X Launches Marketplace for Inactive Handles

X/Twitter is launching a new marketplace where Premium users can search for and request inactive handles. The platform is currently exclusively available for X Premium+ subscribers as well as organizations paying for X Premium Business, with both free and paid options to acquire eligible handles.

There are millions of inactive accounts on X, and Elon Musk said two years ago that the company would start purging and archiving accounts that had “no activity at all for several years” so it can free up abandoned handles. Well, as it turns out, claiming these inactive handles won’t be free.

This new handle marketplace, which is described by X as an “industry first solution,” will offer two types of handles: “Priority” handles that include full names, multi-word phrases, or alphanumeric combinations will be free to request for Premium+ and Premium Business subscribers. However, handles that are short, generic, or include culturally significant names are dubbed “Rare” and will only be released via limited-time drops based on merit or direct purchases by invitation.

X Premium subscribers who get access to a Priority handle will be able to keep it for free as long as they keep their subscription active. “If you cancel or downgrade your subscription after receiving a Priority Handle, your old handle will be restored,” the company explained.

As for “Rare” handles distributed via public drops, the selection process will be based on activity and the intended use of the handle. For rare handles that will be available for direct purchase, pricing will be determined by various factors, including “popularity of word, character length, and cultural significance.” Lastly, X Premium users who purchase them will be able to keep these handles even if they cancel their subscription.

Overall, this new handle marketplace seems to be an interesting experiment that other social platforms may want to take some inspiration from. Instagram, as an example, currently doesn’t let users request inactive handles or usernames from accounts that have been deleted.