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Twitter Phone FAQ
1.1. Twitter Phone FAQ
Twitter is a new kind of technology that uses multiple methods of communication to help keep you in touch with people you care about. These are some of the most frequently asked questions about using Twitter with your mobile phone.
I. Logistics: how Twitter interacts with your phone
How do I twitter from my phone?
Once you've added your phone to Twitter, you can send a text message to the Twitter phone number assigned to you in your settings page. When you send Twitter a text message, we post it to your profile and send the message to all of your followers.
What does it mean to follow someone on Twitter?
To follow means to receive Twitter updates. If you follow someone, you elect to receive their Twitter messages. When you're getting someone else's Twitter updates, you're following them. People who are getting your updates are your followers.
Can I use the same phone number on multiple accounts?
No. You can only use one phone number or IM address for one account.
Can I update Twitter from my phone but not receive other people's updates?
Yes. As long as you've verified your phone, you can send updates to Twitter even if all notifications are off. Make
sure to set your updates to OFF on the web, or send OFF from your phone.
What are the Twitter phone numbers?
We currently have three short codes and one long code for those who twitter internationally.
- In the US, use 40404.
- In Canada, use 21212.
- In India, use 5566511.
- Anywhere else, use +44 7624 801423
What is a short code?
Short codes are numbers made specifically for SMS and MMS
messages. Twitter uses various short codes to send and receive your
updates. Sending a text message to a short code is just like sending a
text message to a phone number. Short codes are made specifically for
text messaging, so you can't send an email to a short code, or call a
short code. Charges for using our short codes are the same as standard
text messaging rates to full-length phone numbers.
What is Twitter's international number?
If you're not in the US, Canada, or India and can't use the short codes, use the international long code instead: +44 7624 801423. We're working on getting short codes for as many countries as possible.
Text Messages? Sounds expensive. How much will Twitter cost me?
It depends on your text
messaging plan; standard text messaging rates (such as international
text messaging fees) do apply. Consult your service provider to
ensure that your text plan covers your Twitter usage. Give your
provider the Twitter phone number you'll be using to see if you'll
incur extra charges. If you're using Twitter from outside of the US,
please consult your carrier, as every provider has a different
policy.
When I give you my number, you wont charge my phone bill?
No. Twitter doesn't charge your phone bill. Usage charges for
text messaging are applied by your carrier and depend on your SMS plan. Some people pay a per-message charge of ten
cents or more. Some people have an allotted number of text messages
monthly. Some (lucky!) people have unlimited text plans. We must caution: Twitter can become highly
addictive, so make sure that your texting habits and your text plan are
compatible.
How does Twitter use my phone number?
Twitter acts like a phone, and uses your number to send you the text
messages you choose to receive. Your number is private; Twitter never
reveals phone number information. Consider Twitter the medium between
your friends and yourself; we just relay the information.
What are country codes?
Each phone number has a country code; a country code is a set of digits
assigned to a country so international callers can call in. We'll need
to know your country code if you don't live in the United States and
you're adding your number to Twitter. If you're not sure what yours
is, you can find a list of them here.
How do I add my international number?
Twitter accesses international numbers from the US. This means that
it's important to include '+' and your country code with your complete
number in order for us to recognize it properly. Our UK number is a
good example; it's formatted like this: +44 7624 801423. Note: when
adding a country code to your number in some countries, you must drop the leading zero.
Do I have to use my phone to use Twitter?
No. You can send twitters in IM, or use the Twitter website to send your updates and read the updates of others.
II. Using Twitter features on your phone
How do I get a specific person's updates on my phone?
To get a person's updates on your phone, use the follow command. FOLLOW + user name
(follow biz, for example) tells Twitter that you want to receive a specific
person's twitters on your phone. You can also click the follow button from their
profile page on the web; make sure to turn notification ON using the dropdown box.
Can I turn updates on for some people and off for others?
Yes. use follow or on + username to start getting a specific person's text notifications on your phone. For example: follow al3x, or on al3x. To turn notifications off again, send leave or off + username. For example: leave al3x, or off al3x. You can change notification preferences from the profile pages of everyone you follow, and even if you don't get updates on your phone, you can still read them on the web when you log in.
How do I know if my friends are getting my updates on their phones?
You don't. But, if they are on your friends list, they will always receive your updates on the web.
How long can my updates be?
We have a 140 character limit on Twitter updates. If your update is
longer than that, the full update will post to the web where it can be
viewed in its entirety. We'll still send the truncated version: only
the first 140 characters will go to phones and IM.
How do I stop getting ALL twitters on my phone?
To stop getting Twitter updates, send OFF from your phone at anytime. We will send you a final message confirming that your phone notifications are off. Sending ON will turn them back on.
How can I turn Twitter on again?
The best way to turn Twitter on is to send the ON command from the
device. You can also turn your phone and chat updates on from the web
from your home page or you can send ON to Twitter.
What's a Nudge?
A nudge is a friendly reminder to update Twitter. Friends can nudge you (and you them) by sending nudge + username to Twitter, or by clicking the nudge link from a person's profile page.
Can I favorite updates from my phone?
Yes. if you receive an update that you'd like to mark as favorite,
reply to the update with FAV + username to add the update your favorites.
How can I send someone a private message?
Send a Twitter friend a Direct Text, which will go to their individual phone or web page. From your phone, use this command: D + username + message. For example: d jack I just saw your twitter about going to the movies; what time are you guys meeting? (HINT:
a person's user name and screen name may differ. To ensure you have the
right user name, go to the person's profile page and look in the URL at
the top of the page.)
What is @username?
Messages sent with an @ sign in front of a username designate them as a reply from one person on Twitter to another. You can reply publicly to any update on Twitter by using the @username format. More information about this is here.
What is the difference between @username and Direct Text?
Messages sent via Direct Message (D + username +update) are private, and readable only by the person you send it to. Messages sent in the @username format are public.
How do I invite people from my phone?
To invite people by phone number, send the word invite
+ the phone number of the person you want to add from your phone. Your message should look like this: invite 4153172323
Does Twitter have a mobile site I can use from my phone?
Yep! Check out m.twitter.com on your mobile web browser.
Do I still get phone updates when I use Twitter with IM?
No. Logging into IM automatically turns off your phone alerts. When
you're done with chat, text ON to Twitter from your phone to get your
updates.
When I log out of IM what happens to my phone?
Your phone settings before you logged into IM should remain the same;
when you log off, they are restored. If you're not getting phone
messages, just text ON to Twitter.
If I change my phone number, can I change it on Twitter?
Yes.
When you want to add a number other than the one you have verified with
us, delete your current number from the settings page to add your new
one. You'll need to verify your new phone number before using it.
I'm getting a lot of updates. How can I get fewer?
Stop getting updates from some friends without stopping all updates from all friends. The easiest way to do this is to use the leave or OFF command. Text OFF + username or LEAVE + username
to stop getting messages from a specific person. (Example: off jack)
Make sure you're using the username, and not just the screen name.
(Find the user name by going to the person's profile and looking in the
URL at top.)
