Twitter is a microblogging social network service, generally accessible online or on mobile apps. Each entry – known as a ‘tweet’ – can be no more than 140 characters long. A tweet can consist of almost anything – your own thoughts, a link to a website, other people’s comments, replies to other comments.
You’ll need:
- a computer that’s connected to the internet
- your Twitter account login and password.
Follow these step-by-step instructions to learn how to tweet
Step 1: Go to the Twitter website and sign into your account.
Click on Tweet which is a small button in the top right-hand corner of your page. You can also post a Tweet by typing into the compose box at the top of your home timeline.
Step 2: As your tweet is being typed in, Twitter will let you know how many characters you can type in until you reach the limit. You can include up to 4 photos, a GIF, or a video in your Tweet. Click on Tweet to post it to your timeline. It is possible to also post a Tweet via a text message (SMS). You will need to do this by connected your Twitter account to your phone.
You can post a link in your Tweet by typing or pasting the URL into the Tweet box. A URL of any length will be altered to 23 characters, even if the link itself is less than 23 characters long. Click the Tweet button to post your Tweet and link.
You can use the hashtag symbol (#) before a relevant keyword or phrase in your Tweet to categorise Tweets and to help them show more easily in Twitter search.
Step 3: Many websites have buttons on their pages to allow readers to share the content on various social networking sites such as Twitter or Facebook.
If you visit a BBC webpage, you’ll see a row of icons for sharing.
Step 4: You can delete your own Tweets on Twitter. You cannot delete Tweets which were posted by other accounts. Instead, you can unfollow, block or mute accounts whose Tweets you do not want to receive.
Online safety information
- Protect your identity and personal information by never sharing your personal details such as your email address, name, and mobile phone number
- Avoid web-based applications that ask you to supply your Twitter username and password
- Regularly change your password
- Avoid clicking unsafe websites by checking the URL
- Beware of unsolicited direct messages
- Remember to block and report spam
- Use an anti-virus and firewall software on your computer or device
This guide was last updated on 15/01/2019