How to Change Your Letterboxd Username
Letterboxd has built a genuine community around film — and your username is your identity within it. Whether you signed up years ago with a throwaway handle or simply want something that better reflects how you engage with the platform today, changing your Letterboxd username is straightforward. But there are a few things worth understanding before you make the switch.
What Your Letterboxd Username Actually Controls
Your username on Letterboxd isn't just a display name — it's the foundation of your public profile URL. When you change it, your profile address changes too. For example, if your current username is filmwatcher99, your profile lives at letterboxd.com/filmwatcher99. Change the username, and that URL changes with it.
This matters more than most people initially realize. Any external links pointing to your old profile URL — from social media bios, blog posts, or shared reviews — will break immediately after the change. Letterboxd does not automatically redirect old URLs to new ones, so anything you've shared publicly using your old handle will need to be updated manually.
Your display name (the name shown more prominently on your profile) is a separate field and can be changed independently without affecting your URL.
How to Change Your Letterboxd Username: Step by Step
The process is the same whether you're on a desktop browser or using the Letterboxd mobile app, though the navigation path differs slightly.
On Desktop (Browser)
- Log in to your Letterboxd account
- Click your profile icon or avatar in the top-right corner
- Select Settings from the dropdown menu
- Under the Profile tab, locate the Username field
- Delete your current username and type your new one
- Scroll down and click Save Changes
Letterboxd will instantly check whether your chosen username is available. Usernames must be unique across the platform, so if someone else already has it — even if their account is inactive — you'll need to choose something different.
On the Mobile App
- Open the Letterboxd app and tap your profile icon
- Tap the Settings gear icon
- Select Profile
- Tap the Username field and edit it
- Save your changes
The change takes effect immediately across both web and app once saved.
Username Rules and Restrictions
Not every combination of characters is valid. Letterboxd usernames must follow a specific format:
| Rule | Detail |
|---|---|
| Characters allowed | Letters, numbers, and underscores only |
| Spaces | Not permitted |
| Special characters | Not permitted (no hyphens, periods, etc.) |
| Case sensitivity | Usernames are not case-sensitive for login, but the casing you choose is how it displays |
| Length | Generally kept short; very long usernames may be rejected |
If you're trying to claim a username with special characters you've seen on other platforms, those won't work here.
What Changes — and What Stays the Same 🎬
This is where users sometimes get caught off guard. Here's a clear breakdown:
What changes immediately:
- Your profile URL
- How your username appears in comments, reviews, and lists
- How other users tag or find you
What stays the same:
- All your film ratings, reviews, lists, and diary entries
- Your followers and following list
- Your watchlist
- Your account email and password
- Any Letterboxd Pro or Patron subscription status
Your film history and social connections are tied to your account, not your username, so none of that data is at risk during a name change.
How Often Can You Change Your Username?
Letterboxd doesn't publicly advertise a strict cooldown period the way some platforms do, but frequent changes aren't encouraged. Practically speaking, users report being able to change their username without hitting an immediate lock — but it's worth treating any change as semi-permanent given the broken link consequences.
The Variables That Affect Your Decision ✏️
Changing a username on a platform like Letterboxd sounds simple, but the right choice depends heavily on your personal situation:
How embedded is your current username? If you've been active for years and your handle appears across film forums, Twitter bios, podcast shownotes, or your own website, the disruption from changing it is proportionally larger. A newer account with minimal external presence faces far fewer consequences.
Do you use Letterboxd professionally or publicly? Critics, bloggers, and film journalists who use Letterboxd as part of their professional identity need to think about discoverability. A username change can temporarily affect how colleagues or readers find you.
Are your followers expecting continuity? Followers aren't notified when you change your username. If you have a substantial following, they may be briefly confused if they search for your old handle and land on a 404 page or a different account.
What's driving the change? A simple preference for a cleaner handle is a low-stakes reason to change. Rebranding entirely — new name, new persona — carries more logistical weight and may require updating multiple platforms simultaneously for consistency.
A Note on Reclaiming Usernames
If you've previously held a username and changed away from it, there's no guarantee you can reclaim it later. Once released, a username becomes available to any other user on the platform. Whether that matters depends on how recognizable or meaningful your specific handle is — and that's a calculation only you can make based on how you use the platform and what your username means to your presence there. 🎞️