For reasons yet to be explained, my second attempt to maintain an account on “X” was foiled yesterday when I was suddenly blocked from my own home page, “EthicsAlarmist.” I have spent over an hour trying to wade through the laborious process of getting back on, all because the phone number I initially used to set up the account is no longer in use. There is apparently no way to fix this. They keep wanting to send me a code using that number, and when I give them my current cell phone number and try to use the code they send me, the site responds that the phone number I am using is not associated with the account. Like so, so many others, X has a terrible service website.
I just received this in the email they also say is not associated with the account:
Hello,
The phone number you provided does not match the phone number on the account.
If you have a different phone number that might be associated with the account, you can request a password reset via SMS text message using this link: https://x.com/account/begin_password_reset.
If you’re still not able to update your password, we may be able to assist you. Please respond to this email with the following:
- Are you still logged in to https://mobile.x.com?
- What is the @username you are trying to access?
- Is the account linked to an app like X for Android or iOS, postDeck, Vine, Instagram, etc?
Thanks,
X Support
I’ve gone through all of that, twice. It’s an endless loop. Then I received this:
Hello,
We’re writing to let you know that we’re unable to verify you as the account owner. We know this is disappointing to hear, but we can’t assist you further with accessing your account. If you know which email address or phone number is associated with the account, and you no longer have access to that email or connected phone number, please contact your service provider for assistance.
For privacy reasons, we can’t provide any information about this account’s registered email address or phone number. We understand it’s frustrating to get locked out of an account, but we have these policies to protect accounts and private data. We appreciate your understanding.
You’re more than welcome to create a new account to get back onto X.
Please do not respond to this email as replies to this account are not monitored.
Thanks, X Support
My response: “You are welcome to bite me.” I do not understand, and I particularly don’t understand how a Big Tech company can be this incompetent.
Eventually I suppose I will have to open a third account (I abandoned #1 while Twitter was kicking out conservatives and Trump) just to have access to tweets and videos from other sources, but I won’t be investing any time in seeking followers or exposure for Ethics Alarms content.
A platform that behaves like this can’t be trusted—and I even paid for a “blue check.” And after my Verizon experience, Musk’s baby picked the wrong time to mess with me. I’m sure there is some secret to getting my account back, but X has wasted too much of my time already, and I will not forgive or forget.
To Hell with it.
Ethics Alarms 
I’m a little confused. You can’t verify from the email associated with the account?
YOU’RE confused????
Sure, I imagine you’re confused too. But from what I understand you are saying, I’m not sure why you can’t just use the email to verify the password/reset the password.
Apparently, he’s tried that and X is telling him that it’s not the one used for the account. Despite that, they sent him a message to that email address.
I’ve had the same problem with some social media. A loop that goes around and around as you repeatedly use the correct email address/phone number.
Because I didn’t use the email to set up the account, just the phone number. If I ask to have a code sent to my email, I get it, but then I am told I have to give the right phone number—which is not in service—for the code to let me change passwords. Don’t try to be logical about any of this.
If I absolutely had to get into an account but no longer had the two-factor authentication phone number that I set it up with, and the website didn’t have any other method of resetting the credentials, there are two things I might try.
First, I’d see if I could create a Google Voice account with my old number. If that didn’t work, I’d send a text message to the number introducing myself and asking if the new owner of the number would be willing to forward me the two-factor authentication code.
I’m only vaguely surprised that they don’t have a policy for helping people whose phone numbers have changed. The process involves potentially hazardous judgment calls, so it’s just easier and legally safer to make assumptions about people’s situations and then send people in circles when those assumptions don’t apply.
I had a similar thing happen to me with Facebook. Tried changing my email to one that I use, and got locked out for suspicious activity. Couldn’t verify the change using the old email or the old phone number, which had also changed. Had to make a new account. Only use Facebook for its Marketplace, so no real loss. Wouldn’t be surprised if it’s a social media industry standard to just force people to make new accounts instead of allowing them to change information on old accounts.
THIS IS WHY PHONES ARE NOT TWO-FACTOR AUTHENTICATION!!!
Sorry, got a little riled up there. I’m okay now.
As an I.T. professional, I flatly refuse to use my cell phone for 2FA. It’s not secure. In fact, it’s mostly just a way to collect my phone number along with as much personal information as they can cobble together without my permission.
Did I mention that it’s not secure? There are numerous ways that your cellular data can be collected, intercepted, and tapped, not the least of which is straight-up copying of your SIM card. Also, even if we stipulated that only you could see what’s sent to your phone, there’s no cryptography involved. It’s the same as a plain-text password.
ACTUAL 2FA involves either a cryptographic key exchange or a time-sensitive code that is NOT transmitted at all, but algorithmically generated on both sides at the same time. (Think of those RSA keys that display a 6-digit number that changes every minute when you press a button on it.)
Accept nothing less!
–Dwayne
I subscribe to a weekly column by a computer geek, where he explains various things about computers and the internet.
One of the points that he has made, many times, is that when you sign up for a free service, such as Gmail, part of the deal that makes it possible to be free is that you get <i>no</i> customer service. Therefore that puts a lot of the burden on the consumer to maintain their account, to keep backup methods up to date.
What he would tell you is that if you lost your password to your Gmail account, for example, and no longer had access to the phone number or email you provided as a backup — you are probably going to lose your account and have to set up a new one.
On the one hand, that sounds like what is happening to your twitter account. On the other hand, you said you paid to obtain the check mark, which says to me that you went through some kind of procedure where twitter verified your identity. To me that puts some sort of burden on twitter to be able to recreate how they verified you for the check mark.
It seems to me that if twitter is going to charge people for whatever type of verification they do, it is incumbent on them to have some service that goes along with that.