How to Change Your Nickname in Zoom: Display Name Settings Explained
Your name in Zoom is what every participant sees the moment you join a meeting. Whether you're correcting a typo, switching between a professional and casual identity, or simply updating a username that no longer fits, changing your display name — commonly called your "nickname" — is one of the most straightforward customizations Zoom offers. That said, where and how you make the change depends on a few variables that trip people up.
What "Nickname" Actually Means in Zoom
Zoom doesn't use the term "nickname" in its official interface. What most people mean is the display name — the label that appears on your video tile, in the participant list, and in chat messages during a meeting.
This display name can come from two different places:
- Your Zoom account profile — the name stored in your account settings, used as the default every time you join
- An in-meeting temporary change — a one-time rename that only lasts for the duration of that session
Understanding this distinction matters, because changing one doesn't change the other.
How to Change Your Display Name Before a Meeting 🖥️
The most permanent approach is updating your profile name directly in your Zoom account. This change carries forward into every meeting you host or join while signed in.
On desktop (Windows or Mac):
- Open the Zoom desktop app
- Click your profile picture or initials in the top-right corner
- Select Settings, then navigate to your Profile
- Click Edit My Profile — this opens the Zoom web portal
- Update your display name in the profile fields and save
On the Zoom web portal (browser):
- Go to zoom.us and sign in
- Click Profile in the left-hand menu
- Click Edit next to your name
- Enter the new display name and click Save
On mobile (iOS or Android):
- Open the Zoom app
- Tap More (bottom-right) then tap your profile name at the top
- Tap Display Name
- Edit and save
Changes made here become your default going forward.
How to Change Your Name During a Live Meeting
If you only want to update your name for a single session — or you forgot to change it beforehand — Zoom allows in-meeting renames without leaving the call.
On desktop:
- Open the Participants panel (click "Participants" in the toolbar)
- Hover over your own name in the list
- Click More → Rename
- Type the new name and confirm
On mobile:
- Tap Participants in the meeting controls
- Tap your own name
- Select Rename from the popup
- Enter the new name and tap OK
This change is temporary. Once the meeting ends, your stored profile name returns as the default for future sessions.
Variables That Affect What You Can Change 🔧
Not everyone has the same level of control over their display name. Several factors determine what's actually editable in your situation:
| Variable | Impact on Nickname Control |
|---|---|
| Account type | Free personal accounts have full control; managed/enterprise accounts may have IT restrictions |
| Meeting host settings | Hosts can disable participant renaming for specific meetings |
| SSO / organization login | If you sign in through a company or school SSO, your name may be pulled from a directory you can't edit directly in Zoom |
| Desktop app vs. web browser | The browser-based Zoom client sometimes has a slightly different menu path than the installed app |
| App version | Older app versions may show slightly different menu labels or locations |
If you find the rename option is grayed out or missing during a meeting, the most likely explanation is that the host has disabled participant renaming for that session — a common setting in webinars, classroom environments, or corporate meetings where name standardization matters.
When Your Name Change Doesn't Stick
A frustrating but common experience: you change your display name, but it reverts the next time you join. A few reasons this happens:
- You made the change in-meeting (temporary by design) rather than in your profile settings
- You're signed into multiple devices, and one device is syncing an older cached name
- Your account is part of an organization or institution that pushes your name from a central directory — in this case, only an IT administrator can update it at the source
- You joined the meeting as a guest (not signed in), meaning Zoom prompted you for a name at entry with no profile to update
Different Scenarios, Different Approaches
Someone using a personal free Zoom account for casual calls has the simplest path — update the profile name in settings and it reflects everywhere.
Someone joining through a workplace Zoom account managed by IT may not have edit rights at all. Their display name is typically tied to their company directory (Active Directory, Google Workspace, etc.), meaning the fix has to happen outside of Zoom entirely.
A student on a university Zoom license is usually in a similar position — their name comes from enrollment records, and changing it in Zoom's settings may be blocked or overridden at the institutional level.
Someone who always joins as a guest without signing in can type whatever name they want at the join screen each time, but there's no persistent profile to update — the name is entered fresh every session.
The method that works cleanly for one person may simply not be available to another, depending entirely on how their account is provisioned and what permissions the host or organization has configured.