Why your X followers and following disappear after reactivating your account

If you’ve recently reactivated your X account after a brief hiatus or maybe you found Bluesky’s lack of trends and Spaces, among other popular X features, as a dealbreaker and noticed your follower count mysteriously dwindled to zero, don’t panic. You’re not alone in this peculiar predicament. A growing number of X users are reporting that their follower and following counts have vanished into thin air post-reactivation.

Before you start spamming the support team or questioning your social media worth, take a deep breath. This isn’t a glitch; it’s just how X operates.

Here’s the deal: when you deactivate your account and later reactivate it, your follower and following counts might not reappear instantly. X’s support page even says this is perfectly normal and typically resolves within 24 to 48 hours. The platform just needs some time to get its act together and restore your digital entourage.

Some people’s following/followers or post counts do not immediately display their previous numbers upon reactivation. Don’t worry, these will be fully restored within 24 hours of reactivation. If it has been more than 48 hours and your counts have still not been restored, contact support for assistance.

For most users, those precious counts come back within the promised timeframe. But some people have found themselves stuck in social limbo for days or even weeks. In cases like these, X recommends taking matters into your own hands by:

1. Logging out and back in: Sometimes, a quick refresh is all it takes to jog the system’s memory. Think of it as a wake-up call for your account.
2. Reaching out to support: If your follower counts still haven’t bounced back after 72 hours, it’s time to submit a ticket. Head to the X Help Center and fill out the appropriate form. The team claims they’ll review your case ASAP, though some users have reported mixed results.

This follower/following reset is part of the reactivation process. Your account data isn’t lost — just temporarily out of sync. However, if this delay stretches into several days or weeks, it’s worth questioning whether X’s systems are working as intended or if there’s a bigger issue at play.

If you’re thinking of deactivating and reactivating your account repeatedly to “fix” the issue, don’t bother. Users who tried this trick found themselves in the same zero-follower purgatory. Others reported that even attempting to follow new accounts led to those follows being removed instantly.

If your counts have been missing for more than 72 hours, reaching out to support is your best bet. But be prepared: not everyone gets an immediate resolution. Some users report that their issues were left unresolved.