How to Change Your Username on Each Social Media Platform

The usernames we use on our preferred social media platforms are one of the first things that people will see when they interact with your account. When you introduce yourself to someone in person, you will typically want to introduce yourself using your preferred name.

You may go by your middle name or a nickname that has stuck. Why? Because names are important to us and form a part of our identity. The same reasoning applies to social media usernames. Sometimes you get your username just right, and you stay happy with it for a long time.

Other times, you may decide that it is time to switch your username on your social media accounts. Maybe a new name better fits your new vibe. Maybe the old name just seems outdated. For whatever reason, we often find ourselves wanting to change our usernames.

The process of changing usernames differs across different social media sites and apps, and for that reason, it can sometimes be confusing. Moreover, some social media sites have rules about changing usernames. In this article, we aim to dispel the confusion and have all of the information you could possibly need on this subject all in one place.

Therefore, this article will be all about how to change your username on many of the top social media networks. Specifically, we will explain how to change your username on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat, and Tik Tok.

Twitter

What is a Twitter Handle?

Your Twitter handle is the username associated with your account. It always starts with the @ symbol. Your username is also visible by looking at the URL of your Twitter account’s public profile. Your Twitter handle or username is different from your Twitter display name, which is a name you add when you edit your Twitter profile.

Your display name can be the same as many other people, but your username will always be unique to your account.

How to Change Your Twitter Handle on Your Computer

1. From your web browser, navigate to Twiter.com, log in to your account, and select More from the menu on the left.
2. Select “Settings and Privacy.”
3. Select “Your Account” and then “Account Information.”
4. When prompted, type in your Twitter password and select “Confirm.”
5. Under “Account Information,” select “Username.”
6. Under “Change Username,” enter your new desired username and select “Save.” Now you have successfully created your new Twitter handle.

How to Change Your Twitter Username on the Twitter Mobile App

The process for changing your Twitter Handle on the Twitter Mobile App is the same whether you are using an Android or IOS mobile phone.

1. Launch Twitter and tap your profile icon or picture.
2. Select “Settings & Privacy.”
3. Tap “Account.”
4. Tap “Username.”
5. Tap “Continue” to confirm that you want to change your username.
6. Type in your new username and then tap “Done.” You’ve set your new Twitter handle.

Instagram

Before you make any decisions about changing your Instagram username, you should know there is a difference between your Instagram display name and username. Your display name, which is basically your personal or business name, has very few restrictions. You can change it as often as you want, and it doesn’t have to be unique.

Changing your display name might be a more straightforward solution for those looking for something easier to remember. On the other hand, your username is what goes at the top of your Instagram account. It’s also how people tag you with the “@” symbol, and what goes at the end of your Instagram URL. Instagram usernames also have more restrictions.

Instagram Username Guidelines

• Unique to your account.
• Less than 30 characters.
• Contains only letters, numbers, periods, and underscores (no spaces or other symbols).
• No profanity or restricted language.

How to Change Your Instagram Username on a Computer

While people will typically find it easier and more convenient to change their Instagram username through the Instagram Mobile App, it is possible to change your username on a computer, as we will show below.

1. Navigate to Instagram.com and log into your account.
2. Next, click your “profile icon” in the top-right corner of the screen.
3. Click on “Settings.”
4. You should see the “Edit Profile” section. Enter your new username in the “Username field.”
5. Click Submit at the bottom of the screen, and you’re good to go!

How to Change Your Instagram Username in the Instagram App

As with Twitter, the process of changing your username in the Instagram app is the same whether you are on an IOS iphone or Android mobile device.

1. Open the Instagram app and log in.
2. Tap your “profile picture icon” in the bottom right.
3. Tap “Edit Profile” beneath your bio.
4. Enter your new username in the “Username field.”
5. Tap the “checkmark” in the top right.
6. You have now successfully changed your Instagram username!

Facebook

Changing your Facebook username is simple, but the new username must meet some requirements. Your Facebook username serves as part of your Facebook URL, so it should accurately reflect your real name (or, for Facebook Pages, your organization or business name).

While changing your username is easy, there are some guidelines to follow. These guidelines vary depending on if you’re changing the username for a personal account or Facebook Page.

Facebook Username Requirements for Personal Accounts

Facebook has a strict naming policy that follows its account integrity and authentic identity guidelines. For your personal account, you should use the name you go by. It can, therefore, be your nickname, professional name, or maiden name. Facebook usernames cannot include the following:

• Symbols
• Numbers
• Strange capitalizations
• Repeated characters
• Punctuation
• Characters from multiple languages
• Titles (such as professional titles)
• Words/phrases
• The name of another person

Facebook Username Requirements for Business/Brand Pages

If you are a page’s admin, you can change the page’s account name. The username must:

• Be unique.
• Be at least five characters in length.
• Use only numbers, letters, and period punctuation.
• Follow Facebook’s terms of service.

