twitter4j.TwitterException: 401:Authentication credentials were missing or incorrect

Question

I am developing web based application in Java [GWT]
I am facing problem with TwitterException.
I used valid credential.
Twitter twitter = new Twitter(myTwitterId, myTwiterPwd);
when I call twitter.getFollowers() method

I got following Error Message

twitter4j.TwitterException: 401:Authentication credentials were missing or incorrect.

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<errors>
    <error code="53">Basic authentication is not supported</error>
</errors>

    at twitter4j.http.HttpClient.httpRequest(HttpClient.java:469)
    at twitter4j.http.HttpClient.get(HttpClient.java:412)
    at twitter4j.Twitter.get(Twitter.java:276)
    at twitter4j.Twitter.get(Twitter.java:228)
    at twitter4j.Twitter.getFollowersStatuses(Twitter.java:1363)
    at twitter4j.Twitter.getFollowers(Twitter.java:1350)
    at com.vaibhav.dealelephant.server.impl.TwitterServiceImpl.getTwitterFollowers(TwitterServiceImpl.java:49)
    at sun.reflect.NativeMethodAccessorImpl.invoke0(Native Method)
    at sun.reflect.NativeMethodAccessorImpl.invoke(NativeMethodAccessorImpl.java:39)
    at sun.reflect.DelegatingMethodAccessorImpl.invoke(DelegatingMethodAccessorImpl.java:25)
    at java.lang.reflect.Method.invoke(Method.java:597)
    at com.google.gwt.user.server.rpc.RPC.invokeAndEncodeResponse(RPC.java:562)
    at com.google.gwt.user.server.rpc.RemoteServiceServlet.processCall(RemoteServiceServlet.java:188)
    at com.google.gwt.user.server.rpc.RemoteServiceServlet.processPost(RemoteServiceServlet.java:224)
    at com.google.gwt.user.server.rpc.AbstractRemoteServiceServlet.doPost(AbstractRemoteServiceServlet.java:62)
    at javax.servlet.http.HttpServlet.service(HttpServlet.java:637)
    at javax.servlet.http.HttpServlet.service(HttpServlet.java:717)
    at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.internalDoFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:290)
    at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.doFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:206)
    at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardWrapperValve.invoke(StandardWrapperValve.java:233)
    at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardContextValve.invoke(StandardContextValve.java:191)
    at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardHostValve.invoke(StandardHostValve.java:128)
    at org.apache.catalina.valves.ErrorReportValve.invoke(ErrorReportValve.java:102)
    at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardEngineValve.invoke(StandardEngineValve.java:109)
    at org.apache.catalina.connector.CoyoteAdapter.service(CoyoteAdapter.java:286)
    at org.apache.coyote.http11.Http11Processor.process(Http11Processor.java:845)
    at org.apache.coyote.http11.Http11Protocol$Http11ConnectionHandler.process(Http11Protocol.java:583)
    at org.apache.tomcat.util.net.JIoEndpoint$Worker.run(JIoEndpoint.java:447)
    at java.lang.Thread.run(Thread.java:619)

I want to display My followers Images into My Website, but it throws exception after calling this method twitter.getFollowers() method. SO unable to get My follwers Images :(

Please provide me Easy solution for the same

Hope for the best co-operation from your side

Thanks in advance !!!

What version of twitter4j are you using? – Allain Lalonde Sep 03 '10 at 14:52 — Allain Lalonde, Sep 03 '10 at 14:52

score 5 · Accepted Answer · answered Sep 03 '10 at 15:11

Yes, your authentication is not working because Twitter made some recent changes regarding how it lets 3rd party code authenticate.

In other words, Basic authentication has been turned off for the API.

https://apiwiki.twitter.com/Authentication

As Allain mentions, oAuth is the way to go.

Instead of passing id & pwd to Twitter can we just pass twitterid, twitter = new Twitter(myTwitterId); It will work or not ? — StackOverFlow, Sep 05 '10 at 09:53

score 3 · Answer 2 · answered Sep 03 '10 at 14:56

3

The code you posted is different than what I've seen in the past for connecting. I think (though I'm not sure) that oAuth is the preferred way of authenticating now.

Here's a blog that details using oAuth to connect.

answered Sep 03 '10 at 14:56

Allain Lalonde

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and another: http://marvinlee.net/blog/2010/03/free-java-twitter-api-twitter4j-and-oauth/ – Allain Lalonde Sep 03 '10 at 14:59

score 0 · Answer 3 · answered Sep 23 '13 at 15:19

I was having that trouble, finally the solution was to put a valid Callback url in my twitter API at (https://dev.twitter.com/‎), I used google+ url, saved changes (it could take a minutes before the changes are made, refresh the page to be sure) and it worked.

twitter4j.TwitterException: 401:Authentication credentials were missing or incorrect

3 Answers3