I Almost Lost My Mind with the X User Experience

UX is key. It’s all about how easy, efficient, and enjoyable it feels for users to interact with a product or service. But when UX misses the mark, even something as simple as adding a phone number to your X account can turn into a total nightmare. This is exactly what happened to me.

On X, some accounts have a blue checkmark—these are verified profiles that pay for extra features. While it’s not essential, the checkmark adds a layer of credibility and trust.

Having that verification can make a real difference. When you’re launching a decentralized service, for example, investors, supporters, and potential users often rely on signals like verification to decide whether to engage with or invest in a project. First impressions matter, and the presence (or absence) of that blue checkmark can influence perception.

It took less than a minute to do. Yet, I’ve found myself trapped in something surreal. Curious? Continue reading.

Adding a phone number to get verified

To be verified, you need to add a phone number to your account. This process is (should be) simple and quick. I go to account settings:

Go to Account Information

Add the password again (😂)

Add your number

Validate it

Send a message to a +44 number (cost between 0.25€ and 2$ for most people 😂)

Wait the damn time (2-3 minutes, not 15 seconds)

Get this screen for the 1000 time

Obviously, it doesn’t work — which, after a while, is almost nerve-racking. Why is that?

So, what's next?

Let's ask some help to the Help Center.

Ok, I can't add my phone number to my account, and the worst part is, there's no info on what the error might be. Is it a service issue or a message not going through?

I have no clue. I thought customer support would help, but when I checked X's Help Center, I was shocked to find there's no way to contact someone who can actually solve my problem.

The Help Center is set up to give you info to troubleshoot on your own, and only sometimes can you fill out a form to get in touch with support.

My issue doesn't fit into any of those categories. There's help for things like privacy, copyright, and account hacks, but nothing for phone number issues.

I've already tried reaching out to support using related topics, but my case was just closed. Plus, the info on adding a phone number is outdated.

It talks about the old method of verifying a number with a message, not the current method of sending it to a +44 number, along with all the issues that come with that.

How I solved the problem

Yes, at one point, I solved the problem, and believe me, it was after way too much time (and money spent on SMS).

How? I dunno. I just can only say that I tried 5 different phone numbers and only the fifth one worked immediately, while the others kept failing the verification process.

So, the solution is to try different numbers until one is finally accepted by X based on no logical criteria.

UX Fallbacks

When the first path doesn’t work for users as expected, fallbacks are your safety net.

In UX and product design, this means planning alternative routes or secondary options that let the user still accomplish their goal without hitting a dead end. A good fallback strategy usually includes:

Graceful degradation – If the ideal feature fails (e.g., live data loading), present a simpler version (e.g., cached or static data).
Redundant paths – Give users multiple ways to achieve the same outcome (e.g., search + category navigation).
Progressive disclosure – Offer the simplest route first, but reveal more advanced or alternative options if the first isn’t working.
Clear guidance – If a fallback kicks in, make sure the user understands why and what they can do next.
Fail-forward – Design errors or interruptions so the user can recover without starting over.

This isn’t just a safety measure — it’s a trust-building strategy. Users feel supported when the product adapts to their situation, rather than forcing them to adapt to the product’s limitations.