Inactive Twitter accounts: new policy explained - how often should you log in to stop account getting archived

Twitter has announced a new change to a policy that will have a groundbreaking impact on the popular social media platform and could put your account at risk. A move that has received a mixed reaction online.

It is just one of a number of changes Twitter has enforced ever since Elon Musk took over in October of last year, including with its renowned blue tick system. Though the tech billionaire has only recently confirmed that he has hired a new CEO to run the company.

Here is everything you need to know about the new changes to a Twitter policy that could impact you.

What has Twitter changed about the inactive accounts policy?

Elon Musk has confirmed plans to remove Twitter of all its inactive accounts in a bid to "free up abandoned handles" and warned users that "you will probably see your follower account drop". The tech billionaire made the announcement in a tweet posted on 8 May.

The major change affects how often you need to log in to an account to make sure Twitter does not classify it as 'inactive'. If the account is deemed unused, then the account will be archived. As recently as April, users only had to log in once every six months - but this is no longer the case.

How often do you need to log in to make sure your account is not archived?

Twitter users will now have to log in to an account at least once every 30 days. Otherwise it will be "permanently removed" if left dormant.

On the Twitter website it says: "We encourage people to actively log in and use Twitter when they register an account. Inactivity is based on logging in. Please note that you may not be able to tell whether an account is currently inactive, as not all signs of account activity are publicly visible."

Are Twitter accounts of people who have died at risk of removal?

The announcement received heavy criticism from users in the replies to Elon Musk's tweet. One person quizzed whether this puts the accounts of relatives, friends and loved ones who have died at risk of being deleted, in which Musk confirmed that it could be avoided as the accounts are being archived, not deleted.

People are also requesting protection for accounts that have historical significance, including victims of tragedies. Requests have been made to Twitter to implement the ability memorialise accounts similar to other social networks like Facebook.

Reaction to the new Twitter policy

One user tweeted: "ONLY 30 days for the inactive policy or your risk your account being deleted??? Man they really wanna peer pressure you into an addiction," while another said: "Elon Musk is going ahead with his stupid plan to deactivate inactive accounts".

Another panicked Twitter user asked: "Okay, but what does "archived" mean? Will they still be public? Searchable? Retweetable? Why not just...change the handle of the inactive account by appending "__inactive" or something like that?", and another criticised the changes by tweeting: "They’re erasing our history with this new inactive account policy!".