Apple drops all human support on X

Apple Support app

Users are no longer able to receive live help from the Apple support account on X, and instead will be redirected to other platforms.

Those who direct message the @AppleSupport account on X, formerly Twitter, will now receive an automated reply directing them to the Get Support page on Apple's website. They will also be given links to the Apple Support app for both the iPhone and iPad.

The change was spotted by MacRumors, who notes that the account continues to share helpful tips and tricks for Apple users.

The official @AppleSupport account was launched in 2016 and was primarily used to provide tips for Apple products and address customers directly. The account earned an award from Twitter that same year thanks to its high level of engagement.

However, it was learned in August that Apple planned to eliminate social media support roles across platforms like X and YouTube. As previously reported, the end of support on Twitter came on October 1, 2023, but it does not appear to be related to issues over Apple's controversial choice to stay on X/Twitter.

The app, Apple's official support website, and phone line will be the only official support venues in the future.

According to reports, more than 150 workers are said to be affected by this change. However, Apple is offering to help them switch to phone support positions. A source has claimed that employees cannot move to other chat-based support jobs unless medically necessary.

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6 Comments

snapjack 12 comments · 17 Years

About 6 months ago

Does anyone still use Twitter?

mattinoz 2315 comments · 9 Years

snapjack said:

Does anyone still use Twitter?

Everyone who uses the service still calls it Twitter. No one calls it X not even the company itself.
But yes the ads are getting more niche by the day and super repetitive.

Samchase 7 comments · 2 Years

snapjack said:

Does anyone still use Twitter?
Are you kidding or simply, you are a democrat.

FileMakerFeller 1546 comments · 6 Years

Sooo... Twitter is going to have even more of a bot problem? :wink:

AppleZulu 2011 comments · 8 Years

Samchase said:

snapjack said:

Does anyone still use Twitter?

Are you kidding or simply, you are a democrat.

While I'm sure you thought you were scoring a point there, you were actually unintentionally making a different point. The more Mr. Musk turns twitter into a safe space echo chamber for conservatives, the less relevant it actually becomes.

As I've mentioned on an earlier thread about this subject, social media was always a lousy place to do customer service, because it's really more about performative damage control. Apple already has robust, effective in-person and online customer support. Social media customer support is about being seen helping the people who are too dumb or too entitled to contact customer support directly, and would rather yell into a random crowd about how they can't work their iPhone. Companies started doing customer support via Twitter because those inept "Karen" customers could hurt a company's reputation by giving unsuspecting bystanders the false impression that normal help is either unavailable or ineffective.

As Twitter becomes less crowded, less random and more of a like-minded political echo-chamber, there is less reason for a company like Apple to worry about doing that sort of performative damage control, or even to have much of a presence. The space will be left to ads for lumpy pillows, catheters and home medical device Medicare scams.