Finding someone’s Twitter handle can be tricky, but is possible through several methods. This definitive guide covers everything you need to know.
Introduction
Having someone’s Twitter username allows you to view their tweets, connect with them, and understand their interests. However, tracking down an elusive Twitter handle can be frustrating.
As a social media consultant with over 10 years of experience, I’ve helped hundreds of clients find Twitter usernames using insider techniques. In addition to Twitter, I’ve written guides on finding someone on Badoo and locating Match.com profiles.
In this comprehensive guide, I’ll share step-by-step instructions for the most effective methods to unmask almost any Twitter account.
Searching Within Twitter
Twitter offers robust search capabilities through both their simple search bar and advanced search page. You can also connect contacts and leverage Twitter’s suggestions for new accounts.
Using the Search Bar
Twitter’s search bar allows you to input a name, username, or other keywords to find matching accounts. Here are tips for using this basic search effectively:
- Search by name or username: The search bar matches against both names and usernames contained in the account’s profile. You may get multiple results for common names.
- Check spelling carefully: Double check the spelling if a name or username doesn’t produce results. Minor typos can prevent matches.
- Use quotes for exact matches: Enclosing a name or phrase in quotes will force an exact character-for-character match, reducing unwanted results.
For example: “John Smith”
- General keywords work too: In addition to names, you can search keywords for topics and see matching accounts. This is useful for discovering accounts related to your interests.
While simple and convenient, the basic Twitter search has limitations:
- It only searches metadata associated with accounts
- Results cannot be filtered or sorted
- Matched keywords may appear anywhere in tweets or bio
For more control over search parameters, Twitter’s Advanced Search is preferable.
Leveraging Twitter Advanced Search
For precise filtering of search results, Twitter’s Advanced Search interface allows setting parameters like location, date, engagement, etc.
Here are some key options for finding accounts:
- Narrow by keywords: Require keywords to appear in the account’s name, bio, location, or tweets.
- Filter by location: Search for accounts associated with a specific city, state, or country.
- Match exact phrases: Use quotes to match specific name or bio wording.
- Search within a network: Look only among followers/following of another user.
- Filter by date range: See accounts created within a certain time period.
- Show verified accounts: Only view username results that Twitter has verified.
The advanced search page takes more effort to use but cuts through the noise substantially when hunting a specific account.
Connect Contacts to Find Friends
If you have someone’s email address or phone number, you may be able to find their Twitter account through Twitter’s contacts integration.
Here’s how it works on mobile:
- Add their contact info to your smartphone’s address book
- In Twitter settings, enable syncing address book contacts
- Check the suggestions under “You May Know” on Twitter’s side menu
This technique matches the email or phone number associated with a Twitter account to show a suggestion to follow them. However, there are caveats:
- Contact must have enabled discoverability settings
- Matching depends on Twitter having the same contact info
- Not all users have connected contacts to their accounts
When it works, syncing contacts can quickly reveal connections. But don’t count on it with every account.
Who To Follow Suggestions
On Twitter’s desktop site sidebar, the “Who To Follow” box gives recommendations of accounts you may be interested in. This is based on factors like your followers, location, and engagement patterns.
Occasionally, the contacts you’re seeking appear in this section. It tends to suggest more popular accounts, but still can reveal some hidden connections.
To improve results, actively click on and engage with recommendations from Who To Follow. This further guides Twitter’s suggestion algorithm.
While not specifically designed for searching, Who To Follow is worth monitoring as it evolves.
Searching Outside Twitter
In addition to Twitter’s internal search tools, there are external lookup options using email, phone numbers, images, and specialized search engines.
Email and Phone Search
There are specialist data providers that can look up associated social media accounts connected to an email address, phone number or name.
As we’ll cover shortly, SignalHire is particularly adept at this capability. However, the technique depends on the associated contact details being visible.
For the highest match rates:
- Use a work email: Company email addresses linked to social media accounts are more discoverable. Personal webmail accounts have lower visibility.
- Verify phone numbers: Landlines and mobile numbers tend to provide more matches than VOIP numbers.
- Check multiple data sources: Expand your chances by using a few reputable services.
While email and phone searches won’t locate all accounts, they can provide leads to pursue.
Reverse Image Lookup
If you have an image of someone but don’t know their Twitter handle, reverse image search may identify them.
