still knows it is you. Our What is my IP tool shows which address the outside world sees, and VPNRice apps are on the download page.

FAQ

Is "protect your posts" the same as a private account?

Yes. The setting itself is labelled "protected", and X's own help pages also describe turning it on as making your account private.

Can people still see my profile when my posts are protected?

Your account still exists, but anyone who doesn't follow you will not be able to read your posts or see the media in them. They have to send a follow request first.

Will my old posts become private too?

Yes. Posts from your public days are hidden from non-followers on X and drop out of X search. Copies already saved elsewhere, such as screenshots or older search engine results, are outside X's control.

Are teen accounts on X protected by default?

X's page for parents and minor users in the UK says that accounts of known minors aged 13 to 18 there start with protected posts, and that by default they only get messages from accounts they follow. X's minimum age is 13. Outside the UK, check the setting yourself rather than assuming it is on.

Does a VPN make my X account private?

No. A VPN changes the IP address that X and websites see and protects your connection on the local network. Who can read your posts is controlled only by Protect your posts and your follower list.

Last checked: October 2026. Menu names can differ slightly between app versions and regions.

X and Twitter are trademarks of their respective owners. VPNRice is not affiliated with X Corp.