Twitter, which is now known as X, is a fantastic platform for people to express themselves through their tweets. However, there may be times when you regret a post and decide to delete it. But what if you’re curious about tweets that have been deleted by someone else? This tutorial explores the methods and tools available to view deleted tweets by anyone, whether it’s someone you know, a stranger, or even yourself.
1. Browser Cache
Your browser’s cache data is a snapshot or copy of a webpage when it was last visited by you. This can sometimes help you access content that has been deleted or modified.
To access the browser cache, launch your browser, and type in the name of the person whose tweet you want to search, alongside the word “Twitter.” Scroll through the results to find the deleted tweet, and click on the three dots associated with it.
Click on the drop-down arrow in the menu, choose Cached, and your browser will open a cached version of the tweet (if it has saved one).
FYI: if you don’t want to look back on your cached data and would rather not have a record of it, learn how to clear the cache on Mac and on Windows.
2. Search for a Deleted Tweet
You can also search for the deleted tweet via your browser. If you are looking for a popular (or controversial) tweet, you are likely to find a screenshot of it in the images section of the browser.
This method, however, may not always work.
3. Third-Party Tool
Searching for a tweet manually can be time-consuming and challenging, so if the two methods listed above have not helped you, you can try using a third-party tool.
The best option in this case is the Wayback Machine, which is a digital archive of the Internet. It works by preserving historical versions of websites as they appeared at various points in the past. You can visit the Wayback Machine’s website, and enter the URL of a website or webpage you want to visit. You can even use it to archive your website.
The Wayback Machine will show a calendar with highlights of the dates on which a snapshot of your requested page was taken. Select a date (should be a date after the tweet was posted and before it was deleted) and a timestamp.
The Wayback Machine will load an older version of your requested page, according to the date and time you selected. Browse through it to find the deleted tweet.
If you do not see any highlighted dates in the calendar, it means that the Wayback Machine does not have any data for your page.
4. Request Twitter Archive
If you want to look for your own deleted tweets, you can request a Twitter archive, which is basically a copy of your entire Twitter history.
It includes various data related to your Twitter account and activity, which means you will be able to view all the tweets you’ve ever posted on your Twitter account, including text, images, videos, and other media you’ve shared.
To request your Twitter archive, launch Twitter, and click on More -> Settings and Support -> Settings and Privacy in the left pane. Choose Your Account -> Download an archive of your data. Twitter will send a verification code to your email to verify your identity.
Confirm the action, and click on the Request archive button on Twitter.
Twitter will email your archive. It may take up to 24 hours, so wait patiently. You can extract the zip file to access the archive data when you receive it. If, after viewing your archive, you’d like to delete multiple tweets, try one of these apps to delete tweets in bulk. If you’d rather your thoughts only be seen on a short-term basis, learn how to send disappearing tweets.
Peek Behind the Digital Curtain
The methods we’ve outlined should make it easy for you to see tweets that have been deleted by any Twitter user. However, it’s important to remember that even though these methods can be quite handy, it’s crucial to respect privacy and uphold ethical standards when engaging in such endeavors, regardless of whether you’re viewing sensitive content on Twitter. For a better Twitter experience on your Android phone, try one of the best Twitter apps for Android.
Image credits: Unsplash. All screenshots by Zainab Falak.
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