Twitter, famously, does not allow users to edit their tweets. Instead, if you need to correct a typo or just changed your mind about a tweet you wrote, you have to permanently delete it.
Here's how to delete a tweet using Twitter's desktop website and its mobile app, and what happens after your tweet is deleted.
How to delete a tweet using Twitter's desktop website
1. Locate the tweet you wish to delete. You can do this on your Twitter timeline, your profile page, or by clicking on the tweet to isolate it.
2. Click on the icon of three horizontal dots in the upper-right corner of the tweet. This will open a drop-down menu.
3. In the menu that appears, click Delete.
4. A dialog box will appear asking you to confirm that you wish to delete the tweet. If you're sure you want to delete it, click Delete. If you've changed your mind, click Cancel.
If no errors occur during the deletion process (such as losing your internet connection), a small dialog box will appear at the bottom of the screen indicating that your tweet has been deleted.
How to delete a tweet using the Twitter mobile app
1. Locate the tweet you wish to delete. You can do this on your Twitter timeline, your profile page, or by tapping on the tweet to isolate it.
2. Tap on the icon of three vertical or horizontal dots in the upper-right corner of the tweet. A menu will appear.
3. In the menu that appears, tap Delete tweet.
4. A dialog box will appear asking you to confirm that you wish to delete the tweet. If you're sure you want to delete it, tap Yes. If you've changed your mind, tap No.
What happens when you delete a tweet?
Once you delete a tweet, it will disappear from your profile and timeline, but that's not all. There are several consequences that come with deleting a tweet.
For starters, any link that directs to your tweet will no longer show the original tweet. Instead, a message will appear on the page indicating that the tweet has been deleted. Additionally, the tweet will no longer appear in any searches. However, any replies that have been made to your tweet will still be visible — whether they were posted by your account or by another user.
However, even though you have deleted the tweet and it's no longer visible on Twitter, that doesn't mean it is gone from the internet forever. If someone took a screenshot of your tweet before you deleted it, they will still be able to post the screenshot even after you've deleted the tweet.
