It’s easy to get lost in the moment of things when scrolling through different threads and trends on Twitter. Before you know it, you may mistakenly refresh or exit a thread you were looking to screenshot, a video you hoped to download, or a post you would bookmark. And sometimes, circling back on your past interactions on the platform can be a bit trickier, unlike when you’re browsing with Chrome, where you can quickly get your history through a dedicated tab. Here, we’ll explore the functionalities Twitter offers to find your history in 2024, including past views and interactions.
1. Using the standard Twitter search bar
This method is suitable for finding specific tweets you saw or media interactions you had without bookmarking, liking, retweeting, or saving. However, it depends on how retentive your memory is of the textual components of the post you are trying to locate. In other words, you must remember a few words on the post or thread you’re looking for.
If you remember any, here’s how to use the components you remember to find your desired post:
- Access Twitter: Log in to your Twitter account on the web or mobile app.
- Use the search bar: In the search bar at the top of the screen, type in your closest memory of the texts on the post you’re searching for.
For example, let’s assume you’re looking for a random person’s tweet of a video with the caption, ‘Moonshot is one of the biggest tech events in Africa that happens in October, and it’s hosted by TechCabal.’ If the only words you can remember include ‘world tech TechCabal’, you’re good to go. Simply type those three words; the post will be among the search results, and the Twitter search engine will crawl up to you. You just need to scroll through to find it.
Sometimes you can remember the handle that made the post, but can’t remember a word from the original post. Simply type in the handle into the search engine. Once you find it, scroll through their feed to locate the particular tweet.
You can also use a comment you remember under the post you’re looking for to locate the post itself. Just type content from the comment into the search bar, and you should find the reply to the post. From there, you can easily find the handle that made the original post.
2. Leveraging Twitter’s advanced search
Twitter’s Advanced Search feature is the way to go for a more refined search when trying to find your Twitter history, Twitter’s Advanced Search feature is the way to go. Here’s the process:
- Go to advanced search: Go to https://twitter.com/search-advanced?lang=en in your web browser.
- Tailor your search: Use the various filters offered. Under the “From accounts” section, enter your username to restrict results to your own activity.
- Specify dates: Use the calendar tool to define the exact date range for your search, helping you pinpoint specific interactions.
- Filter by engagement (Optional): You can refine results by filtering tweets with mentions, replies, or likes.
3. Downloading your Twitter archive to find your Twitter history
This method provides a comprehensive record of your entire Twitter history. However, it doesn’t offer functionalities to explore the archive within the platform itself. Here’s what to do:
- Request your archive: Log in to your Twitter account on the web or mobile app. Go to Settings and Privacy > Your Account > Download an archive of your data.
- Verification and processing: Twitter will prompt you to confirm your password and may send a verification code. Processing the archive may take up to 24 hours.
- Download and explore: Once notified, download the archive (a .zip file) and explore its contents. The archive will contain your tweets, messages, media, and other account information.
Note: It won’t contain information about accounts you’ve visited or media you consumed without commenting, reposting or liking them.
Final thoughts on ways to find your Twitter history in 2024
Unfortunately, Twitter doesn’t store your complete search history. You can only find interactions based on keywords or usernames you remember. Also note that if you’ve deleted tweets in the past, they won’t be accessible through these methods.
