How to revoke access you've given to third-party apps and websites
When you've given a third-party app or website permission to access your X (formerly Twitter) account, you can remove that permission at any time. X stores all the apps you've authorized in one place, and revoking access takes about two minutes. The app loses the ability to post, read your messages, or see your private information immediately after you disconnect it.
This is different from logging out of X itself. Revoking app access means that specific tool can no longer act on your behalf, even if you stay logged into X in your browser or phone.
Key Takeaways
- You can see every app with access to your X account by going to Settings and Privacy, then Apps and Sessions, then Connected Apps.
- Clicking the Revoke button next to any app removes its permission immediately, and the app cannot access your account after that moment.
- Apps that can post tweets, send direct messages, or see your followers all appear in the same list, so check regularly for tools you no longer use.
- Revoking access does not delete any tweets the app posted in the past — it only stops the app from taking new actions.
Finding your connected apps on X
Open X in a web browser and click your profile picture in the top left corner. Select Settings and Privacy from the menu that appears. On the left side, click Apps and Sessions, then click the Connected Apps tab.
You will see a list of every app or website you have ever authorized to access your X account. Each entry shows the app name, when you connected it, and what permissions it has — things like "Read Tweets" or "Post Tweets on your behalf". Apps you have not used in months or years often stay on this list unless you remove them.
Removing a single app's access
Find the app you want to disconnect in the Connected Apps list. Click the three-dot menu button next to it, then click Revoke. X will ask you to confirm. Click Revoke again.
The app loses access immediately. If it tries to post a tweet or read your messages after this point, it will fail. You can reconnect the same app later if you change your mind — you would just go through the authorization process again, as if you were connecting it for the first time.
What permissions each app can have
When you authorized an app, X asked what it was allowed to do. Common permissions include:
- Read Tweets: The app can see your timeline and search tweets, but cannot post or delete.
- Post Tweets: The app can write and delete tweets on your behalf.
- Read Direct Messages: The app can see your private messages.
- Send Direct Messages: The app can send messages as you.
- See your followers and following lists: The app knows who you follow and who follows you.
An app with "Post Tweets" permission is more dangerous than one with only "Read Tweets" permission, because it can create content under your name. If you no longer trust an app or do not recognize it, revoking access removes all its permissions at once.
Apps you should check regularly
Some apps you may have connected years ago and forgotten about. Social media management tools like Buffer, Hootsuite, or TweetDeck often ask for access. Analytics tools that track your follower growth or tweet performance also appear here. Games or quizzes that asked to "sign in with X" created connections too.
If you see an app you do not recognize, or one you used once and never again, revoke it. There is no downside to removing access to tools you are not using. If you need the app later, you can reconnect it.
Why you might not see an app you authorized
Some apps disappear from the Connected Apps list on their own. If the app's developer shut down the service or deleted the app from X's system, X removes it automatically. You do not need to do anything in this case.
If you authorized an app through a different social media account — for example, you signed into a service using your Facebook account instead of X — that authorization will not show up in your X Connected Apps list. It lives in your Facebook settings instead.
What happens to tweets the app already posted
Revoking an app's access does not delete tweets it posted in the past. If a scheduling app posted a tweet last week, that tweet stays on your timeline even after you revoke the app's access. You would need to delete those tweets manually if you want them gone.
This is why it matters to check your Connected Apps list regularly. An app with posting permission that you no longer monitor could theoretically post content you do not want, so removing access to old apps is a good security habit.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I revoke access from my phone instead of a computer?
Yes. Open the X app, tap your profile picture, go to Settings and Privacy, then Apps and Sessions, then Connected Apps. The process is the same as on a computer.
What if I revoke an app by mistake?
You can reconnect it anytime. Go back to the app and look for a "Sign in with X" or "Reconnect" button. You will go through the authorization process again, and the app will ask what permissions it needs.
Does revoking an app log me out of it?
Revoking access stops the app from using your X account, but it does not necessarily log you out of the app itself. You may need to log out separately within the app if you want to fully disconnect.
Can I see what an app did with my data after I revoke it?
No. X does not show you a history of what an app accessed or posted. If you are concerned about what a specific app did, you can search your own tweets to see if it posted anything, or check your direct messages to see if it sent anything.
Why do some apps ask for more permissions than they seem to need?
Developers often request broad permissions even if they only use some of them. You cannot grant partial permissions — you either authorize the app with all the permissions it asks for, or you do not authorize it at all. If an app asks for more than you are comfortable with, you can decline and look for an alternative tool.