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Reach out to someone on X by tweeting them or sending a DM
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Tweeting someone is a great way to join an existing conversation or start a new one on X. Tweeting at someone is actually just "mentioning" their username, beginning with the @ symbol, at the beginning of a post. Adding the username to the beginning of your post directs the tweet to that user, which is more personal than tagging it later in the tweet. This wikiHow article will teach you how to tweet at someone on your Android, iPhone, iPad, or computer. We'll also show you how to send a direct message to contact someone in a more private way.

Easy Ways to Tweet at Someone

  • To tweet someone directly, type their @username at the beginning of the tweet, or click the chat bubble on their tweet to reply.
  • Adding the @username at the beginning of the tweet allows people who follow you both to see your tweet on their feeds.
  • You can add somebody's @username elsewhere in your tweet to get their attention without tweeting them directly.
  • Tweets are not private, even if you tweet at someone. To keep your thoughts private, send a DM instead.
Method 1
Method 1 of 3:

Tweeting Someone

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  1. If you're using a computer, sign in to www.twitter.com using your X account. On a phone or tablet, tap the X icon to open Twitter, and sign in if needed. [1]
    • You need an X account to tweet at someone. If you don't have an account, you can create one.
    • Tweeting someone is not private. If you want to send a private message, jump to Sending a Direct Message.
  2. On a computer, tap Post on the left side of the page. On a phone or tablet, tap the blue + at the bottom-right corner.
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  3. For example, to tweet at wikiHow, you'd start your tweet with @wikiHow. You'll get different results depending on where you place the person's username:
    • At the beginning of the tweet: To tweet a specific person, begin the tweet with their @username (before the rest of the text). Only people who follow you both will see your tweet in their feeds.[2]
      • Example: @wikihow I loved your article about sending tweets!
      • All tweets you send will be visible on your own profile, even when you tweet people directly. If your X account is not private, anyone can see your tweets. If your account is private, only your own followers can see them.
    • Anywhere else in the tweet: If you want to get someone's attention or link to their profile in a way that all of your followers will see on their feeds, place the @username anywhere except the beginning. You can mention multiple people in a tweet.
      • Example: I just read a great @wikiHow article. You should check it out, @rihanna!
      • No matter how you mention @usernames in tweets, the people you mention will be notified that you've mentioned them. Their usernames will also appear as clickable links in your tweet.
  4. Press the spacebar, then type the contents of your tweet. Tweets can be up to 280 characters in length, including hashtags, mentions, and links.[3]
    • If you subscribe to X Premium, you can send longer tweets up to 25,000 characters.[4]
  5. You can include up to 4 photos, one video, or a GIF in your tweet, as well as other features:
    • Select the photo icon below the text box to insert photos or a video.
    • Choose the GIF icon to attach an animated GIF.
    • Click the Grok icon to have X's AI tool "improve" your tweet.
    • Use the bar graph icon to add a poll.
    • Select the pushpin icon to tag your location.
    • In the X mobile app, you can also use the waveform icon to create a voice tweet.
  6. Once you send the tweet, all mentioned users will be notified that they were mentioned in a tweet (as long as your tweets are visible to them).
    • To see a list of tweets that other users have mentioned you in, click or tap the bell icon (on the left side of the page on a computer, and at the bottom of the mobile app), then select Mentions.
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Method 2
Method 2 of 3:

Replying to a Tweet

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  1. You can scroll to it in your feed, or search for the user by typing their username into the search box.
    • Replying to someone's tweet not only tweets your response directly to them, but it also adds your response to an ongoing conversation.
    • Your followers won't see your replies in their feeds unless they are also following the user you're replying to (or they visit the Replies section of your profile).
    • If your X account is private, the replies you send will only be visible to people who follow you.
  2. It's below the bottom-left corner of the tweet. A pop-up containing a typing area will appear.
    • If you just want to view replies to a tweet, click or tap the tweet itself to open it.
    • You'll be able to see replies from public accounts, as well as private accounts that you follow.
  3. You'll notice that "Replying to @username" appears at the top of the typing area automatically, so you won't have to type it yourself. You can then type up to 280 characters of text.
    • If you want to mention another X user in your reply, type that person's username (starting with the "@" symbol) anywhere in the tweet. This will notify the person that you've tagged them in a tweet, and also adds a link to that person's profile in your reply.
    • Just like when creating a new tweet, you can attach media to tweet replies.
    • If you're replying to a conversation between two or more X users, you'll see both or all of their usernames next to "Replying to." Everyone in that username list will receive a notification of your response.
  4. This tweets your reply and adds your response to the thread.
    • Tweets you reply to will also appear on your own X profile.
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Method 3
Method 3 of 3:

Sending a Direct Message

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  1. If you need to send someone something that you don't want other people to see, you should send a DM instead of tweeting at them. Begin by going to the profile of the person you want to contact.
  2. This opens a new message to the person.
    • If there is no envelope icon, the X user is not accepting direct messages. If you need to share something private, ask them to contact you first by tweeting at them.
  3. Your message can contain up to 280 characters. If you'd like, you can attach a photo, video, or other file by clicking or tapping the icons below the typing area.[5]
    • If you don't see the photo or GIF icons, tap the + to display them.
    • When the person replies to your message, you can read the response in your inbox. To access your X inbox on any device, click or tap the envelope on your profile.
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Community Q&A

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  • Question
    When I take a screenshot of a Word document and send it to someone on Twitter, how can I be sure they'll get the entire document?
    DarkWolf2244
    DarkWolf2244
    Community Answer
    When you send a screenshot, you're not sending the document itself. You're sending an image file that shows the text you were seeing. If you want your receiver to get the entire document, try uploading the Word file to a cloud storage service like Google Drive, and then allow link sharing. Send your recipient the link. They will open it and be able to download the Word file.
  • Question
    I went to someone's Twitter page, made a new comment starting with @ but it never showed up on their page. Why not?
    Wiichicken
    Wiichicken
    Community Answer
    Whenever you mention someone on Twitter, your post does not show up on their profile.
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Tips

  • No matter how you mention a user in a tweet, your tweets will not appear on their profiles unless they retweet you.
  • When tweeting other people, try to keep self-promotional posts to a minimum. If you send an excessive amount of self-promotional posts to one or more users, your account may be flagged as spam and blocked. For every self-promotional tweet you share, try to post another two or three tweets unrelated to yourself or your business that your followers may find interesting or helpful.
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About This Article

Candace Gasper
Reviewed by:
Social Media & Digital Marketing Consultant
This article was reviewed by Candace Gasper and by wikiHow staff writer, Nicole Levine, MFA. Candace Gasper is a Social Media & Digital Marketing Consultant and the Owner of Digital Candy, a social media agency. With over seven years of professional experience, Candace is an expert in social media and content creation, specializing in working with local businesses to share their narratives and help them expand their reach. Candace received her Bachelor of Science in Merchandising, Apparels, and Textiles from the University of Kentucky. This article has been viewed 141,660 times.
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Co-authors: 6
Updated: February 4, 2026
Views: 141,660
Categories: Twitter
Article SummaryX

To tweet at someone directly, type their username (e.g., @wikihow) at the beginning of the tweet.

To include someone in a tweet, type their username (e.g., @wikihow) anywhere EXCEPT at the beginning of the tweet.

To reply to a tweet, click or tap the chat bubble icon.

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Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 141,660 times.

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