Twitter will no longer allow accounts to enroll in text message two-factor authentication (2FA) after March 20, unless the user switches to another 2FA method or subscribes to Twitter Blue. Two-factor authentication adds an extra layer of security to an account, making it harder for someone to log in if they’ve stolen a password.
Twitter Blue is a subscription service that costs $8 per month through the web or $11 a month on mobile. While two-factor authentication is still not required to log into Twitter, the change is an attempt to entice more users to subscribe to Twitter Blue.
Twitter has faced criticism in the past regarding account security and abuse of text message 2FA by hackers. Users who disable text message 2FA will need to update their phone number in the account’s settings.