How to Make Your X Account Public

To make your X account public, go to Settings and privacy, then Privacy and safety, then Audience and tagging, and turn off Protect your posts. On the web you uncheck the box next to Protect my posts. On the X mobile apps you drag the slider off or uncheck the box. Once it is off, new posts are public, and so are posts you made while protected.

These steps follow X's help pages on how to protect and unprotect your posts and public and protected posts as of October 2026. We could not open those pages directly, so check them for the exact current wording. X moves settings around from time to time, so if a label looks different, use the search box in Settings.

Steps

1. Open Settings and privacy in the X app or on x.com.
2. Go to Privacy and safety.
3. Select Audience and tagging.
4. Find Protect your posts and switch it off. On the web, uncheck Protect my posts.
5. Confirm if X asks you to.

What changes when you go public

Per X's help pages:

• Previously protected posts become public. Unprotecting your account makes any posts you made while protected visible to everyone.
• Pending follow requests are not accepted automatically. Review them before you switch. Requests left pending will not be approved by the switch, so those people would need to follow you again.
• What protection did and did not cover. While protected, your posts are visible only to your followers. Followers can still screenshot or re-share them, and links to media shared on X are not protected: anyone with the link can view it.

Because old posts become public, scroll through your timeline first and delete or edit anything you would not want a stranger to see.

If you cannot find the setting

Use the search box in Settings and privacy and search for "protect". Make sure you are signed in to the account you want to change, because the setting belongs to each account separately.

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After you go public

Read how the algorithm weighs replies and dwell time in our X platform guide, and see the X scheduler for how posterly schedules posts, threads and media.

FAQ

How do I make my X account public?

Open Settings and privacy, Privacy and safety, Audience and tagging, and turn off Protect your posts. On the web, uncheck Protect my posts.

Will my old posts become public if I unprotect my account?

Yes. X says unprotecting your posts makes any previously protected posts public.

What happens to my pending follow requests?

They are not accepted automatically when you unprotect. Review them first, or those accounts will need to follow you again.

Is a protected X account private?

Protected posts are visible only to your followers, but followers can still screenshot or re-share them, and links to media on X are not protected, per X's help pages.

Sources

• X Help: How to protect and unprotect your posts
• X Help: About public and protected posts