How To Use Twitter on Windows Phone

Microsoft’s Windows Phone takes a completely different approach to social media sharing. Instead of including single applications for Twitter and Facebook with each phone, Microsoft integrated social networks into Windows Phone 8. Because of this users are able to send and share messages from almost any area on Windows Phone. Here’s how to use Twitter on Windows Phone to communicate with your online friends.

By default, Windows Phone will only interface with the Twitter account you added when you first set up your Windows Phone device. Windows Phone 8 itself isn’t able to connect to more than one account at a time.

Reading Messages

Open the People Hub. It’s the double wide tile represented in our screen shot by the pictures of friends on the Start Screen. As each Windows Phone’s Start Screen is configured differently, your People Hub’s tile could be smaller.

The What’s New area will automatically display the latest social updates from any social media account in one view. To see just your Twitter updates tap All Accounts and select Twitter from the drop down menu

Tap any message inside your What’s New feed to reply or retweet it. This view will also showcase entire Twitter conversations on your device. You can also tap the small reply icon to the right of each message to reply to particular messages.

Composing Twitter Messages

To create a Twitter update, open the Me Hub. By default that hub’s live tile is presented by your Microsoft Account profile photo. In our example, it’s the Live Tile with my face on it to the left. You can swipe to the right to see your latest Twitter notification inside the Me Hub as well.

Tap Post an Update to send out text updates to your Twitter account alone, or Facebook and LinkedIn as well.

Tweeting Photos & Videos

Open the Photo Hub or use the Camera app to capture the picture you would like to share. The Photos application has a dynamic tile that changes to showcase the photos that are on your device. In our photo it’s the double wide Live Tile just above Netflix.

Tap and hold on the picture or video you would like to share. Tap Share from the pop-up menu.

Select Twitter from the drop down menu.

Add your message and then tap the Share button.

Remember, by default Windows Phone will automatically integrate fully with any Twitter account that has been integrated in with the Microsoft Account you added you set up your Windows Phone. As such, it’s best if you only integrate your Windows Phone account with your personal Twitter account.