This technique works best for finding public figure accounts who use actual headshots. For everyday users, profile pictures tend to be generic graphics rather than photos.
To attempt it:
- Save their headshot or profile image to your computer
- Go to Google Images
- Click the camera icon to upload the picture
- Check if Google matches it to Twitter accounts
Reverse image lookup should locate social media profiles connected to the photo. Clicking those profiles then reveals the associated Twitter username.
Username Generators
There are various tools that generate username suggestions based on name, location and other criteria. The aim is to show available handles matching possible name variations.
This approach works if you have some clues about the naming conventions someone commonly uses online. Tools to attempt include:
- NameChk – Checks username availability across social sites
- WhatsMyName – Creates name-based username ideas
- NameGeneratorHub – Tests combinations of first/last names
While mostly speculative, running username ideas through these tools can sometimes pinpoint an elusive account.
Data Enrichment Tools
For serious social media sleuthing, commercial data enrichment tools scrape and compile information from millions of sources to reveal obscure linkages. While mainly used for Twitter, these can also help discover Twitch usernames.
SignalHire stands above competitors in this niche for both free and paid plans using their browser extension.
The technology connects disparate identification points across people’s digital footprints to uncover hidden profile info.
According to SignalHire:
“SignalHire reveals full contact information associated with any email address, physical address, phone number or name, along with deep employment history and personal & professional connections.”
For Twitter searches, SignalHire proves invaluable if you have any starting point like a name, company or position. This fills gaps that site internal tools can’t provide. Their free extension makes the lookup process convenient and addictively powerful.
Keep in mind when searching through any means:
- Usernames are not case-sensitive
- Leading @ symbols can be omitted
- Match against varied name segment combinations
Cast a wide net by testing different permutations.
Resetting Passwords and Usernames
If you lose access to your own Twitter account, you can recover it by resetting passwords or usernames.
What To Do If You’re Locked Out
Getting locked out of Twitter can occur by forgetting login credentials or having the account restricted unexpectedly.
To regain access, first attempt resetting your password through account recovery options by confirming email or phone verification steps.
If those options fail due to outdated contacts, try the account reconsideration form detailing your situation for Twitter to review.
In some cases of lengthy inaccessibility though, Twitter deletes abandoned accounts. So best practice is keeping recovery contacts current.
Changing Your Twitter Handle
To modify your existing Twitter username, navigate to the Account Settings and select the Username option.
After entering a new handle, Twitter verifies availability and allows renaming the account. However, there are a few restrictions:
- Usernames are unique and can’t be duplicated
- Accounts with high followers have longer change waiting periods
- Linking services like Ecommerce may break during transfers
Plan name transitions carefully to avoid issues.
Recovering Old Usernames
If you don’t recall which usernames you previously used on an account, the Twitter Data history provides this information.
On the Account Settings page, request an Archive of your Twitter data. After processing, this downloads your full history including:
- Screen name changes
- Tweets and media
- Direct messages
- Followers and following
Former usernames also appear under Screen Name Changes. By retrieving your records, you can resurface this information.
Frequently Asked Questions
Here are answers to some commonly asked questions around locating Twitter accounts:
How do I find a private Twitter account?
Private Twitter accounts require the owner to approve a follower request first. You can attempt to follow based on an identifiable name or photo, but can’t directly access private accounts otherwise.
What if someone deactivated their Twitter account?
Deactivated accounts are removed from search results. Unless reactivated by the owner, there is no way to discover deactivated accounts presently.
Can I find someone’s Twitter with only their TikTok username?
Unfortunately Twitter and TikTok don’t have API integrations enabling cross-platform lookups. Without contacting the owner, tracing TikTok to Twitter accounts is challenging.
Is there a way to get old tweets after an account is deleted?
When a Twitter account gets deleted, the associated tweets are usually removed from their systems within 30-90 days making them irretrievable through Twitter search tools.
Conclusion
I hope this guide covered all the techniques you need to discover almost any Twitter username. With so many options, you can mix and match approaches to fit different situations and data points. The same techniques can be adapted to track down Grindr accounts, and uncover Likee IDs.
The key is layered discovery across both internal Twitter search features and external lookups via contacts and images. Combine search engine creativity with advanced lookups through tools like SignalHire to unlock social media profiles.
Now you have the blueprint to become a world class Twitter detective!
