Everything You Need to Know About X (formerly Twitter) Direct Messages

What they are, where they appear, and why and how to send one

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Updated on August 20, 2021

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Why Send a DM?

You might send a DM if you want to connect with someone one-on-one but don't know their email address or any other way to reach them, or if you know, they spend a lot of time on X and are likely to see a message there before anywhere else. You would use a DM rather than a tweet if the communication isn't appropriate for public consumption (such as setting up a business meeting). Some X users like to send a DM to every new follower with a welcoming message.

Another use for DMs is sharing tweets that you might not want to put onto your timeline with a retweet. You can use DMs to share tweets with up to 20 other accounts separately, or in a group. To do so, tap the Share icon under a tweet and select Send via Direct Message.

Where Does a DM Show Up?

An X DM isn't the same as a tweet; therefore, it doesn't appear in any public timeline that everyone can see. It only appears on the private Messages pages of the DM sender and receiver(s). In other words, DMs are analogous to the private messages that Facebook users exchange. DMs are threaded, so you can see your back-and-forth dialogue with someone using X's DM system.

How Do I Know If I've Received a DM?

You can be notified of new DMs within X, or with a text or email notification if you have your account set up that way.

Within X, when you receive a DM, an alert will show up in the left rail of your home screen in the form of a bubble with a number in it next to the Messages link. The number refers to how many new DMs you have.

Who Can I DM With?

Generally, you can send a DM to anyone who follows you. But there are some exceptions. If the person doesn't follow you but has opted-in to receive DMs from anyone, you can send them a DM. Or, if you have exchanged DMs with that person in the past, you can send them a DM even if they're not following you. Also, if you initiate a DM to more than one person, anyone in the group can then respond to the entire group even if group members don't all follow each other.

If you want to send a DM to someone on X, but they don't follow you, you can still catch their attention by using their handle (such as @abc123) at the beginning of a tweet. The tweet won't land in their Messages section as a DM would, but it will initiate a notification that the user is likely to see.

How Do I Send a DM?

Use the following steps to compose a DM:

On the X home page, in the left rail, select Messages.
On the Messages page, at the top of the screen, select the New message (envelope) icon.

Alternatively, you can navigate to the person's profile and select the New message (envelope) icon at the top of the screen.
A New message window appears. Type the name of the person you want to send the DM to, then select Next.
A messaging window appears. If you've already corresponded with the person and haven't deleted the messages, you'll see them in the window. In the messaging field, type your message, then select the Send (right-facing arrow) icon. The message appears in the messaging window.
If the recipient responds, their message will also appear in the messaging window, similar to a texting exchange.

How Do I Delete a DM?

If you want to delete a direct message, it's pretty straightforward.

Go to your Messages section.
Do a long press on the DM you want to delete.
Select Delete for you and the message will be deleted.

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