We consider rigid Calabi–Yau threefolds defined over Q and the question of whether they admit quadratic twists. We give a precise geometric definition of the notion of a quadratic twists in this setting. Every rigid Calabi–Yau threefold over Q is modular so there is attached to it a certain newform of weight 4 on some Γ 0(N). We show that quadratic twisting of a threefold corresponds to twisting the attached newform by quadratic characters and illustrate with a number of obvious and not so obvious examples. The question is motivated by the deeper question of which newforms of weight 4 on some Γ 0(N) and integral Fourier coefficients arise from rigid Calabi–Yau threefolds defined over Q (a geometric realization problem).