The blue check is back.
It’s been three and a half years since the public could apply for the blue-check verification badge on Twitter, and after much speculation, applications are finally open again.
Here’s how to do it:
1) Open the Twitter app
2) Click on the ‘…’ option on the top left.
3) Click on ‘Settings and Privacy’
4) Click on ‘Account’
5) Click on ‘Request Verification’
Alright, That sounds easy, but it gets a bit complicated from there. Accounts must be “authentic, notable, and active,” according to Twitter. Which also sounds like a great dating app bio, if you ask me.
How do you prove you’re authentic? You’ll need to provide one of three methods of identity verification:
1) Provide a link to an official website that references you and your Twitter account
2) Provide a photo of an official government-issued ID, such as a driver’s license or passport
3) Give your official email address with a domain relevant to the notability category you choose
Let’s assume you’re authentic and active. What the heck qualifies as “notable”, when this seems to change from app to app?
According to Twitter, “Your account must represent or otherwise be associated with a prominently recognized individual or brand.”
Ok, but what does THAT mean?
There’s several categories.
1) Government officials, such as appointed ministers, elected officials, ambassadors, or official spokespeople. If you’re the president of a country this should be pretty easy, but everybody else is going to have to have to have public reference to your account in news media.
2) Accounts that represent companies, brands or organizations, but for this one you’re going to have to also be present in a public index like Google Trends, stock exchanges, legit Wikipedia articles or have three or more media references in the last six months
3) Journalists and news organizations, if you’re employed by qualifying organizations, can get a blue check, across pretty much all media. Even if you’re a freelancer, you can get the check if you have three bylines in qualifying publications in the last six months.
4) Entertainment people, such as artists, performers, directors or other public facing artists can get a check if they have an official website, at least 50 production credits on IMDb, or three media references in the last six months.
5) Sports and gaming are the same—they’ll need an official team roster website or three or more featured references in the media within the last six months. Yes, even esports players qualify.
6) Activists, organizers, or other influential individuals also qualify, meaning those who bring awareness, share information, and galvanize the community, but they’ll need to have been active for six months, abide by the Twitter rules, not harass or shame any individual or group (that’s a big one!), and also follow the notability metrics mentioned above. This one gets a bit trickier, so head over to Twitter’s website for more metrics.
Also keep in mind, you’ll need to have followed the Twitter rules, so if you’ve been locked out for 12 hours or 7 days for violating the rules in the last year, you aren’t eligible.
You’re also not eligible if you are a parody or unofficial fan account, a fictional character, or overall you’ve been harmful, hateful, or engage in spam or manipulation such as buying followers. You can also lose your blue check if you do this stuff as well.
If you need more info, head over to Twitter’s help page here.
Good luck!
