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The reliable way to save your X posts and other account information is to request the official archive from X. In the X app, open Settings and privacy → Account → Your X data, verify your identity, and choose Request data beside X under Download your data. X will notify you when the ZIP archive is ready; preparation may take a few days, and you must be logged in to download it.
The archive is a machine-readable snapshot containing HTML and JSON files. Depending on the information available for your account, it can include posts, Direct Messages, media, profile details, follower and following lists, Lists, address-book data, inferred interests and demographics, and information about ads you saw or engaged with. It is broader than the profile timeline, which X says displays up to 3,200 of your most recent posts.
What you need before requesting the archive
Have access to the X account you want to export and to the email address or phone number registered on it. X requires an identity check before it accepts the request, so you will need to receive a verification code and enter it in the account-data screen.
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- A confirmed contact method: X sends a verification code to the email address and/or phone number on the account. X also sends the ready notification and download link to the confirmed email address.
- Storage space: The result is a ZIP file. Make sure your device has room for the download and the extracted files.
- Time: This is an asynchronous export, not an instant download. X says preparation may take a few days.
Before starting, confirm that the email address shown in your X account is current. X specifically advises confirming the address before requesting the archive. If you no longer control the listed email address or phone number, resolve that account-access problem first; otherwise, you may not be able to complete verification or receive the download notice.
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Request your X archive in the mobile app
The current archive-specific help instructions use the labels Your X data and Download your data. Menu wording can vary between the iOS, Android and web interfaces, so use the account-data and archive controls displayed in your version of X.
- Open account settings. In the X app, tap your profile icon, then tap Settings and privacy.
- Open your account data. Tap Account. Under Data and permissions, tap Your X data.
- Complete identity verification. Choose the option to send a verification code to the email address and/or phone number on file. Retrieve the code and enter it when prompted.
- Start the export. In Download your data, tap Request data beside X. Check that the account shown is the one whose information you want to save before submitting.
- Wait for the ready notification. X says it will notify you in the app or by email when the archive is prepared. It also says the confirmed email address receives a download link.
- Download while signed in. Open the notification or email, sign in to the same X account if asked, and download the archive ZIP. X advises being logged in to the account in the browser used for downloading.
Do not close the process after step four expecting an immediate file. The request creates a preparation job on X’s side. The archive becomes available only after X finishes assembling it.
Request the archive on the X website
The web interface follows the same account-data process, although the exact navigation text can differ from the app. Start from your profile menu and open Settings and privacy, then look for the account-data area containing Your X data and Download your data. Complete the verification code step and select Request data beside X.
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An additional X help article describes an alternate or older route using labels such as Your account and Download an archive of your data. If your screen uses those words instead, follow the equivalent archive-request control. The underlying action is the same: verify your identity, request the X archive, wait for the ready message, and download it while logged in. X’s current help pages are the authority for the labels visible in your account: How to download your X archive and How to access and download your X data.
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How long the export takes and what happens next
X says archive preparation may take a few days. The exact wait is not stated as a fixed number, so do not treat the request as an on-demand backup. You can continue using X while the request is being prepared; wait for the ready notification rather than repeatedly submitting requests.
When X says the archive is ready, use the link in the app notification or the email sent to the confirmed address. Sign in to the same account in the browser used for downloading. If the browser opens an account different from the one that made the request, switch accounts before downloading so you do not retrieve the wrong archive or receive an authorization error.
The download is a ZIP archive. Save the original ZIP before opening it, then make a working copy if you plan to sort or inspect the files. Keeping the original unchanged gives you a reference copy if you later move, rename or edit extracted files.
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X describes the archive as machine-readable HTML and JSON. The exact categories available can vary by account and by the information X has stored, so treat the following as examples of what the archive can include rather than a guarantee that every item appears in every export.
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| Category | What X says may be included | How it is useful |
|---|---|---|
| Posts | Your posts and related account information | Review or preserve your posting history outside the profile timeline |
| Direct Messages | Direct Messages associated with the account | Search or retain message records in the downloaded snapshot |
| Profile information | Account and profile details | Document how the account was configured at the time of export |
| Media | Attached images, videos and GIFs | Keep media associated with posts in the same archive |
| Connections | Follower and following lists | Review account relationships as represented in the snapshot |
| Moments and Lists | Moments and Lists | Preserve curated collections and saved lists |
| Address book | Address-book information | Inspect contact data associated with the account |
| Personalization data | Inferred interests and demographic information | See the categories X associates with the account |
| Advertising information | Information about ads seen or engaged with on X | Review advertising-related account records |
For the official description of the formats and categories, see X’s archive instructions. X characterizes the result as a snapshot of your account information. That wording matters: the archive should not be presented as a guarantee that every conceivable historical record, deleted item or internal account event is present.
Open and inspect the downloaded files
After downloading, use your operating system’s normal ZIP extraction function. On a computer, right-click the ZIP and choose the option to extract or decompress it. On a phone or tablet, tap the file in the device’s Files or file-manager app and choose the built-in unzip command if one is available. Keep the ZIP intact until you have confirmed that the extracted folder opens correctly.
