While we’re usually happy to find out that we have a new notification on Twitter, it’s quite frustrating when they’re not going away. After all, it can ruin your mood when you think you have a new follower, mention, or message – and there’s none!
To help you avoid disappointment and further confusion, in this post, we’ll dig deep into why Twitter seems hell-bent to call your attention. More importantly, we’ll detail how you can end this problem using nine proven hacks. Read on!
Why does Twitter show a notification bubble when I don’t have one?
It isn’t normal for an app like Twitter to show a notification bubble when you don’t have one. Below is a quick list of the most common reasons why persistent notification alerts occur on the bird app:
- Your Twitter account has some unread messages and unopened notifications.
- Twitter has trouble syncing data between your devices due to an internet connectivity issue or system error.
- A user stops following you or cancels a “follow request” before you can react to it, causing it to not disappear properly from the app.
- The Twitter app suffers from bugs and glitches, which are inevitable for any device.
- Twitter has shadowbanned your account due to violating its rules and policies.
To date, developers have not acknowledged this Twitter issue’s presence. The good news is the proven workarounds below should help you straighten things out quickly.
How to Fix Twitter Notifications Won’t Go Away
Here are some tricks to fix the persistent Twitter notifications plaguing your phone. How the steps below are performed may vary between phones, but they should be similar for the most part.
FIX 1. Read all your messages
Difficulty | Very Easy ●○○○○ |
Number of Steps | 1 |
Time to Perform Fix | 1 to 2 minutes |
Things Needed | • Any smartphone • A working internet connection |
Since unread messages are a big reason why Twitter notifications won’t go away, it only makes sense that going through them should fix the issue. While relatively simple, it’s tedious if your Twitter account receives many direct messages often.
In such cases, spending enough time digging through your Twitter account’s direct messages is necessary. This way, you can ensure that no stone is left unturned and all unread Twitter messages are opened to remove the notification bubble.
FIX 2. Open Twitter on another device
Difficulty | Very Easy ●○○○○ |
Number of Steps | 1 |
Time to Perform Fix | 60 to 90 seconds |
Things Needed | • Any smartphone • A working internet connection |
Resolving Twitter syncing issues is also a simple endeavor as it isn’t complicated. Sometimes, the app requires more time to sync data between all your connected devices to ensure their activity log is shared amongst themselves without fail.
From your end, this solution may seem doubtful, and you’re not alone, as many have questioned the merits of this procedure. But opening the bird app on another linked device is a potent solution to Twitter issues.
You assist your Twitter account’s syncing process by accessing it using a different device. Doing so should help clear notifications on Twitter once the necessary sync data is successfully sent to the server and relayed to linked devices.
Use a reliable internet connection when using another device to log into your Twitter account. After all, a terrible internet connection is a usual catalyst for syncing errors, preventing data from traveling between the server and the app properly.
FIX 3. Switch between accounts to check for notifications
Difficulty | Very Easy ●○○○○ |
Number of Steps | 6 |
Time to Perform Fix | 2 minutes |
Things Needed | • Any smartphone • A working internet connection |
If clearing your Twitter account’s notifications and reading through your direct messages didn’t fix the issue, check your other account. Twitter allows users to add existing accounts to the app to make switching between a breeze.
This quality-of-life change means you don’t have to constantly sign in using your other account’s login credentials whenever you want to switch. Unfortunately, it also means you have to clear the notifications on Twitter more with added accounts.
It also applies to the direct messages received by your other accounts since they contribute to the notification bubble appearing on the Twitter app’s icon. It’s a shame since you’re supposed to save time by adding the account-switching feature.
However, it’s understandable since the extra time you spend doing this is a natural consequence of managing multiple Twitter accounts. Check the instructions below to switch from one Twitter account to another.
Step 1: Open your phone’s Twitter app.
Note: The app is called X, with a new logo after its latest update.
Step 2: Click your profile icon in the upper-left corner to open the app menu.
Step 3: Click the drop-down arrow to open the account management tab.
Step 4: Select the other Twitter account to make the switch.
Step 5: Click the bell icon and check the account’s notifications.
Step 6: Click the message icon and read the account’s direct messages.
FIX 4. Log out of and into Twitter
Difficulty | Very Easy ●○○○○ |
Number of Steps | 8 |
Time to Perform Fix | 60 seconds |
Things Needed | • Any smartphone • A working internet connection |
If you keep getting persistent Twitter notifications due to a minor error within the app, a simple solution would be to re-login to your account. Doing so will also help with the syncing problem on your Twitter account.
Since the Twitter app works the same on any smartphone, the process works the same for any device. It means that you can sign out of Twitter on iPhones the way you would on Android devices.
After signing out, you must enter your login credentials to re-enter Twitter. This should be a seamless process, not unless you’ve lost your password.
Step 1: Open your phone’s Twitter app.
Note: The app is called X, with a new logo after its latest update.
Step 2: Click your profile icon in the upper-left corner to open the app menu.
