The 12 most common X problems and how to solve them (2024)

X (formerly known as Twitter) is often known as the fastest news source in the world. The social media platform has grown in popularity, with more active users after its acquisition by Elon Musk. X has been briskly churning out new features. However, certain perks are available for Premium subscribers.

Whether you use X on an iPhone or a top budget Android phone, it's common to run into issues like notifications not working, the app not opening, X not refreshing your feed, and more. Let's go through the common problems and fix them to return to an ideal X experience.

X doesn't refresh the home feed

X failing to refresh the home feed defeats the purpose of using the service. Here's how to fix it and load the latest posts without issues.

Check X's status online

During high-profile sports games (like the NFL Super Bowl, FIFA World Cup final, and US Open final) or a major event, users may flood X with hundreds of posts in a second. The company servers may face outages due to abnormal usage and requests.

Visit Downdetector and search for X. When others face the same problem, you'll see high outage spikes and comments confirming the issue. Wait for X to resolve its server-side issues.

Check your mobile data permissions (iPhone and iPad users)

When you turn off mobile data permission to X on an iPhone, the app doesn't refresh the home feed on a cellular connection.

1. Open Settings on your iPhone.
2. Scroll to X.
3. Turn on the Mobile Data toggle from the following menu.

   

   

Toggle Airplane mode on and off on your phone or tablet

X may not refresh the feed due to a network glitch on your phone. Turn on Airplane mode on your Android phone or iPhone and turn it off after a few seconds to troubleshoot these network problems.

Android users can access Airplane mode from the Quick Settings menu, while iPhone users will open the Control Center from the upper-right corner.

Log out of your X account and sign back in

Did you recently change your X password? If so, sign in to your account with your new login credentials to update your feed.

1. Open X and tap your account picture in the upper-left corner.
2. Expand Settings & Support and open Settings and privacy.
3. Select Your account.

   

   

4. Tap Account information.
5. Select Log out.

   

   

6. Sign in with your latest account details.

Stop using third-party X clients

With a policy change in 2023 related to its API, X pulled the plug on third-party clients. So, the X clients on your phone will give you problems and won't refresh the feed. You must use the official X app on Android, iOS, or the web to check the home feed.

X notifications don't work

You may miss trending topics, messages, and posts from your favorite personalities when X notifications stop working.

Check your X notification settings

A change in your phone or tablet's settings is a common culprit for missing notifications. Take a moment to check your system-wide notification settings for X on iPhone and Android.

• Android users: Long tap the X app icon and open the app info menu. Then, select Notifications and activate the notification permission for each category.

  

  

• iPhone users: Open X in iPhone Settings (check the steps above). Then, select Notifications and allow permission from the following menu.

  

You can also check notification settings from the X app. Follow the steps below to make changes.

1. Open X on your phone.
2. Tap your profile picture in the upper-left corner and open Settings and privacy.
3. Select Notifications.

   

   

4. Open Preferences.
5. Tap Push notifications.

   

   

6. Turn on notifications for mentions, replies, likes, reposts, moments, and other relevant categories.

   

Lock the X app in the background (Android users)

Some Android manufacturers like Samsung, Vivo, Oppo, and Xiaomi implement aggressive battery management and suspend inactive apps and services in the background. This may affect real-time X notifications on your phone. Open the multitasking menu, tap the X icon, and select Lock this app to exclude the app from this behavior.

X doesn't upload pictures, videos, or GIFs

X supports photo and GIF uploads up to 5MB on your mobile device. Desktop users can upload GIFs up to 15MB. The maximum file size for videos on X is 512MB (140 seconds in length) for regular users. X Premium subscribers can upload videos shorter than 2GB at 1080p with a maximum file size of 8GB, and for that, you'll pay $8 a month or $84 a year.

Connect to a robust Wi-Fi connection while uploading high-resolution photos and videos in a post. If you have cellular network issues, check the first trick at the top to send memes on your X feed.

The X app doesn't open or intermittently crashes

For the most part, X's mobile apps are reliable. If X crashes when you open the app or intermittently shuts down while you're using the app, try the following fixes.

Clear your X app cache (Android users)

Like most Android apps, X collects cache in the background to load your home feed quickly and remember your search results. The app may crash your phone when it collects a corrupt cache.

1. Open the X app info menu (check the steps above).
2. Select Storage & cache.
3. Tap Clear cache.

   

Update the X app on the Google Play Store or App Store

X regularly releases features and bug fixes with updates. An outdated X app version on your phone may lead to a crashing issue. Go to the Google Play Store or App Store and install the pending X update on your phone.

I can't access group chats

If the X group admin removes you from the group, you can't check or participate in future conversations. Ping the group admin on X or via a communication app and ask to be added back to the X group.

I can't message someone on X

Some X users may protect their accounts by turning off the DM (Direct Messages) add-on. Most celebrities with thousands of followers turn off DM to avoid spam in their inboxes. You won't see an option to send a direct message to such accounts.

I can't edit my posts

The ability to edit posts is only available to X Premium subscribers. The popular feature gives you a one-hour window to make a limited number of changes to your shared posts. The Edit post feature supports original posts and quotes.

I can't post more than 280 characters

You may have seen many X users posting long posts with more than 280 characters. The option isn't available for regular users. You must pay for an X Premium subscription to unlock the add-on for your account. The X Premium subscribers can submit a post of up to 25,000 characters.

I can't see posts from a specific account

X lets users protect their posts from prying eyes. When you visit such accounts, you see a lock icon beside the profile picture. Send a Follow request to view their posts.

Another reason you may not see posts from a specific account is that the user blocked you. To confirm that you've been blocked, click the user's account.

The final, less likely reason you can't view specific posts is that X may be required to block specific posts and accounts in various countries or when compelled to do so by a law enforcement agency.

I can't check trends from my area

If X doesn't have your location data, it may show incorrect trends in the Search menu. Change your region to get relevant trending topics.

1. Launch X.
2. Select the search icon at the bottom.
3. Tap the Settings gear at the top.

   

4. Turn off the Show content in this location toggle.
5. Tap Explore Locations and select your region from the following menu.

   

   

My X timeline is not chronological

Sometimes, X opens the For You tab on mobile and the web. The app displays posts based on the algorithm, your followers, and your interests. Switch to the Following menu to check the chronological feed.

1. Launch X on your phone.
2. Tap the Following tab.

   

I can't access my X account

Like Amazon, Microsoft, and Google, X has a set of rules to prevent harassment, spam, and offensive content. If you violate these rules, the company has the right to suspend your account. Check the X rules to avoid this situation. When your account is suspended or terminated, X sends an email regarding its decision and the steps you can take to gain access to your account.

Enjoy a seamless X experience

As a responsible social network, X lets you protect your account with two-factor authentication. Check our post to add an extra layer of security to your X (Twitter) account. If you are fed up with the new management at X, delete your account, uninstall the app, and move to one of the alternatives, such as LinkedIn, Snapchat, TikTok, or Mastodon.