Technologies

Don’t Delete Twitter Before You Download All Your Tweets and Messages

It’s pretty easy to download everything you’ve posted on Twitter.

As the chaotic ownership transition at Twitter unfolds, some users who threatened to leave Twitter if Elon Musk took over are actually following through on those threats. Some Twitter defectors are trying Mastodon, an open-source Twitter alternative, while others like Whoopi Goldberg are simply deactivating their Twitter accounts and opting out.

But deleting Twitter means more than just killing your account. It means losing all your countless witty jokes, scathing comments and boisterous replies — not to mention any photos, videos and GIFs you’ve posted along the way. Fortunately, Twitter makes it easy to download a complete archive of your account that includes all of your past tweets and direct messages.

All you need to do is request the information from Twitter, and you’ll then be sent a file, which you can download to view all of your data from Twitter — for all time. Here’s everything you need to know about requesting and viewing your Twitter archive.

How to request a copy of your Twitter data

The process of requesting your archive can only be done via the Twitter website, so I would suggest doing it on your desktop, but it can also easily be done on your phone or tablet. We’ll cover both options below.

If you’re on a mobile device, launch the Twitter app and tap your profile photo on the top-left to bring up the side menu. Next, scroll down and go to Settings and privacy > Your account > Download an archive of your data. This will launch an in-app browser, redirecting you to the Twitter website. Log in to the Twitter account you want your data from and tap Request archive.

On desktop, the process is pretty similar. Go to Twitter, tap on More and then go to Settings and privacy > Your account > Download an archive of your data. Enter your password as needed and click Request archive.

After you verify your account, the request will be processed and you’ll see a message stating it can take up to 24 hours for Twitter to process it.

What to do once your Twitter Archive is ready

Twitter will send you a push alert via the Twitter app as well as an email letting you know when your data is ready to download. Follow the link in the email or alert, which will direct you back to the Settings page on Twitter’s website. Download your archive and unzip the compressed file.

Inside the folder you’ll find a file titled Your Archive. It’s an HTML file, so it should open a new tab in your default browser. It’s not actually loading a website. Instead, it’s giving you a streamlined way to view your Twitter account. Everything on the page should be interactive.

For example, if you click on Tweets, you’ll be taken to a Twitter-like view of your posts. There’s a search tool on the side of the page that will make it easier to find a specific post.

Alternatively, you can open the Data folder where you’ll find media folders that contain photos, videos and GIFs you’ve sent or received on Twitter, Moments, direct messages or Fleets.

A friendly warning: You’ll find yourself taking a trip down memory lane after getting a copy of your archive. Writing this story took me twice as long as it should have because I kept going back and looking at old DMs and posts.

Now that you’ve spent far too long looking through old messages, be sure to check out our helpful guides that walk you through downloading your data from Google and Facebook. Looking for ways to boost your Twitter account’s privacy? We have your back.

Technologies

This 3-in-1 Charger Is a Must-Have for Travelers, and It Just Hit a Record-Low of $95

Snag it for $45 off and charge your iPhone, AirPods and Apple Watch at the same time.

If you’re a frequent traveler, then you know that outlets are a precious commodity in places like airports and coffee shops. So why waste one on a single device when you can charge up to three at once? Right now, you can grab this seriously sleek Ugreen Magflow three-in-one foldable charger for just $95 at Amazon. That’s a $45 discount and the all-time lowest price we’ve seen. Just don’t wait too long, as this deal could expire at any time.

At just 7.4 ounces, this compact charging station is designed to be taken on the go. But despite its size, it still supports 25-watt MagSafe charging for iPhones, as well as 5-watt wireless charging for AirPods and Apple Watches. The charging stand also tilts up to double as a stand, and it’s equipped with 16 magnets to keep your phone aligned and securely in place. Plus, it’s got built-in protections against overheating, overcharging, short-circuiting and more to prevent damage to your devices.

Why this deal matters

This folding Ugreen charger is great for juicing up your devices on the go, and it’s never been more affordable. Plus, Ugreen makes some of the best MagSafe chargers on the market right now, so don’t miss your chance to grab one at a record-low price.

Technologies

Today’s Wordle Hints, Answer and Help for Jan. 13, #1669

Here are hints and the answer for today’s Wordle for Jan. 13, No. 1,669.

Looking for the most recent Wordle answer? Click here for today’s Wordle hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Connections, Connections: Sports Edition and Strands puzzles.

Today’s Wordle puzzle is a little tricky, and it might make you hungry. If you need a new starter word, check out our list of which letters show up the most in English words. If you need hints and the answer, read on.

Today’s Wordle hints

Before we show you today’s Wordle answer, we’ll give you some hints. If you don’t want a spoiler, look away now.

Wordle hint No. 1: Repeats

Today’s Wordle answer has no repeated letters.

Wordle hint No. 2: Vowels

Today’s Wordle answer has two vowels.

Wordle hint No. 3: First letter

Today’s Wordle answer begins with G.

Wordle hint No. 4: Last letter

Today’s Wordle answer ends with O.

Wordle hint No. 5: Meaning

Today’s Wordle answer can refer to a spicy Cajun stew popular in New Orleans.

TODAY’S WORDLE ANSWER

Today’s Wordle answer is GUMBO.

Yesterday’s Wordle answer

Yesterday’s Wordle answer, Jan. 12, No. 1,668 was TRIAL.

Recent Wordle answers

Jan. 8, No. 1,664: BLAST

Jan. 9, No. 1,665: EIGHT

Jan. 10, No. 1,666: MANIC

Jan. 11, No. 1,667: QUARK

Don’t miss any of our unbiased tech content and lab-based reviews. Add CNET as a preferred Google source.

What’s the best Wordle starting word?

Don’t be afraid to use our tip sheet ranking all the letters in the alphabet by frequency of uses. In short, you want starter words that lean heavy on E, A and R, and don’t contain Z, J and Q.

Some solid starter words to try:

ADIEU

TRAIN

STARE

NOISE

Technologies

Today’s NYT Strands Hints, Answers and Help for Jan. 13 #681

Here are hints and answers for the NYT Strands puzzle for Jan. 13, No. 681.

Looking for the most recent Strands answer? Click here for our daily Strands hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Wordle, Connections and Connections: Sports Edition puzzles.

It took me a while to figure out the theme for today’s NYT Strands puzzle, but once I did, I thought it was a fun one. Some of the answers are difficult to unscramble, so if you need hints and answers, read on.

I go into depth about the rules for Strands in this story.

If you’re looking for today’s Wordle, Connections and Mini Crossword answers, you can visit CNET’s NYT puzzle hints page.

Read more: NYT Connections Turns 1: These Are the 5 Toughest Puzzles So Far

Hint for today’s Strands puzzle

Today’s Strands theme is: You need to chill

If that doesn’t help you, here’s a clue: Brrrr!

Clue words to unlock in-game hints

Your goal is to find hidden words that fit the puzzle’s theme. If you’re stuck, find any words you can. Every time you find three words of four letters or more, Strands will reveal one of the theme words. These are the words I used to get those hints but any words of four or more letters that you find will work:

GONE, ABLE, TABLE, FOOD, TEEN, LEAF, GOOF, GOOD, SAFE

Answers for today’s Strands puzzle

These are the answers that tie into the theme. The goal of the puzzle is to find them all, including the spangram, a theme word that reaches from one side of the puzzle to the other. When you have all of them (I originally thought there were always eight but learned that the number can vary), every letter on the board will be used. Here are the nonspangram answers: