How X Notifications Sort Mentions, Replies and the Accounts You Watch

All of your x notifications land in one Notifications timeline with three views, All, Mentions and Verified, and X trims that timeline with a quality filter, muted words, muted accounts and advanced filters before you see it. X's help page About the Notifications timeline describes it as a place to "see how others on X are interacting with you." That definition is the limit too: notifications show interactions with your account, so a post that asks for a product like yours without tagging you never arrives there.

What do X notifications show?

X notifications show activity aimed at your account: likes on your posts, reposts, replies and mentions, new List followers and new followers. The help page lists them in that order, and adds a ranking note: "we will elevate content that we think you'll be most interested in and contributes to the conversation in a meaningful way, such as content that is relevant, credible, and safe." Read the timeline as ranked, not strictly in time order, and scroll past the top when you check for replies that need an answer.

X groups replies and mentions together as "posts directed to you," and the Mentions tab narrows the timeline to posts that mention your username.

What is the difference between All, Mentions and Verified?

The three tabs filter the same timeline by type and by sender. X's help page defines them in one sentence each:

Mentions is the tab to work from when you reply by hand. It removes likes, reposts and follows, which leaves the posts where someone wrote to you or about you with your handle.

What does the X quality filter hide?

The quality filter hides notifications that X rates as lower quality, and X turns it on by default for new accounts and fresh installs. X's help page says it "filters lower-quality content from your notifications, for example, duplicate posts or content that appears to be automated," and that "it does not filter notifications from people you follow or accounts you've recently interacted with." The note under it reads: "If you are new to X or re-installed your app, the quality filter setting will be on by default."

That exemption list is the problem for anyone looking for customers. A stranger who has never interacted with you gets no protection from the filter, and strangers are the people asking for recommendations. To switch it off on iOS, go to your Notifications timeline, tap the gear icon and drag the slider next to quality filter. X adds that you can also reach Notifications settings by tapping your profile icon, then Settings and privacy.

Which advanced filters can you set on X notifications?

X's advanced filters turn off notifications from six types of accounts, and all six apply only to accounts you don't follow. The list from the help page:

• Accounts that are new.
• Accounts that don't follow you.
• Accounts you don't follow.
• Accounts with a default profile photo.
• Accounts without a confirmed email address.
• Accounts without a confirmed phone number.

To set them on x.com:

1. Go to your Notifications timeline.
2. Click Settings.
3. Click Advanced filters.
4. Check the box next to each filter you want on.

On iOS and Android, tap the gear icon in Notifications, then Advanced filters. X also says that if your account receives a lot of sudden attention, "we may insert a notification in your Notifications tab inviting you to adjust these filters." Every filter you turn on removes a group of strangers from your notifications, so leave "Accounts you don't follow" off if you answer questions from new people.

How do muted words and muted accounts change X notifications?

Muted words remove notifications that contain a term you listed, and muted accounts remove notifications from that account, with an exception for accounts you follow. For words, X's advanced muting options page says notification mutes apply to "replies and mentions, including all interactions on those replies and mentions: likes, Reposts, additional replies, and Quote post." Each muted word can apply From anyone or only From people you don't follow.

For accounts, X's page on muting accounts splits the rule in two. For muted accounts you follow, "Replies and mentions by the muted account will still appear in your Notifications tab." For muted accounts you don't follow, "Replies and mentions will not appear in your Notifications tab," and X points you to search: "If you'd like to view all of your mentions, you can do so by searching your username."

To stop notifications from a single busy thread, open any post in it, tap the more icon and choose Mute this conversation. X says you then "won't get any new notifications about that conversation," while the posts stay visible in your timeline.

How do you get notifications from specific accounts on X?

You get notifications from a specific account by tapping the notification icon, the bell, on that account's profile. X's page About notifications on mobile devices lists the steps:

1. From the account's profile, tap the notification icon.
2. Choose All posts or Only posts with live video.
3. Tap your selection.

