Twitter SMS Commands
I use the SMS feature for Twitter a lot because I don’t have a data plan on my cell phone. Recently I discovered a list of Twitter text commands that you can send to Twitter by SMS that will allow you to use many of the features of the website.
The most useful Twitter SMS commands include:
- ON
- turns ALL SMS notifications on
- OFF
- turns ALL SMS notifications off.
- STOP or QUIT
- stops all SMS messages immediately. CAUTION: when I used this command recently it disconnected the pairing between my cell phone and twitter account. I couldn’t reconnect until I went back to the website. This seems to be a very powerful twitter SMS command.
- ON username
- turns on SMS notifications for a specific person. For example, ON dizzySEO
- OFF username
- turns off SMS notifications for a specific person. Using on/off username from SMS only stops notifications to the place the command comes from; you’ll still collect a person’s updates on the web. You don’t have to use ON/OFF username from your phone, you can also set individual notifications from a person’s profile page, or check your following page and manage all phone notification settings there. For example, OFF NC_SEO
- FOLLOW username
- this command allows you to start receiving notifications for a specific person by SMS. Following someone from a phone for the first time will also cause you to follow them on the web. Example: follow dizzySEO
- LEAVE username
- this command allows you to stop receiving notifications for a specific person by SMS. Using follow/leave username by SMS is the same as using on/off username. There is no way to stop following a person on the web without visiting their profile and removing them. The off, leave, stop, and quit commands will only disable updates for the device(s) from which they were sent. Example: leave davidkyle
- @ username + message
- directs a twitter at another person, and causes your twitter to save in their “replies” tab. Example: @dizzySEO your Twitter SMS command post was really helpful http://is.gd/q7NO
- D username + message
- sends a person a private message that goes to their device, and saves in their web archive. Example: d dizzySEO your Twitter SMS program ROCKS!
- WHOIS username
- retrieves the profile information for any public user on Twitter. Example: whois dizzySEO
- GET username
- retrieves the latest Twitter update posted by the person. Example: get dizzySEO
- NUDGE username
- reminds a friend to update by asking what they’re doing on your behalf. Example: nudge dizzySEO
- FAV username
- marks a person’s last twitter as a favorite. (hint: reply to any update with FAV to mark it as a favorite if you’re receiving it in real time) Example: fav dizzySEO
- STATS
- this command returns your number of followers, how many people you’re following
, and which words you’re tracking.
I heard about Twitter track commands with twitter but then I realized that they no longer work. @feedtwit is a good work-around for the tracking commands. Give FeedTwit the RSS feed for the phrase or #hashtag you want to follow and it will send you every mention of that phrase by direct message, and consequently SMS. Also note: you could get a ton of SMS messages if you pick a really popular or relevant term.
Track a word on Twitter and get all updates containing your chosen word on your device! Note: you can only track with SMS or IM (you cannot track via web).
- track word
- starts tracking a word
- untrack word
- stops tracking a word
- untrack all
- stops tracking all words
- track off
- stops tracking all words
- tracks or tracking
- returns a list of words you’re tracking
One feature I have always thought was missing from the Twitter SMS commands was the ability to get your twitter @replies by SMS. You can get anyone else’s messages by SMS but unless you have turned on Device Updates for someone who is sending you an @reply, you will never know they are trying to reach you through SMS.
That’s one of the features of FeedTwit. If you follow @FeedTwit you can receive your Twitter replies by SMS.
FeedTwit is actually a service that sends the contents of RSS feeds to your Twitter account by direct message. It provides this service for any RSS feed- including the RSS feed of your @replies. Not only does this allow you to receive @replies by SMS, it also directs all your @replies to your direct message folder, so you will never miss one again.
Check out FeedTwit today and you will be able to get Twitter @replies by SMS.
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