How to close your DMs on Twitter to prevent spam and unwanted messages

• Depending on how your Twitter settings are configured, strangers you don't follow may be allowed to DM you.
• This setting allows for a lot of potential spam and unwanted messages.
• You can close your Twitter DMs to people you follow in the Privacy and safety section of settings on the website or mobile app.

Twitter makes it easy to have a truly global presence; with the right settings, your tweets can be read by anyone — not just people who follow you — and that same global audience can reach out and send you private direct messages. This is handy if you happen to want to reach out to a celebrity or journalist, for example, but there's a downside: it can also be annoying to receive unsolicited DMs. 

Allowing anyone to DM you exposes you to a lot of spam and unwanted messages, so if you prefer a more private Twitter experience, it's easy to close your DM to just people you follow. You can do it from the Twitter website or the mobile app, but no matter which way you do it, this is a global setting that changes whether people whom you don't follow may DM you. 

How to close your Twitter DMs on desktop

You can close your DMs to allow messages from only the accounts you follow with just a few clicks in the Twitter website in any browser.

1. Go to Twitter in your web browser and log in if needed.

2. Click the three-dot More icon in the pane on the left side of the page. 

Opening the Settings and Support menu in Twitter.

Dave Johnson

3. In the pop-up menu, click Settings and Support, then Settings and privacy. 

4. On the Settings page, click Privacy and safety.

5. In the Your Twitter activity section, click Direct Messages.

You'll find the DM settings in the Privacy and safety menu.

Dave Johnson

6. Clear the checkbox for Allow message requests from everyone. 

To stop spam cold in its tracks, don't allow people whom you don't follow to message you.

Dave Johnson

How to close your Twitter DMs on mobile

You can also close your DMs to allow messages only from accounts you follow using the Twitter mobile app. 

1. Start the Twitter app and tap your account icon at the top of the screen. 

2. Tap Settings and Support, then Settings and privacy.

3. Tap Privacy and safety.

4. Tap Direct messages.

Go to the Direct Messages settings to stop people you don't follow from messaging you.

Dave Johnson

5. Turn off Allow message requests from everyone by swiping the button to the left. 

Via PakApNews