Twitter and SMS: A Winning Combination

Twitter is a new kind of technology that uses multiple methods of communication to help keep you in touch with people and information you care about.  Using Twitter with your phone (through SMS/text messaging) will change the feel of Twitter for you.  Not only can you receive Tweets via SMS from people you subscribe to, but you can also post updates to Twitter from your phone while you're on the go.  These are some of the most frequently asked questions about using Twitter via SMS.

Text Messages?  Sounds expensive.  How much will Twitter cost me?

Twitter charges you nothing, but how much it costs to use Twitter with SMS depends on your text messaging plan.  Standard text messaging rates (such as international text messaging fees) do apply.  Consult your service provider to ensure that your text plan covers your Twitter usage. If you're using our international numbers, give your provider the Twitter phone number you'll be using to see if you'll incur extra charges.  If you're using Twitter from outside of the US, please consult your carrier, as every provider has a different policy.

When I give you my number, will you charge my phone bill?

No.  Twitter doesn't charge your phone bill.  Sending and receiving messages to Twitter is like sending to a regular number.  Usage charges for text messaging are applied by your carrier and depend on your SMS plan. Some people pay a per-message charge of ten cents or more. Some people have an allotted number of text messages monthly.  Some (lucky!) people have unlimited text plans. We must caution: Twitter can become highly addictive, so make sure that your texting habits and your text plan are compatible.

How does Twitter use my phone number?

Think of Twitter as a single contact who forwards you all of the messages from your friends.  Twitter uses your number to send web updates to your phone in text message format.  Your number is private; Twitter never reveals phone number information.

What are the Twitter short codes?

We currently support two-way (sending and receiving) Twitter SMS via short codes and one-way (sending only) via long codes.

Get started by sending a text to any of these Twitter numbers:

• US: 40404
  Australia: 0198089488 (Telstra customers)
  Canada: 21212
  UK: 86444 (Vodafone, Orange, 3 and O2 customers)
  India: 53000 (Bharti Airtel customers)
  Indonesia: 89887 (AXIS and 3 customers)
  Ireland: 51210 (O2 customers), 51644 (Vodafone customers)
  New Zealand: 8987 (Vodafone and Telecom NZ customers)
  Haiti: 40404 (Digicel customers)
• 1-way long codes:
  Germany: +49 17 6888 50505
  Sweden: +46 737 494222
  All other countries: +44 762 4801423

*Note: if you send messages to a number other than the one listed in your settings page, the message will be dropped. For all people using international numbers: once your phone is verified, you'll be able to send your updates to Twitter, but you will not be able to receive text updates from Twitter. 

What is a short code?

Short codes are numbers made specifically for SMS (text) messages. Twitter uses various short codes to send and receive your updates. Sending a text message to a short code is just like sending a text message to a phone number. Short codes are made specifically for text messaging, so you can't send an email to a short code, or call a short code.  Charges for using our short codes are the same as standard text messaging rates to full-length phone numbers. Long codes are also text only, but they're the length of a standard phone number instead of being shortened.

How do I add my phone to Twitter?

You can add your phone by sending ‘start’ to one of the Twitter short codes if your country and carrier are supported. Find out more about it here.

Can I use the same phone number on multiple accounts, or have multiple phone numbers for the same account?

No.  You can only use one phone number for one account at a time.

How long can my updates be?

We have a 140 character limit on Twitter updates. If your update is longer than 140 characters, it will be cut off in both phone messages and on your profile on the web.

How do I send direct messages from my phone?

Send a direct message to anyone on Twitter using the direct message command, d + username, like this:

d krissy message goes here

Make sure to use the user name (found in the profile URL) and not the real name, or it will post to the public timeline, or go to someone else!

Can I update Twitter from my phone but not receive other people's updates?

Yes.  As long as you've verified your phone, you can send updates to Twitter even if all notifications are off.  Make sure to set your updates to OFF on the web, or send OFF from your phone.  People using +44 7624 801423 will always be able to send messages, but will never be able to receive them.

Can I turn updates on for some people and off for others?

Yes. You will only ever get phone updates from those you follow and for whom you have turned on mobile updates. On the web, set up text preferences for people you follow from the drop down 'following' box on their profile page.  

How do I turn a specific person's updates on or off from my phone?

To get a person's tweets on your phone, use the commands FOLLOW or ON + username, like this: 

follow caroline

on caroline

To turn tweets off again, send LEAVE or OFF + username, like this. 

leave crystal

off crystal  

You can change notification preferences from the profile pages of everyone you follow.

How do I turn ALL twitter messages off or on from my phone?

To stop getting Twitter updates, send OFF, STOP, or QUIT from your phone at anytime.  We will send you a final message confirming that your phone notifications are off.  Sending ON will turn them back on.

Is there a setting for receiving only @replies on my phone?