Step 3: Click the drop-down arrow to open the Settings & Support tab.
Step 4: Open the Settings & Privacy menu.
Step 5: Click Your Account.
Step 6: Click Account Information.
Step 7: Click Log Out.
Step 8: Enter your login credentials to sign into your Twitter account again.
Note that it’s recommended you log out of your Twitter account when you want to put a premium on privacy and security. For instance, logging out of your account using a public computer or your friend’s smartphone is always best.
FIX 5. Clear its app cache
Difficulty | Very Easy ●○○○○ |
Number of Steps | 6 |
Time to Perform Fix | 30 seconds |
Things Needed | • Any smartphone • A working internet connection |
Believe it or not, clearing the app cache is helpful when dealing with Twitter notifications that won’t go away. App errors and misbehavior are often linked to an excess in the app cache’s temporary data, which can quickly fill the internal storage.
As this happens, your phone’s performance will drop significantly and cause apps like Twitter to encounter errors more frequently. Thus, it’s recommended that you clear its app cache whenever possible to prevent any temporary data-induced errors.
After all, the temporary data stored in the app cache may sometimes become corrupted. Although it should improve your phone’s performance, you get the opposite effect.
Step 1: Go to Settings.
Step 2: Scroll down and open Apps.
Step 3: Select the Apps option.
Step 4: Navigate the app menu to find and select Twitter or use the search bar.
Note: The app is called X, with a new logo after its latest update.
Step 5: Go to Storage.
Step 6: Click Clear Cache.
FIX 6. Restart or force restart your device
Difficulty | Very Easy ●○○○○ |
Number of Steps | 4 |
Time to Perform Fix | 30 seconds |
Things Needed | • Any smartphone |
Sometimes, the simplest solution is the best way to solve recurring issues on your phone’s apps. In this case, restarting your phone may help turn off Twitter notifications that won’t disappear.
You can force the restart sequence if your phone is unresponsive due to a frozen screen. This method allows you to restart the device’s system without access to its power menu.
Step 1: Tap volume-up on the phone.
Step 2: Tap volume-down on the phone.
Step 3: Tap and hold power to shut your phone down, but keep holding it until the device’s logo appears.
Step 4: Wait while the phone’s system reboots.
FIX 7. Install the latest Twitter app version
Difficulty | Very Easy ●○○○○ |
Number of Steps | 5 |
Time to Perform Fix | 50 seconds |
Things Needed | • Any smartphone • A working internet connection |
We also recommend installing the latest Twitter app on your phone. Doing so will ensure that you’re using the current best build of the Twitter app, making you less likely to experience any issues.
If you’re having trouble locating the Twitter app on your phone’s app store, please note that it has been rebranded as “X” recently. It may be unclear initially, but it shouldn’t take long to familiarize yourself with the app’s new image.
Step 1: Open Play Store.
Note: Open the Apple App Store if you’re using an iPhone.
Step 2: Tap your profile icon.
Step 3: Click “Manage apps & device.”
Step 4: Click Updates Available.
Step 5: Scroll down to find and update the Twitter app.
Note: The app has been renamed as “X” in the latest update rollout.
You might be confused with the X app. The reason for the rebranding that started out of the blue on July 23 is “purpose”; Elon Musk, basically the new owner of the social media platform (majority stockholder), says he wants it to be an “everything app.”
FIX 8. Reset all settings
Difficulty | Very Easy ●○○○○ |
Number of Steps | 6 |
Time to Perform Fix | 2 minutes |
Things Needed | • Any smartphone • A working internet connection |
After trying the abovementioned solutions to no avail, your last troubleshooting option is to reset all your phone’s settings. This can be done via the Reset All Settings option on iPhones and the Factory Reset option on Android devices.
This action will remove the saved settings configuration on your phone and restore its default values. Doing so will fix any system errors caused by your phone’s faulty configuration.
WARNING: Make sure you have your most essential files backed up before you factory reset your phone. If not, you’re bound to lose all of them in the process.
Please note that the factory reset option for Android devices will also wipe all your data, so only use this method as a last resort.
Step 1: Go to Settings.
Step 2: Go to General.
Step 3: Scroll down and select “Transfer & Reset iPhone.”
Step 4: Click Reset.
Step 5: Select “Reset All Settings.”
Step 6: Enter your passcode and click Reset All Settings to confirm this action.
FIX 9. Ask Twitter for assistance
Difficulty | Very Easy ●○○○○ |
Number of Steps | 1 |
Time to Perform Fix | 30 to 60 seconds |
Things Needed | • Any smartphone • A working internet connection |
When all else fails, you can contact Twitter support if you’re struggling to delete notifications from their app. If the persistent notifications are due to a technical difficulty on their part, all you can do is wait until they’ve resolved the issue.
It’s a good thing to inform the experts themselves when all seems lost. Not only are you assured you’ll have the best recourse to the issue at hand but also you put a priority on your smartphone’s safety.