Where to find and update your topic interests
Twitter lets you follow specific topics rather than just individual accounts, and you can change which topics you see at any time. On the web version, go to your Home feed, look for the "Explore" icon in the left sidebar (it looks like a magnifying glass), and click it. On the mobile app, tap the search icon at the bottom of the screen. From there, you'll see a "Topics" tab near the top — this is where Twitter shows you topics you're already following and topics you might want to follow.
Your topic interests affect what shows up in your Home feed and in the Explore section. Twitter mixes in posts from topics you follow alongside posts from accounts you follow. If you've been seeing posts about topics you no longer care about, or if you want to add new ones, the process takes less than a minute.
Key Takeaways
- You manage topic interests through the Explore section on web or the search tab on mobile, not through general settings.
- Following a topic shows you posts about that subject from any account, not just the ones you already follow.
- You can unfollow a topic when ready, and posts about it will stop appearing in your feed within a few hours.
- Twitter suggests topics based on your account activity, but you control which ones actually appear in your feed.
How to follow a new topic on web
Open Twitter in your browser and click the Explore icon in the left sidebar. In the search bar at the top, type the topic you want to follow — for example, "gardening" or "photography". As you type, Twitter shows you matching topics. Click on the topic you want, and you'll see a page dedicated to that topic with recent posts about it.
On the right side of the page, you'll see a "Follow" button. Click it, and the button will change to say "Following". That's it — posts about this topic will now start appearing in your Home feed. You can follow as many topics as you want, though following dozens of very active topics can make your feed move quickly.
How to follow a new topic on mobile
Tap the search icon at the bottom of the Twitter app (it looks like a magnifying glass). Type the topic you want to follow in the search box. When you see the topic appear in the dropdown list, tap it. You'll see a page showing recent posts about that topic.
Look for the "Follow" button near the top of the page and tap it. The button will change to "Following", and the topic is now added to your interests. On mobile, the feed updates within a few hours to include posts from this topic.
How to unfollow a topic you no longer want
Go to the Explore section (web) or search tab (mobile) and find the topic you want to stop following. You can search for it by name, or if you've followed many topics, scroll through your list. When you find it, click or tap on the topic name to open its page.
You'll see a "Following" button where the "Follow" button used to be. Click or tap it, and the button changes back to "Follow". You've now unfollowed the topic, and posts about it will gradually disappear from your feed over the next few hours. Unfollowing a topic does not affect any accounts you follow — it only stops the topic itself from appearing.
Why Twitter suggests certain topics to you
Twitter watches what you post about, what you like, and what you retweet, then suggests topics that match those interests. You'll see these suggestions in the Explore section under a "What's happening" or "For you" section. These are just suggestions — you don't have to follow any of them.
If you see a suggested topic you don't want, you can ignore it, or you can click the three dots next to it and select "Not interested" to stop seeing that suggestion. This tells Twitter's system that the topic isn't relevant to you, and similar suggestions will appear less often.
What happens to your feed when you change topics
When you follow a new topic, Twitter's system takes a few hours to update your Home feed. You won't see every post about that topic — Twitter filters to show you the most popular or relevant ones. If you follow a very active topic like "news" or "sports", you'll see more posts; if you follow a niche topic, you'll see fewer.
When you unfollow a topic, posts about it fade out of your feed gradually rather than disappearing when ready. This is because Twitter's feed algorithm takes time to recalculate what to show you. If you unfollow a topic and still see posts about it hours later, it's usually because those posts are from accounts you follow directly, not from the topic itself.
Managing topics when you want a cleaner feed
If your feed feels cluttered or you're seeing too many posts about topics you don't care about, start by unfollowing the most active ones first. Topics like "news", "entertainment", or "sports" generate thousands of posts daily, so unfollowing even one or two can noticeably slow down your feed.
You can also mute specific words or accounts if you want to keep following a topic but hide certain types of posts within it. Go to Settings and Privacy, then Mute and Block, and add words you want to hide. This is useful if you follow a topic like "cooking" but want to mute posts about a specific ingredient you dislike.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I have to follow topics, or can I just follow accounts?
You don't have to follow any topics. You can use Twitter with only accounts in your feed. Topics are optional and exist to help you discover posts beyond the accounts you already follow. If you don't follow any topics, your feed will show only posts from accounts you follow and posts those accounts retweet.
Will people know if I follow a topic?
No. Your topic interests are private. Other users cannot see which topics you follow, just like they cannot see your search history. Following a topic does not notify anyone or appear on your profile.
Can I see all the topics I'm currently following?
On web, go to Explore and look for a section showing topics you follow — this varies by account. On mobile, the search tab shows recent topics you've looked at, but Twitter doesn't have a dedicated "all my topics" list. You can follow a topic again to see it in your feed, and unfollowing removes it.
What's the difference between following a topic and following an account about that topic?
Following a topic shows you posts from many accounts discussing that subject. Following an account shows you only posts from that one person. Following a topic about "photography" might show you posts from photographers, photo editors, and camera companies. Following one photographer's account shows you only their posts.
Why am I still seeing posts about a topic I unfollowed?
If the posts are from accounts you follow directly, they'll still appear even after you unfollow the topic. Twitter shows you posts from accounts you follow regardless of topic. If you want to stop seeing posts about a subject entirely, you may need to unfollow or mute the accounts posting about it.