To cancel, tap the highlighted notification icon and select None. The bell works for accounts you follow, and it suits a short list: a competitor's founder, a customer who posts feature requests, an industry account where your buyers reply. One catch from X's muting page: muted words do not apply to these post notifications, so a muted term still comes through from an account you turned the bell on for.

The full list of push notification types, from mentions and replies to new followers, sits under your profile icon, then Settings and privacy, Notifications, Preferences and Push notifications.

What do X notifications miss?

X notifications miss every post that does not interact with your account. A post that names your brand without the @, a post that describes the problem your product solves, and a reply under a competitor's thread asking for alternatives all stay out of your Notifications timeline. Those are the posts a buyer writes before they know your handle.

Search covers part of that gap. X's search finds posts by keyword, and our guide to X advanced search operators shows how to drop your own posts, exclude noise and combine a brand name with its misspellings. A search only shows results when you run it, so someone has to run it every day. Our guide on how to monitor brand mentions covers building the keyword list, and our page on Twitter social listening covers the wider workflow.

How does RedReplier cover what X notifications leave out?

RedReplier watches X for the keywords, phrases, competitor handles and topics you add, including posts that never tag you. As the Twitter monitoring page describes, RedReplier searches new X posts every 6 hours, leaving out replies and reposts, ranks every match by buyer intent, and drops it into one feed instead of a dozen search tabs. Matches land on your RedReplier dashboard after each search, and email alerts go out as digests on a cadence you set per keyword, from hourly to daily. RedReplier drafts a reply for each match and never posts it for you, so you review, edit and post every reply yourself. Keep X notifications for the people who tag you, and use RedReplier for the ones who don't.

Frequently asked questions

Why am I not getting all my notifications on X?

The quality filter, muted words, muted accounts and advanced filters each remove part of your notifications. The quality filter is on by default for new accounts and reinstalled apps, and it spares only people you follow and accounts you recently interacted with. Check the quality filter, muted words and advanced filters in your notifications settings, and your muted accounts under Mute and block in Privacy and safety.

What does the Verified tab show in X notifications?

The Verified tab shows notifications only for posts from accounts with verified blue check marks. The All tab shows every type of activity, and Mentions shows only posts that include your username.

How do I turn on notifications for one account on X?

Open the account's profile, tap the notification icon and choose All posts or Only posts with live video. Tap the highlighted icon and select None to stop them.

Do muted words hide mentions from people I follow?

Only when the word is set to From anyone. A muted word set to From people you don't follow keeps mentions from accounts you follow and hides the rest.

Can I see mentions from an account I muted?

If you follow the muted account, its replies and mentions still appear in your Notifications tab. If you don't follow it, they don't, and X suggests searching your username to see all of your mentions.

Do X notifications show posts that mention my brand without the @?

No. X notifications cover activity on your account, and a post that types your brand name without your @username is not a mention. Find those posts with X search or a keyword monitoring tool.

How do I turn off the quality filter on X notifications?

On iOS, go to your Notifications timeline, tap the gear icon and drag the slider next to quality filter. You can also reach Notifications settings through your profile icon, then Settings and privacy. X turns the filter on by default for new accounts and reinstalled apps, so check it after a fresh install.

How do I mute a conversation on X?

Open any post in the thread, tap the more icon and choose Mute this conversation. X says you then won't get any new notifications about that conversation. The posts stay visible in your timeline.

What do the advanced filters on X notifications do?

Advanced filters turn off notifications from six types of accounts, such as new accounts, accounts with a default profile photo and accounts without a confirmed email address or phone number. All six apply only to accounts you don't follow. On x.com, go to Notifications, click Settings, then Advanced filters.

How can I find posts about my brand that X notifications miss?

Run a keyword search on X, or use a keyword monitoring tool. RedReplier watches the keywords, phrases and competitor handles you add, ranks each match by buyer intent and drafts a reply you review and post yourself. Both routes find posts that name your brand or your problem without tagging you.