How to remove followers on Twitter and manually approve new follow requests

• To remove followers on Twitter, go to your profile page on a desktop or mobile version of the site.
• You can also block followers if you don't want them to be able to see your Tweets.
• It's possible to update your privacy settings so that you can manually approve all new followers.
• Visit Insider's Tech Reference library for more stories.

It's nice to have followers. But, sometimes, it's important to make sure you have the right followers. 

If you're looking to streamline your Twitter followers, or keep certain users from seeing your Tweets without blocking them, you have the option to remove followers from your account. 

This was previously called 'soft' blocking, as you had to block and unblock a follower to remove them — but Twitter has since added a direct option to remove followers. 

Here's how to get it done, whether you're on a desktop or phone, and how to adjust privacy settings so you can manually approve new followers.

How to remove Twitter followers on desktop 

1. Log into your Twitter account.

2. Click Profile in the left sidebar.

3. Select your follower count.

4. Locate the follower you want to remove, then click the three dots to the right of their name.

5. Click Remove this follower.

How to remove Twitter followers on mobile 

Unfortunately, you can't remove Twitter followers via the mobile app. But you can get it done via the mobile version of the site, using a web browser

1. Launch a web browser and go to Twitter.com.

2. Log into your Twitter account.

3. Tap your profile icon, located in the top-left corner of the screen.

4. Select your follower count.

5. Find the follower you want to remove and tap the three dots next to their name.

6. Tap Remove this follower and then select Remove to confirm your choice.

How to adjust privacy settings to manually approve follow requests

If you want the ability to approve or deny Twitter follows in the future, you need to change your privacy settings:

On desktop:

1. Open Twitter and then select More and then Settings and Privacy.

2. Choose Privacy and Safety.

3. Select Audience and Tagging.

4. Tick the box labeled Protect your Tweets.

On mobile:

1. Tap your profile icon in the top-left corner of the screen.

2. Scroll down on the left sidebar and select Settings and Privacy.

3. Tap Privacy and Safety.

4. Choose Audience and Tagging.

5. Toggle on the Protect your Tweets option.