If you are a Twitter user who uses SMS-based two-factor authentication (2FA), the latest announcement from the company will leave you disappointed. The company has announced only Twitter Blue subscribers will be able to protect their accounts using the SMS 2FA method. The official confirmation came just hours after the scoop was first shared by Zoe Schiffer of Platformer.

Non-Blue Twitter users with SMS 2FA enabled now have 30 days to either switch to other 2FA methods or disable the security feature completely. The other methods rely on authenticator apps or security keys to offer an extra layer of security to accounts. These two methods are far more reliable and secure than SMS authentication but are not widely used. The majority of the users opt for SMS 2F security, most likely due to the convenience of setting it up and using it.

The official blog post says,

"While historically a popular form of 2FA, unfortunately we have seen phone-number based 2FA be used - and abused - by bad actors. So starting today, we will no longer allow accounts to enroll in the text message/SMS method of 2FA unless they are Twitter Blue subscribers."

It means you have until March 30 to opt for either another authentication method or to disable the feature. Twitter says if none of the actions is taken by a non-Blue user, it will automatically disable the feature. Another important thing to note is that disabling the feature will not remove your phone number from your Twitter account. You will need to do that manually by visiting security settings.

The new announcement is surely part of Twitter's attempt to entice more and more users to pay for Blue. It recently increased the character limit for tweets to 4,000 for paying subscribers. Ever since Elon Musk took over the company for a whopping $44 billion, he has been focused on increasing its revenue as much as possible and through any means.