Updated October 2026. Twitter's old verification program, where notable people and organisations applied for a blue badge, is closed. On X today the blue checkmark comes with a paid X Premium subscription and a review by X's team. This guide explains what the checkmark means now and how to get it, using X's own help page "About X Blue Checkmark" (read on October 10, 2026).
What the Blue Checkmark Means Now
X says the blue checkmark "indicates an active X Premium subscription, not account verification". It means the account pays for X Premium and meets X's eligibility requirements. It does not mean the account has been ID verified; ID verification is a separate feature.
In the EEA, X no longer calls blue checkmark accounts "verified" but "Premium", after the European Commission's decision of 5 December 2025 that the checkmark misled users. X is appealing that decision.
What Happened to the Old Verification Program
Starting April 1, 2023, X wound down its legacy verification program. Accounts verified under the old criteria (active, notable and authentic) lost the blue checkmark unless they subscribed to X Premium, and X no longer accepts applications under those criteria. So the old steps (proving notability with news articles or a Wikipedia page, "Request Verification" in the settings, re-applying after 30 days) no longer apply.
Eligibility Criteria for the Blue Checkmark
Only accounts with an active X Premium subscription can get the checkmark, and X's team checks these criteria before it appears:
- Complete: the account has a display name and a profile photo.
- Active use: the account was active in the past 30 days.
- Security: the account has a confirmed phone number.
- Non-deceptive: no recent changes to the profile photo, display name or username (@handle), and no signs of being misleading or deceptive, or of platform manipulation and spam.
How to Get the Blue Checkmark on X
- Make sure your account meets the four criteria above.
- Subscribe to X Premium. Of its three tiers (Basic, Premium and Premium+), the checkmark comes with Premium and Premium+; Basic does not include it.
- Wait for X's review. The checkmark appears once X's team has checked that your subscribed account meets the requirements.
How to Keep It
Changing your profile photo, display name or username removes the checkmark temporarily until X has reviewed the account again, and no further changes are allowed during that review. X may also remove the checkmark at any time under its Terms of Service.
Protect an Account Worth Verifying
If your account has a large following, protect it from getting hacked or getting suspended, and keep a recent copy of it: twtData exports the followers, the following list or the latest posts (up to 3,200) of any public account as a CSV, paid per export. DMs are not included; your own X archive is the only copy of those.