How to Change Facebook Username for Private Accounts

1. Log on to Facebook on a computer.
2. Click on the “down caret” at the far right of the top menu.
3. From the drop-down menu, select account “Settings and Privacy.”
4. From the menu that appears next, click “Settings.”
5. Under “General Profile Settings,” click the “Edit” option (represented by a pencil icon) in the “Username” row.
6. In the box that appears, enter your new username. If your selected username is not available, you’ll see a red “X” and a message that reads: “Username is not available.”
7. When you enter a unique username (indicated by a green check mark), click “Save changes.”
8. Enter your password when prompted.
9. Click “Submit” to complete the process.

How to Change Facebook Username for a Business Account

1. Click the Home icon to navigate to your News Feed.
2. On the left menu, click the “Pages” option, which is represented by a flag icon.
3. From the options on the left menu, click on your Page.
4. Click on your Page’s current username.
5. Under the “Page Settings” menu, select “Edit Page Info.”
6. Enter your new username.
7. Facebook automatically saves this change when you navigate away from this page.

Snapchat

As of Feb. 23, 2022, Snapchat users are now able to change their username without setting up a new user account. This has been a feature for which Snapchat users have been asking for a long time. This change affects all users on iOS and Android. Name changes will be accepted once a year, letting people change names without having to worry about resetting friends lists, Snap scores, or memories.

Like many other social media platforms, Snapchat differentiates between Username and Display Name. Your Display Name is how you appear on Snapchat — it’s different from your username. Moreover, you can customize your Display Name whenever you like.

How to Change Your Snapchat Username

1. Open Snapchat and select your profile/Bitmoji icon in the upper-left corner of the screen.
2. Select the gear icon in the upper-right corner to go to your Settings.
3. Select Name.
4. Enter a new display name in the Name box.
5. Tap Save. And you are all set!

Remember that you can only change your Snapchat username once per year, so when you are making a change, make sure that you give it some thought since you will be stuck with it for a year unless you make a new account.

Tik Tok

Tik Tok is a social media platform that has grown at a monumental pace and which has a large effect on the culture of many people in many countries. In fact, Tik Tok is now the sixth most used social media platform in the world, with over a billion monthly active users. On Tik Tok, there is no distinction between your username and your display name.

Your username is plastered on every video that you post. Luckily, it is easy to change your Tik Tok username, but there are some things to keep in mind. The biggest consideration is that changing your username will also change your TikTok URL. If you have your username listed on another website or media platform, you may have to update this too.

How to Change Your Tik Tok Username on the iPhone App

1. Launch the app and log in if needed.
2. Go to your “Profile” by tapping the corresponding icon in the bottom right corner.
3. Click on the “Edit Profile” button
4. Tap on the “Username” line.
5. Replace your old username with a new one. If the field is inactive, that means you’ve reached the changing limit and must wait until the 30-day hold is up.
6. Once you are happy with the result and see the green checkmark, click Save.

If the username you select isn’t available, you’ll see a message to that effect at the top of the Edit profile page. In that case, you’ll have to try again.

How to Change Your Tik Tok Username on the Android App

1. Launch the app and log in if needed.
2. Go to your “Me” page by tapping the corresponding icon in the bottom right corner.
3. Click on the “Edit Profile” button.
4. Tap on the Username line.
5. Replace your old username with a new one. If the field is inactive, that means you’ve reached the changing limit and must wait until the 30-day hold is up.
6. Once you are happy with the result and see the green checkmark, click Save.

Guidelines for Tik Tok Usernames

As per TikTok’s support FAQ, your username can only contain letters, numbers, underscores, and periods. There is also a 24-character limit. Note that the chosen combination can’t end with a period but there are no restrictions for placing them at the beginning or in the middle. You should also be mindful of:

• Privacy: Do not disclose personal or confidential information that could potentially compromise your safety: phone number, address (country/city should be fine), or bank details.
• Cybersafety: Do not use your email or password, or even your favorite number combination that serves as a phone passcode as a username.
• Copyright: Most of the protected names will already be claimed by their rightful owners, still, using someone else’s brand just because it is not taken doesn’t feel right. TikTok can reset your username to a randomized numeric combination if they receive a trademark infringement notice.
• Decency: Your username is hardly the right place for obscene language and inappropriate, hateful, or violent wording.

No Need to Stress When it Comes to Changing Usernames

As we have shown in this article, changing your username on various social media platforms does not need to be a difficult business. Luckily, these platforms know that their users want the functionality to change usernames, and for that reason, they make sure the process is as stress-free as possible.

With the exception of Snapchat, which only allows one change per year, you can mostly change your username on any platform as much as you want. Just remember that there is a difference between usernames and display names on some platforms while for others there is no such distinction.