How to Change Your Twitter Username on Mobile and Desktop
Short answer
To change your X (Twitter) username, go to Settings and privacy, open Your account, then Account information, and tap Username. Type the new name and save. The steps are the same in the iPhone and Android apps and on x.com. Your followers, posts and messages stay, but your old @username becomes free for anyone to take, and an X Premium checkmark is removed until X reviews the change.
Key takeaways
- The path is Settings and privacy > Your account > Account information > Username, on iPhone, Android and desktop.
- Usernames can be up to 15 characters, using only letters, numbers and underscores. Spaces and symbols aren't allowed.
- Your followers, posts, replies and Direct Messages move with you. Nothing has to be rebuilt.
- Your old username becomes available to anyone right away, and old @mentions and profile links won't point to you anymore.
- If you pay for X Premium, the checkmark disappears until X reviews the new name, and you can't edit your profile again during the review.
- Your numeric user ID never changes, so tools and lists that use it keep working.
Twigor sells growth plans for X accounts. We say where our product fits and where it does not, and every claim about X rules links to the source.
Changing your X username takes less than a minute. The part that deserves more thought is what happens around it: links that stop working, a checkmark that goes away for a while, and an old handle someone else can grab.
Below are the exact steps for the app and the website, the rules your new name has to follow, and a short checklist for after the switch. Menu names are as of October 2026.
How do you change your username on X?
Open Settings and privacy, go to Your account, then Account information, and tap Username. Edit the name and save. If it’s already taken, X asks you to pick another one.
X uses the same menu path everywhere, so the only difference between devices is where you find the settings. X renames menus from time to time: if you don’t see Your account, look for Account.
How to change your Twitter username on iPhone and Android
- Open the X app and tap your profile picture in the top-left corner.
- Tap Settings and privacy.
- Tap Your account, then Account information. X may ask for your password.
- Tap Username.
- Type your new username in the New field. A green check means it’s available.
- Tap Done.
The change is live as soon as you save. Your profile shows the new @username, and anyone visiting your old link gets an error page (or someone else’s profile, if they’ve claimed the name).
How to change your Twitter username on desktop
- Go to x.com and log in.
- Click More (the three dots in the left sidebar), then Settings and privacy.
- Click Your account, then Account information, and confirm your password if asked.
- Click Username.
- Enter the new name and click Save.
The same steps work in a mobile browser at x.com. Your new profile link becomes x.com/newname.
What are the rules for X usernames?
Up to 15 characters, using only letters, numbers and underscores. Those are the basics from X’s username rules. The full list:
| Rule | What it means |
|---|---|
| Length | X’s help page says it must be longer than 4 characters and no more than 15 |
| Characters | Letters A–Z, numbers 0–9 and underscores (_) only |
| Not allowed | Spaces, dashes, dots, emoji and other symbols |
| Restricted words | Names containing “Twitter” or “Admin” can’t be claimed, except by official X accounts |
| Uniqueness | It can’t belong to another account, including suspended and deactivated ones |
| Capital letters | Display as you type them, but @Twigor and @twigor count as the same name |
What if the username you want is taken?
X won’t hand it over just because the account looks abandoned. Its inactive account policy is direct: “We cannot release inactive usernames at this time.” Your realistic options:
- Add an underscore before or after the name (X’s own suggestion):
_brandnameorbrandname_. - Add a word that says what you do:
brandnamehq,brandnameapp,getbrandname. - Add your city or country if you’re local:
brandnamenyc,brandnameuk. - Trademark owners can use X’s trademark process. That’s a separate legal route, not a username request.
If you plan to rebrand, change to the new username as soon as you’re sure. Every day you wait is a day someone else can claim it.
What happens when you change your username?
Your account stays exactly the same, only the @handle changes. X’s help page confirms that your followers, Direct Messages and replies aren’t affected. A few things do change, and they catch people out:
- Your old username is up for grabs immediately. Anyone can register it, including impersonators. If that’s a risk, consider keeping it with a second account.
- Old links and @mentions break. Posts that tagged your old handle now point at nothing, or at whoever takes the name. Links on websites, email signatures and other social profiles stop working too.
- You log in with the new name. Your password stays the same. Saved logins in password managers may need updating.
- Your user ID doesn’t change. Every X account has a permanent number. Apps, lists and tools that store the ID keep working. You can look yours up with our free Twitter ID Finder.
Does changing your username remove your blue checkmark?
Yes, temporarily, if you have one through X Premium. X’s verification page says that changes to your profile photo, display name or username “will result in a temporary loss of the blue checkmark.” The checkmark returns once X reviews the account, and until then you can’t change your photo, display name or username again. Plan all your profile edits for the same moment, so you go through one review instead of several.
Username vs. display name: which one should you change?
Change the display name if you just want a new look. Change the username if your brand or handle itself is changing.
| Username | Display name | |
|---|---|---|
| Example | @twigor | Twigor |
| Where it shows | Under your name, in your profile link, in mentions | In bold above your username |
| Length | Up to 15 characters | Up to 50 characters |
| Must be unique? | Yes | No |
| Changing it breaks links? | Yes | No |
To change only the display name, open your profile, tap Edit profile, change the Name field and save. It’s the safer edit: nothing breaks, and you can include spaces and emoji.
What should you do after changing your username?
A short checklist saves you from lost traffic and confused followers:
- Post about it. Pin a post saying “We’re now @newname (formerly @oldname)” so people searching for the old name find you.
- Update your links everywhere. Website footer, link-in-bio pages, email signatures, YouTube and Instagram bios, newsletters.
- Tell your regular contacts. Collaborators and partners who tag you should switch to the new handle.
- Check connected apps. Scheduling tools, analytics dashboards and embeds that use your handle (not your ID) may need reconnecting.
- Protect the old name if impersonation is a concern, by claiming it with a second account.
A rebrand is also a good moment to put fresh posts in front of new people. If you’d like help with that, Twigor promotes your posts to real X users in your niche every day. See how Twigor works.
Can you change your username as often as you want?
For a regular account, X doesn’t publish a limit. Practically, every change breaks links and confuses followers, so it’s best to change it rarely. With an X Premium checkmark, each change starts a new review, which limits how quickly you can make the next one.
If you’re also weighing whether to pay for a checkmark at all, our guide to the cheapest way to get X Premium compares current prices by country.
Frequently asked questions
How often can I change my X username?
X doesn't publish a limit for regular accounts. If you have an X Premium checkmark, each change triggers a review, and you can't change your photo, name or username again until it's done.
Will I lose followers if I change my Twitter username?
No. Followers, posts, likes and Direct Messages stay on your account. People see the new @username next to your profile photo right away.
What happens to my old username?
It's released immediately and anyone can claim it. If someone grabs it, old links and @mentions that used it will point to their account, not yours.
What's the difference between a username and a display name?
The username is your unique @handle, used in your profile link and for logging in, with up to 15 characters. The display name is the bold name above it, up to 50 characters, and it doesn't have to be unique.
Why does X say my username is unavailable?
Someone else is using it, it belongs to a suspended or deactivated account, or it contains a restricted word such as Twitter or Admin. X doesn't release usernames held by inactive accounts.
Does changing my username change my X user ID?
No. The user ID is fixed for the life of the account. You can check yours with Twigor's free Twitter ID Finder.
Sources
- How to change your username , X Help Center
- Username rules , X Help Center
- About verified accounts , X Help Center
- Inactive account policy , X Help Center
