How to Use Twitter to Search for People

Find someone on Twitter with these simple tricks

by
Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication
Anita George
Writer
Anita George is a writer who has been covering technology since 2013. Her work has appeared in Paste Magazine and she holds both B.A. and B.S. degrees.
our editorial process
Anita George
Updated on September 25, 2020

Whether you want to find your friends on Twitter or you're just looking for suggestions on new and interesting accounts to follow, there are many ways to find the people you're interested in following, regardless of which device you use to access Twitter.

The following instructions can be used whether you're accessing Twitter via the desktop website or the Twitter mobile app for Android or iOS devices.

A turned on iPhone with the Twitter app loading on screen.
Sara Kurfeß/Unsplash

How to Find Someone on Twitter Using Their Name

  1. Log on to Twitter either via Twitter.com or your Twitter mobile app.

  2. On the Twitter website: Enter the name or username of the person or account you're looking for in Twitter's search box, then select their name to view their Twitter page.

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

    how to search for people by name on Twitter's desktop website.

    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.

  3. On the complete search results page, select the People tab to narrow down your results to just Twitter accounts that have your search term.

    how to search by name within Twitter's mobile app on an Android phone.

  4. 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.

  1. Open your Twitter mobile app and on the Home screen, tap your profile icon, located in the top left corner of your screen.

  2. Tap Settings and privacy > Privacy and safety.

  3. Scroll down and tap Discoverability and contacts.

  4. Tap Sync address book contacts to enable it.

    how to sync your device's contacts with Twitter to find your friends on Twitter using the mobile app.

  5. 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:

  1. Navigate to the Twitter website and log in to your account if you haven't already.

  2. On the Home page of your Twitter account, find the Who to Follow on the right-hand side of the screen.

  3. You can either choose an account from the limited list of suggestions in this section, select Refresh to show different accounts, or select View all to view a full page of suggestions.

  4. Once you find an account you like, select Follow next to their name to follow their tweets.

    Twitter's Who to Follow suggestions page on the Twitter desktop website.