The archive uses two practical formats:
- HTML: Open these files in a web browser for a human-readable view. HTML is usually the easiest starting point when you want to browse posts, profile information or other linked sections.
- JSON: Open these files with a text editor, code editor or JSON viewer when you need structured fields for filtering, searching or further processing. JSON can look dense in a basic text editor because it is designed for machines as well as people.
Start with the archive’s opening or index page, if one is provided, rather than opening random files. Follow its links to the sections you need. If a browser shows a security warning about local files, use the browser’s normal open-file command or open the HTML file directly from the extracted folder; do not upload private account data to an unfamiliar online viewer.
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X distinguishes the profile timeline from the downloadable archive. Its New user FAQ says a profile timeline displays up to 3,200 of a user’s most recent posts. X’s archive help page, by contrast, says downloading the archive lets you browse a snapshot of your X information “starting with your first post.” The 3,200 figure is an X Help Center statement; the page retrieved for this guidance does not state a publication year.
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| Feature | Profile timeline | Downloaded archive |
|---|---|---|
| Where you view it | On your X profile | In files downloaded to your device |
| Post scope described by X | Up to 3,200 most recent posts | A snapshot described as browseable from your first post |
| Data breadth | Primarily the public profile view | Posts plus other account-data categories such as messages, media and lists |
| Format | Interactive X interface | Machine-readable HTML and JSON files in a ZIP archive |
| Best use | Checking what is currently visible on the profile | Keeping and examining a broader account snapshot |
Therefore, a post that is absent from the profile timeline is not automatically proven deleted. It may be outside the timeline’s displayed range. The archive is the more appropriate place to look for older account information, subject to what X includes in the particular snapshot.
For the timeline limit and its relationship to the archive, see the X New user FAQ.
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An X archive can contain private conversations, contact information, media and personalization data. Treat it like a sensitive personal record.
- Use a private location. Store the ZIP and extracted folder in a user account or drive that other people cannot casually browse.
- Protect access to the device. Keep your operating-system login, screen lock and account credentials protected.
- Keep the original ZIP. Make an untouched copy before reorganizing extracted files.
- Consider a second copy. An external drive or another storage location is optional, but it can protect against a single-device failure. Keep that second copy private and encrypted where your storage system supports encryption.
- Limit sharing. Do not email the archive or upload it to a public cloud folder. Sharing the file can expose Direct Messages, media and other account information.
- Delete copies you no longer need. Remove temporary downloads and extracted folders from shared or public computers, including the recycle bin or trash if appropriate.
These storage practices are handling recommendations, not a promise from X that the archive is a permanent backup. X describes the file as a snapshot, so keep your own copies if you need a personal record over time.
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Troubleshoot common request and download problems
The verification code does not arrive
- Check that the email address or phone number shown in account settings is correct and that you can access it.
- Look in spam, junk or filtered folders for the email message.
- Wait briefly before requesting another code, then use the newest code if several arrive.
- If you cannot access the listed contact method, recover or update the account’s contact details before trying the archive request again.
The archive request option is missing
Open the account-data section rather than general privacy controls. Look for Your X data, Download your data and Request data. If your interface uses the alternate wording Your account or Download an archive of your data, use that equivalent route. X can change labels between interfaces, so compare the screen with its current help instructions.
The archive is not ready yet
X says preparation may take a few days. A pending request is not evidence that the export failed. Monitor the account notification and confirmed email address. Avoid assuming that a request made minutes ago should already produce a ZIP.
The download link asks you to sign in
Sign in to the same X account that requested the archive. X advises being logged in to that account in the browser used for downloading. If multiple accounts are open, sign out of the wrong one or use a private browser window, then authenticate with the requesting account.
The ZIP will not open
- Confirm that the download completed instead of leaving a partial file.
- Download the archive again from the ready notification if the file appears incomplete.
- Use the built-in extraction tool on a current computer or mobile file manager.
- Keep the original download and extract a fresh copy rather than repeatedly modifying a damaged folder.
A post or category is not present
X describes the archive as a snapshot and lists examples of included information, not an unconditional guarantee for every record. Check the archive’s HTML index and JSON files, then compare what you are looking for with the timeline’s 3,200-post display limit. The absence of an item from the profile view alone does not establish deletion, and the absence of an item from a particular snapshot does not prove that X never stored it.
Use the archive as a record, not as a live account
The downloaded files are static copies. Reading or editing them on your device does not change your X profile, posts or messages. Conversely, later activity on X is not automatically added to an archive you already downloaded. If you need a record covering a later period, request another archive after that period; each export should be treated as its own dated snapshot.
When organizing multiple exports, place each ZIP in a clearly named private folder using the date you received it. Do not overwrite an earlier archive until you have decided that the older snapshot is no longer needed. This makes it easier to distinguish what was present in one export from what appeared later.
Official instructions and changing menu labels
X’s current archive guide covers the request flow, notification, download requirement, formats, contents and preparation time: How to download your X archive. Its broader data-access guide provides additional account-data details and may show an alternate settings route: How to access and download your X data. Because X can revise labels and interface layouts, use the controls shown in your signed-in account if they differ from the wording in this guide.
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