It’s an annoying little gray box. You go to reply to a thread or check in on a friend, and there it is, sitting at the bottom of the screen like a digital wall: you can no longer send messages to this person twitter. Honestly, it feels personal. Even if you don’t know the person that well, seeing that notification is the social media equivalent of someone walking away while you’re mid-sentence.
But before you assume you've been permanently exiled or that the app is broken, you should know that X (formerly Twitter) has changed a lot under Elon Musk’s ownership. What used to be a simple "blocked or not blocked" situation has spiraled into a mess of privacy settings, subscription tiers, and aggressive spam filters.
The Most Likely Culprit: You’ve Been Blocked
Let's get the obvious one out of the way first. It’s the elephant in the room. If you see the message you can no longer send messages to this person twitter, there is a very high probability that the recipient has blocked you.
When someone blocks you on X, the platform cuts all ties. You can't see their tweets, you can't follow them, and you certainly can't slide into their DMs. If you were in the middle of a conversation and the box suddenly appeared, they likely hit the block button during the exchange. It’s blunt, but effective.
However, blocking isn’t the only reason. Sometimes, people just deactivate their accounts. If an account is deactivated or suspended by X for violating terms of service, the DM channel closes instantly. You can usually check this by trying to visit their profile page. If it says "Account deactivated" or "This account doesn't exist," you have your answer.
👉 See also: Lateral Area Formula Cylinder: Why You’re Probably Overcomplicating It
The "Verified" Paywall and DM Settings
X has become a "pay to play" environment in many ways. One of the biggest shifts involves how Direct Messages are handled for non-paying users. In an effort to reduce spam, X introduced a setting that allows users to filter their inboxes.
Basically, many users now have their settings toggled to only allow messages from "Verified" users (those who pay for X Premium). If you don't have a blue checkmark and you try to message someone who has this setting enabled, you'll be met with that familiar "can no longer send messages" error. It’s not that they hate you; it’s that your account doesn't meet their security threshold.
There are three main DM privacy tiers now:
- Allow messages only from people you follow: This is the most restrictive. If they unfollow you, the bridge is burned.
- Allow messages only from Verified users: This is the new default for many. If you aren't paying the monthly fee, you're out of luck.
- Allow message requests from everyone: This is becoming rarer because it leads to a flood of crypto bots and "Hey dear" scams.
If you were previously able to message someone and now you can't, they might have simply tightened their privacy settings to escape the noise.
✨ Don't miss: Why the Pen and Paper Emoji is Actually the Most Important Tool in Your Digital Toolbox
Group Chat Chaos and "Soft" Blocks
Sometimes the error shows up in a group chat, which is even more confusing. If one person in a group chat blocks you, or if you block them, the entire thread can break for you. X doesn't always handle these conflicts gracefully. You might find yourself staring at that error message because the platform can't figure out how to let you talk to five people when one of them is on your "no-fly" list.
Then there is the "soft block." This is an old-school Twitter trick where someone blocks you and then immediately unblocks you. This forces you to unfollow them without your knowledge. If their settings are set to "only allow DMs from followers," this sneaky move will trigger the you can no longer send messages to this person twitter notification the next time you try to reach out.
Platform Glitches and "Rate Limiting"
We have to talk about the technical side. X is a bit... unstable lately. Ever since the massive layoffs and the move to new servers, bugs are common. Sometimes the message box appears because of a temporary server-side glitch.
There’s also the issue of rate limiting. If you’ve been sending a lot of DMs in a short period—maybe you’re networking or sharing a link to a lot of friends—X might flag you as a bot. This is a temporary "shadow restriction." You aren't banned, but your ability to initiate new conversations is paused. Usually, this clears up in 24 to 48 hours, but the platform won't always tell you why it happened.
🔗 Read more: robinhood swe intern interview process: What Most People Get Wrong
How to Tell What’s Actually Happening
Since X won't give you a detailed report on why you're restricted, you have to play detective.
- Check their profile: Can you see their tweets? If yes, you aren't blocked.
- Check your own status: Are you Verified? If not, and they are a high-profile user, they likely have the "Verified only" filter on.
- Try the web version: If you’re on the mobile app, try logging in on a desktop. If the message persists, it’s an account-level restriction, not an app bug.
- Look for the "Follows You" badge: If that badge disappeared, they might have soft-blocked you to close the DM channel.
Can You Fix It?
If the issue is a block or a privacy setting, there is no "hack" to bypass it. Attempting to bypass a block by creating a second account is a violation of X's terms and can get your entire IP address banned. It’s generally not worth the risk.
If you think it’s a glitch, your best bet is to log out, clear your app cache, and log back in. For those using the Android app, clearing the cache in the system settings often fixes "ghost" errors where the app thinks a block is in place when it actually isn't.
Moving Forward and Protecting Your Account
To avoid being flagged by the system—which can trigger these message restrictions—you should avoid repetitive messaging. Don't send the exact same text to ten different people. X's automated spam filters are tuned to look for identical strings of text. Also, make sure your account has a confirmed phone number. Unverified accounts (even those without the blue check) are much more likely to have their DMs restricted or "hidden" in the Requested folder.
If you’re seeing you can no longer send messages to this person twitter and you know you haven’t done anything wrong, the reality is that the person on the other end has likely made a conscious choice to limit who can contact them. In the current era of X, digital boundaries are easier to set—and harder to cross—than ever before.
Actionable Steps to Take Right Now
- Verify the Block: Navigate to the person's profile. If the page is blank and says "You're blocked," the mystery is solved.
- Audit Your DM History: Did you send a link that might have looked like spam? If so, wait 24 hours without sending any messages to let your "reputation score" reset.
- Update Your Settings: Go to "Settings and privacy" > "Privacy and safety" > "Direct Messages." See who you are allowing to message you. Sometimes, a change in your own settings can cause sync issues.
- Respect the Boundary: If someone has changed their settings to "Verified Only" or "Followers Only," they are likely trying to reduce their digital noise. The best move is to interact with their public tweets naturally; if they follow you back, the DM channel will usually reopen automatically.