How to Use Twitter to Search for People

Find someone on Twitter with these simple tricks

By

Anita George

Updated on January 16, 2022

Reviewed by

Jon Fisher

Twitter

What to Know

Using a person's name: Enter the name in Twitter's search box (web) or tap the magnifying glass and enter the name (app).
If you don't see the person in the search results, press Enter (web) or the magnifying glass to bring up a keyboard and tap the Enter icon (app).
On the expanded search results page, select the People tab to filter the results. If you see the person, select Follow to follow them on Twitter.

This article explains how to search for people using their names or Twitter usernames, either on a website or the Twitter mobile app. It also includes information on searching for people using their email address or phone number and on using the Who to Follow feature on the website.

How to Find Someone on Twitter Using Their Name

Whether you want to find your friends or people you've just met on Twitter, there are several ways to find thethem, regardless of which device you have. You can access Twitter via a desktop website or the Twitter app for Android or iOS devices.

If you have a person's name or their Twitter username, here's how to search for them on Twitter.

Log in to Twitter via on a web browser or on your Twitter mobile app.
On the Twitter website: Enter the name or username of the person or account you're looking for in Twitter's search box and then select the name to view their Twitter page.

In the Twitter app: Tap the magnifying glass, enter the name or username of the person you're looking for in the search box and then tap the search result.

On the Twitter website, if you don't see the user you're searching for, press Enter to view a more complete search results page. In the app, tap the search box again to bring up your device's keyboard, then tap the Enter icon to bring up a more complete search results page.
On the complete search results page, select the People tab to narrow down your results to just Twitter accounts that have your search term.
Once you find your person, select Follow next to their name or select their result to view their Twitter account page.

How to Find Someone on Twitter Using an Email or Phone Number

Even if you upload your friends' phone numbers or email addresses to the app, you still may not be able to find them if their Twitter account privacy settings don't allow their accounts to be found by their contact info.

From any tab, tap the Menu button at the top left.
Tap Settings and privacy > Privacy and safety.
Scroll down and tap Discoverability and contacts.
Tap Sync address book contacts to enable it.
The Twitter app will then show you the Twitter accounts associated with your contacts.

Using Twitter's Who to Follow

If you're using the Twitter.com website to find suggestions for Twitter accounts to follow, you'll be using the Who to Follow feature on the Twitter desktop website:

Navigate to the Twitter website and log in to your account if you haven't already.
On the Home page of your Twitter account, find the Who to Follow on the right-hand side of the screen.
You can either choose an account from the limited list of suggestions in this section, select Show more to show different accounts, or select View all to view a full page of suggestions.
Once you find an account you like, select Follow next to their name to follow their tweets.

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