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Twitter Archive Not Working? Fix Each Step (2026)

Why your Twitter archive is not working: what X says about the wait, the code and the download link, plus a one-line test for a broken ZIP file.


Published · Updated · 6 min read

Cover image: Is your archive ZIP whole?

If your Twitter archive is not working, find the stage that failed: the request, the wait, the download, or the ZIP file itself.

This guide is for you if X (Twitter) never sent your archive, or the download broke. You get what X's Help Center says at each stage and a fix for each. To open the ZIP and read tweets.js, see our guide to opening your Twitter archive.

Got a file already? Test it first:

python -m zipfile -t twitter-archive.zip

"Done testing" means the ZIP is whole. An error means the download stopped early.

  1. RequestSettings and privacy, Account, Your X data.
  2. VerifyA code by email or text. The web asks for your password first.
  3. WaitX says it may take a few days.
  4. DownloadSigned in to X, in the same browser.
  5. Test the ZIPRun python -m zipfile -t, then open it.

Step 1: Request your Twitter data archive with a code

X's Help Center lists this path for iOS and Android, in a copy saved on 15 October 2026:

  1. Tap your profile icon, then Settings and privacy, then Account.
  2. Open Your X data under Data and permissions.
  3. Ask for a code with Send code, then enter what X sends by email or text.
  4. Tap Request data next to X, under Download your data.

On the web, the menu reads Your account, then Download an archive of your data. X asks for your password there, then sends the code.

X also says to confirm your email address before you request. If you have no email or phone on file, X sends you to the Account information page instead of a code.

Step 2: How long does the Twitter data archive take?

X says "it may take a few days" to prepare the download. It gives no upper limit.

When it's ready, X emails you or sends a push notification.

You don't need the email. X says a Download archive button also appears under Download your data, in settings.

Step 3: Download it signed in, in the same browser

X asks you to be "logged into your X account on the same browser you are using to download." So if the email link opens in another browser or a private window, copy it into the one where X is signed in.

How long does the link last? X's Help Center doesn't say. If the link fails and the settings button is gone, request a new archive.

Google's Chrome Help page explains each download error. Here is what they mean for your archive:

Chrome says Chrome's meaning Try this
Forbidden No permission on the server Sign in to X in this browser
Needs authorization No permission for the file Sign in and click again
Disk full Not enough space Free up space and retry
Download blocked Security settings blocked Check those settings

When the download finishes, test the file.

Step 4: Test the ZIP when your Twitter data download is unsuccessful

The ZIP format keeps a file's list of contents at the very end. So a download that stops early won't open at all.

We tested this on 23 October 2026. We made a small ZIP shaped like an archive, then cut a copy in half:

$ python -m zipfile -t twitter-archive.zip
Done testing
$ python -m zipfile -t half-download.zip
zipfile.BadZipFile: File is not a zip file

The unzip -t command runs the same check. On our half file it said the end signature was "not found," or that the file may be "one disk of a multi-part archive."

Our free Twitter Archive Viewer reads that ending too. A cut-off file gets "This file isn't a ZIP," which means you should download it again.

Is your archive too large, or split into parts?

X's Help Center doesn't mention archive size, split files or more than one ZIP.

The README inside the archive names one limit. X's viewer page "only works if the archive is less than 50GB."

Our free viewer copes with both:

  • It reads big files. It handles ZIP64, the format big ZIPs over 4 GB use, and reads only the files it needs.
  • It takes several files at once. Drop every ZIP X gives you together, and it merges the posts.

Twitter archive not working: fixes by symptom

  • No code arrives. X sends it to the email or phone on file. Add one under Account information.
  • The email never comes. Confirm your email address, as X asks, then check Download your data in settings.
  • The link fails. Open it in the browser where you're signed in to X.
  • Chrome says Forbidden. That's a permission error, so sign in to X in that browser.
  • "File is not a zip file." The download stopped early. Get it again and test it.
  • Your account is deactivated. X says you can restore it within 30 days. Log back in, then request.

Can't get your archive? Read your public posts instead

Only X's archive holds your DMs, likes and email address. If it won't come, your public posts are still readable on X.

We run Weir, an API for public X data. Our guide to downloading all tweets from a user walks any public account into a CSV, year by year, yours included.

1 creditper post, plus 1 per call
5,000free credits a month, no card

It misses everything private: DMs, likes, bookmarks, your email and your settings. Posts from a protected account and deleted posts don't show either.

When not to use Weir

  • You need DMs or likes. Only X's archive holds them.
  • Your account is protected. Weir reads public posts only.
  • A few posts are enough. X's own search, from:yourname, costs nothing.

FAQ

Why is my Twitter data archive not working?

Usually one stage failed: no code, no email, a link opened outside your signed-in browser, or a download that stopped early. Run python -m zipfile -t on the file. An error means you should download it again.

How long does the Twitter data archive take?

X's Help Center says "it may take a few days" to prepare. X tells you by email or push notification. A Download archive button also appears under Download your data in settings. X gives no upper limit.

Sources

All checked on 23 October 2026:

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