Sign Up for X (Twitter) With Email Instead of a Phone Number

Updated October 13, 2026 · 5 min read

X, still widely called Twitter, opens its sign-up on a phone-number field, but an email address works too. Switch with "Use email instead", and X confirms the address with a 6-digit code before you set a password. This guide follows that route: the code X sends and how to get another, what X may still ask for once the account exists, and how to change the email later without losing access.

Can you create an X account without a phone number?

At sign-up, yes. On x.com or in the app, choose Create account. The form defaults to a phone number, so pick "Use email instead" before you type anything. Enter a name, the email address and your date of birth, press Next, and the code goes to that inbox. Leave the phone field in place and X sends an SMS, which no inbox will ever see.

What email does not guarantee is a phone-free account forever. X can temporarily lock a new account and ask for a phone number to unlock it. That check does not go through email, and the number has to be your own.

One more rule matters before you start: an email address can be linked to only one X account at a time. An address already attached to another X account will not work for a new one.

The code X sends, and how to get another

The email's subject usually contains the code itself together with the words "verification code" or "confirmation code", so you can often read it without opening the message. Enter it, set a password, and expect an authentication puzzle. After that you choose a photo and a username.

The code expires quickly. If it does not show up:

Resend once. Click "Didn't receive email?" on the same screen. Each resend can invalidate the previous code, so use only the newest one.
Check the address. Copy and paste it rather than retyping; one wrong character sends the code elsewhere.
Stay in the flow. If you leave halfway, X usually wants a new code when you come back, so finish in one sitting.
Puzzle will not load? Switch browser or turn off ad and script blockers, then try again.

What X may still ask for after the email code

When	What X asks for	Through email?
Right after the code	An authentication puzzle	No
X finds a new sign-up unusual	A phone number to lift a temporary lock	No
Later logins and settings changes	Confirmation codes and login notices	Yes, to the account email
A forgotten password	A reset link	Yes, to the account email
A checkmark on the profile	An X Premium subscription and an identity check	No

If X locks a new account, the way out is the check X itself asks for, completed with your own phone number; OTPGmail provides email only, never phone numbers.

Note the last row: the checkmark comes from X Premium, not from confirming your email. Two-factor authentication, on the other hand, costs nothing: an authenticator app works without any paid plan.

Changing the email on your X account later

Login codes and password resets go to the account email, so the address you signed up with only works long term if you will keep reading it. To switch, open the account settings and enter the new address. X sends a confirmation to the new address, either a code or an email with a "Confirm now" button, and the new address takes over once you confirm it.

Do this on the first day, together with two-factor authentication through an authenticator app. Then neither recovery nor login depends on an address you might lose.

Using a rented address for the sign-up code

A rented inbox can receive the sign-up code for a brand, project or API-testing account. Choose X (Twitter) on OTPGmail to get a real @gmail.com or @icloud.com address; the order row shows "Waiting for code" until the email arrives. Price, stock and the rules of the offer are shown on the rent form before you pay, and the X (Twitter) rental page has its live 30-day figures and the rental steps. If no code arrives within 25 minutes, the order cancels itself with a 100% refund. Extra codes cost nothing within the order period when the service sends more than one; the limit and time window are shown before you rent. Developers can create the order with {"service":"tw"} through the API.

Frequently asked questions

X locked my new account after the code arrived. Is the rental refunded?

No. Once the first code has arrived, the order can no longer be cancelled or refunded. The lock is X's own review of the new account, so complete the check X asks for with your own details.

Does Grok inside the X app need its own sign-up?

No. Grok inside X runs on your X account. Registering directly at grok.com is a separate sign-up, covered in the Grok sign-up guide.

Does X accept an @icloud.com address?

Yes. Both @gmail.com and @icloud.com are real mailboxes, and both receive the code.

Do I need a separate X account for the X API?

API access is set up from an X account, so it is convenient to register a project account with its own address rather than use your personal profile. The conditions for API access are set by X.

Signing up for X with email now? Rent an inbox, check live stock and prices, or read the API docs. For other services that accept email in place of a phone, see signing up without a phone number.