How to Fix “Cannot Retrieve Tweets at This Time” on Twitter
Twitter is one of the biggest social media platforms in the world, but unfortunately, Twitter bugs and errors are not uncommon.
If you are an avid user of this platform, then you may have recently experienced an error message that says, “Cannot Retrieve Tweets at This Time.”
There are a few ways to get this problem solved, which is why this troubleshooting guide will give you all the information you need about these subjects:
- What does “Cannot Retrieve Tweet at this Time” mean?;
- How to solve this error on Twitter;
- All you need to know about the “Cannot Retrieve Tweets” error in the context of 2023’s Twitter.
What Does “Cannot Retrieve Tweets at This Time” Error Mean? 3 Possible Causes
“Cannot Retrieve Tweets at this Time” is an error message that appears when the Twitter platform is not properly loading Tweets. In this case, you cannot see certain Tweets posted by your followers or even people you don’t follow.
So, why can’t Twitter retrieve Tweets? There’s more than one answer to this question, but normally this persistent issue appears due to the following reasons:
New Twitter Rate Limit: Recently, Elon Musk announced new measures to prevent “excessive levels of data scraping” on Twitter. Although this measure appears to be temporary, it is one of the main reasons why many Twitter users are unable to retrieve Tweets right now;
Issues on Twitter’s End: If Twitter servers are failing or temporarily unavailable, the app will fail to get Tweets displayed on your account. Server errors can only be fixed by Twitter’s Technical Team;
Problems with Your Internet Connection: Tweets will not properly load if your Internet connection is not working. Before attempting any other fix, try to restart your router or turn on your phone’s mobile network instead of WiFi. If you can access other social media platforms, but Twitter is still not working, then the problem is not related to your network.
Is the Twitter Rate Limit Issue Temporary?
The Twitter Rate Limit bug is not new - it has been around for a while, but it gained popularity in July 2023 when Elon Musk announced new rate limits for all accounts.
According to Elon Musk, to solve “extreme levels of data scraping & system manipulation,” verified accounts were temporarily limited to reading 6,000 Tweets per day, unverified accounts could only read 600 Tweets, and new/unverified profiles could only access 300 posts per day.
Of course, Elon Musk also says these measures are temporary, and apparently, rate-limited accounts are no longer facing this issue as it seems to be resolved.
New changes are coming to the Twitter company, and only time will tell whether rate limiting will be a standard Twitter practice or not.
How to Fix “Cannot Retrieve Tweets at This Time” Twitter Error
To successfully fix the “Cannot Retrieve Tweets at This Time” error, we will go through different alternatives and troubleshooting steps based on the issue that caused the error.
Solution #1: Subscribe to Twitter Blue
If Tweets are not loading due to the new rate limits imposed by Twitter, then subscribing to Twitter Blue is a great way to increase your rate limit.
Twitter Blue is $8 a month in the United States, and you can subscribe from your phone or Twitter website via the main Twitter interface.
By verifying your Twitter account, your rate limit will increase to 6,000 posts per day, which represents a 900% increase.
Solution #2: Update and Restart the Twitter App
Bugs and glitches on Twitter apps for mobile devices can solve certain problems, such as the “Cannot Retrieve Tweet at this Time” and “Something Went Wrong” errors.
To update Twitter Apps, follow these steps:
On Android, open the Google Play Store, look for Twitter on the search bar, and tap the “Update” button;
On iOS, go to the Apple App Store, search for the Twitter App, and download the latest update.
Then, entirely close Twitter while logged in. Launch Twitter, and see if Tweets are properly loading now.
Solution #3: Change to Twitter Browser Version or Vice Versa
If you are using Twitter on a computer, switch to the mobile app and vice versa.
This might help you properly load the page and the Tweet you want to see. By changing your device, you can temporarily “delete” rate limits on Twitter, which prevent you from loading Tweets.
However, this will not always work, so make sure to check other solutions.
Solution #4: Log into Another Twitter Account
According to Twitter’s new measures, newly created accounts have a rate limit of 300 posts per day.
Although 300 posts are not much, it’s better than nothing. Open the Twitter website or app while logged out, and create a new account.
Make sure to add all the required settings and info for the account to work, such as email address, phone number, and so on.
Then, log into the new account, and use Twitter until the rate limit is capped again. It’s not the most straightforward solution, but it works.
Solution #5: Download and Enable a VPN
Using a VPN is a great way to get rid of certain bugs. Download a trustworthy VPN, and connect to it.
Then, launch the Twitter App or website, and see if the Tweets are being retrieved now.
It is worth noting that not all VPNs will do the trick, mostly if you are using free VPN programs.
Solution #6: Wait for Twitter to Fix the Issue
If Twitter servers are failing, then the platform will be unable to retrieve Tweets. This can also cause various Twitter errors, such as Tweets Aren’t Loading right now.
Waiting is the only solution available here. Wait until this Twitter error is solved by Twitter’s own technical team, and then attempt to use the app or the browser version of Twitter.
Wrapping Up: Fixing “Cannot Retrieve Tweets at This Time” Error Message
“Cannot Retrieve Tweets at this Time” is a sadly common error that might appear without further notice. The solution to this error depends on its initial trigger. These are the most important things to consider before trying to fix this bug:
If the “Cannot Retrieve Tweets at this Time” bug is caused due to new Twitter rate limits, subscribing to Twitter Blue or changing your device is a great way to fix the issue;
Internet bugs and app glitches can be solved by restarting your connection and updating Twitter, which can also help you to solve this problem.
If the issue is related to Twitter servers, then the only thing left to do is to wait until Twitter solves the outage.
FAQ
How Can I See if There’s a Problem with Twitter Servers?
To see if there’s a problem with Twitter servers, go to a third-party server-checking website, such as Down Detector. Down Detector gathers real-time information regarding the current Twitter servers’ status, so it is a very reliable source of data for this matter.
Karen is a senior technical writer and copywriter here at GrowFollowing. Her area of expertize are social media apps and new media.