Have you ever wanted to stop seeing tweets from a specific user on Twitter without blocking or unfollowing them? Maybe it’s an annoying coworker, a friend going through a rough patch, or an account that posts too much. Luckily, Twitter offers a mute feature that lets you discreetly hide a user’s tweets from your timeline without alerting them. Here’s how to mute someone on Twitter in a few simple steps.
What Does Muting Do on Twitter?
When you mute an account on Twitter, a few things happen:
- The muted user’s tweets will no longer appear in your timeline
- You will not receive notifications if the muted user mentions you, adds you to a list, or tags you in a photo
- The muted user can still follow you, send you direct messages, and view your tweets if your account is public
Importantly, the muted user is not notified that you have muted them. This makes muting a more subtle option compared to blocking someone.
Muted accounts still appear in your Following list since muting does not cause you to unfollow them. You can view muted accounts at any time to see their latest tweets or unmute them.
Step-by-Step Guide to Muting Someone
Follow these steps to mute a user on Twitter:
1. Navigate to the user’s profile
Find the account you want to mute either by searching for their username or scrolling to one of their tweets in your timeline. Tap their profile icon to open their profile page.
2. Tap the three dots icon
On the user’s profile, look for the three dots icon next to the Following or Followed button. Tap this icon to open a menu of options.
3. Select “Mute”
From the pop-up menu, tap Mute to instantly mute the user without unfollowing them. The menu will close and you will see a confirmation banner that you’ve muted the account.
That’s it! The selected user is now muted. You can unmute them at any time by visiting their profile, tapping the three dots icon, and selecting Unmute from the menu.
Managing Muted Accounts
To view and manage your list of muted accounts:
- Open your Settings menu by tapping your profile icon and selecting Settings and privacy
- Tap Privacy and safety and then Mute and block
- Select Muted accounts
Here you’ll see a list of every user you’ve muted. Tap Unmute next to any user to start seeing their tweets in your timeline again. You can also mute or block accounts directly from this page.
Muting Words and Notifications
In addition to muting accounts, Twitter lets you mute specific words, phrases, usernames, emojis and hashtags. Muting a word removes tweets containing that word from your notifications and timeline.
To mute words:
- Go to Settings > Privacy and safety > Mute and block
- Tap Muted words
- Tap the plus icon and enter the word or phrase you want to mute
- Choose where to mute the word (Home timeline, Notifications, or From anyone) and set a time period
- Tap Save to confirm
You can also enable advanced muting options to filter out more content. However, muted words may still appear in search results.
When to Mute vs Block
Compared to muting, blocking an account is a more extreme action. Blocked users cannot follow you, view your tweets, or send you any messages. They are notified that you blocked them.
In general, muting is preferable for temporarily filtering out bothersome content, while blocking makes sense for repeat offenders or abusive accounts. Since muted users can still interact with you, muting allows you to ignore an account’s tweets without burning bridges.
However, if an account is harassing you or poses a safety risk, it’s best to block and report them. Blocking prevents all future interactions.
Conclusion
Muting is a useful way to declutter your Twitter experience without permanently severing ties. By discreetly hiding an account’s tweets, you can focus on updates that matter to you while avoiding potential awkwardness or conflict.
Whether you’re muting a chatty friend or filtering out spoilers, these steps make it easy to take control of your timeline. Combined with Twitter’s other tools like advanced muting and blocked accounts, muting helps make the platform a personalized and enjoyable place to connect.
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