How to Request Your X Data Archive in 2026: Step by Step

Before you delete anything on X, get your own archive first. Most people never do, because the button is buried and the wording is vague. This walkthrough covers the 2026 request flow end to end, and explains one change that matters a lot this year: large accounts now get a split archive.

Where the request actually lives

On the web, open Settings and privacy, then Your account, then Download an archive of your data. That path is the reliable one most guides point to. In the app the entry sits deeper, under Account, then Settings and privacy, then Your data on X, so plenty of people only stumble on it on the web. Switch the interface language to something you read comfortably before you start; it saves guesswork later.

One more thing: if you normally use the app, switch to the web before requesting. The web has the fuller set of options and clearer error messages, while the app buries the entry and makes troubleshooting awkward. Before you start, confirm the sign-in email is one you still check; plenty of people get stuck because the code went to an inbox they abandoned years ago.

The 2026 change: large accounts get a split archive

For years the archive was one ZIP, whatever your volume. This year, accounts that have been active for years and accumulated tens of thousands of posts get the archive split into several ZIP files of roughly 100 MB each, divided into tweet.js, likes.js, media, and so on. The filenames carry a sequence number like part1, part2.

The download email points to the whole batch, not to a single volume. You open that entry and pull every volume, and one alone does not cover everything. When you clean up, you must extract all volumes into the same folder and parse them together. Miss one volume and you undercount thousands of posts, which throws off the check.

How do you know you got every volume? The download email usually states the total size and count of the batch. Before extracting, check your local file count and total size against that, and if they differ you missed one. Some people see a gap in the naming, like part3 missing; in that case go back and regenerate the whole batch rather than patching a single file.

For a typical few-year account the archive runs from a few dozen MB to a few hundred MB, and long-time users can pass a GB. The media folder is usually the heaviest part because original images and videos stay inside. Make sure the disk has space before extracting, and avoid extracting onto a nearly full system drive.

Verification and wait time

Submitting the request asks for your password, and if two-factor is on you clear that too. The official line is within 24 hours, but in practice one to two days is common, so do not schedule around the deadline. Two emails actually arrive: one confirms the request, and a later one carries the download link, which expires in 24 hours. A separate email holds the ZIP password. People mix these up and then wonder why the file will not open.

If two-factor is on but the device is not nearby, make sure you can receive the code before submitting, or the request stalls at verification and you waste a day or two. After verification the official window is 24 hours, but one to two days is common and normal; do not resubmit repeatedly, because duplicate requests can push you further back in the queue.

Two download and extract traps

The download link lives for 24 hours. If it times out, do not re-queue; go back to the Your data page and regenerate a link. The extract password sits in its own email and is unrelated to your account password. Windows built-in extraction sometimes mangles Chinese filenames into garbage; 7-Zip or Bandizip handle them cleanly. Keep all volumes in one folder and extract together, because extracting part2 alone errors out.

What the archive holds, and what it does not

Inside the ZIP, tweet.js stores every post you still have, likes.js holds what you liked, the media folder keeps original images and videos, and there is an account info file. The account file covers sign-up time, the bound email, and a login summary, and those are private too, so do not forward them. A common myth is that deleted posts are still in there. They are not. The archive only contains posts currently live; tweets you removed long ago do not appear in tweet.js. So the archive is a snapshot of what you left behind, not a full history of everything you ever posted.

What to do after you have the archive

The least safe move is pasting the file into some random web tool for parsing. The archive is your full privacy set; handing it over gives it away. A safer route is a local check: upload the archive to the free check page on digital-footprint-health.shop and the parsing runs on your device, so the data never leaves your computer. To see what categories the archive covers, read what your X archive contains. If the download broke, see download troubleshooting. The report groups findings by risk type, contact info, location, and documents, so you can clear the worst hits before the mild ones.

Worth noting: once the archive downloads, back it up to a local encrypted drive before you start deleting. That way if you remove the wrong thing, you still have the original to compare against and recover from, instead of losing the only copy.

Quick fixes for common stalls

• Email never arrives: check spam first, then confirm the address you entered is one you still read. Do not use an inbox you abandoned years ago.
• Link times out: the 24-hour link expires, so regenerate it from the Your data page instead of clicking until it dies.
• Volumes will not finish: the download service rate-limits at times. If several networks all fail, wait a few hours and retry; re-downloading beats fighting the same broken file.
• ZIP will not extract: usually the download was interrupted. Regenerate the link and pull again; retrying the corrupt copy is a waste of time.

Every archive check on digital-footprint-health.shop runs locally on your device, and the file is not uploaded to any server. If you have never downloaded your own archive, start at the free check page or read download troubleshooting to get past step one. For deletion cost, see the pricing page. You can reach the same tools from the homepage.