Here's how to download and store your Twitter archive, as the platform's future is uncertain after Elon Musk said bankruptcy wasn't out of the question

• Twitter's future existence could be threatened after Elon Musk said bankruptcy is possible.
• A recent report said losing Twitter would likely result in losing troves of records from modern history.
• Twitter users may want to download and store their own personal data as a backup. Here's how to do it.

Earlier this month, the MIT Technology Review published a piece titled, "Twitter's potential collapse could wipe out vast records of recent human history." The article discusses the important role Twitter has played in collecting historical documents by becoming a "de facto public archive."

Indeed, Twitter's future existence is under threat after Elon Musk officially bought the company for $44 billion last month, saddling the company with more than $1 billion per year in debt payments as some advertisers pause spending on the platform.

In Musk's first address to Twitter employees after purchasing the platform, he warned that bankruptcy was a possibility if the company didn't start generating more cash.

With the threat of Twitter's failure a looming possibility, many Twitter users may want to download and store their data from Twitter outside of the platform. Here's how to do it.

First, you can access your Twitter account settings on a desktop by clicking the three dots on the bottom left-hand side of the navigation bar. On mobile, you can access your settings by clicking your profile photo in the top lefthand corner of the home screen.

Then, select settings and privacy

Make sure to select "Your account" under settings on both mobile and desktop. After that, you'll see an option to "download an archive of your data."

You will then be prompted to re-enter your Twitter account password

You can then select "Request Archive." The archive will include information like your account information, account history, activity, and advertising data.

It can take 24 hours or more for the data to be ready.

When it's ready, you'll get an in-app notification with a deadline to download the archive.