You can change your Twitter name anytime from your account settings

Your Twitter name — the one that appears on your profile and in search results — can be changed whenever you want, and Twitter does not limit how many times you do it. The process takes less than a minute and requires only that you log into your account and visit one specific settings page. Unlike your username (the @handle), your display name has no character restrictions and can include spaces, numbers, and symbols.

The steps are the same whether you use Twitter on a computer, phone, or tablet. If you have forgotten your password or cannot access your account, you will need to recover it first before you can make any changes.

Key Takeaways

  • Your display name (what people see on your profile) is different from your username (@handle), and only the display name can be changed without restrictions.
  • You change your name through Settings and Privacy, then Account, then Account Information — this path is the same on all devices.
  • The change takes effect immediately across all of Twitter, and people who follow you will see the new name the next time they visit your profile.
  • If you change your name frequently, people may have trouble finding you, so consider how often you actually need to switch it.

How to change your name on a computer

Open Twitter in your web browser and log in if you are not already signed in. Look for your profile picture in the top right corner of the screen and click it. A menu will drop down with several options.

Click Settings and Privacy from that menu. On the next page, click Settings and Privacy again in the left sidebar (this opens the full settings menu). Then click Account in that same left sidebar. Look for Account Information and click it. You will see a section labeled Name with your current display name in a text box. Click into that box, delete the old name, type your new name, and click Save. The change happens immediately.

How to change your name on your phone or tablet

Open the Twitter app and tap your profile picture in the bottom right corner (on iPhone) or top left corner (on Android). Tap Settings and Privacy from the menu that appears. Then tap Settings and Privacy again, followed by Account, then Account Information

Tap the text box next to Name, clear out your current name, type the new one, and tap Save. On some phones, you may need to scroll down to see the Save button. The change takes effect right away and will show up on your profile within seconds.

What happens when you change your name

Everyone who visits your profile will see your new name immediately. Your username (the @handle that starts with @) does not change — that stays the same, and people can still find you by searching for it or clicking old links to your profile. If someone has bookmarked your profile or saved a link to it, that link will still work and will show your new name.

People who follow you will not get a notification that you changed your name. They will simply see the new name the next time they visit your profile or see one of your posts in their feed. If you change your name very often, people may have trouble recognizing your account or finding you again, so consider whether frequent changes make sense for how you use Twitter.

Changing your name versus changing your username

Your display name is what appears at the top of your profile and next to your posts — this is what you just changed, and you can make it anything you want. Your username is the @handle (like @JohnSmith123) that comes after the @ symbol. These are two different things, and changing one does not change the other.

If you want to change your username instead, that process is different and has more restrictions. You can change it only once every 30 days, and it must be between 4 and 15 characters long with no spaces. To change your username, go to Settings and Privacy, then Account, then Account Information, and look for the Username field instead of the Name field. The same Save button applies the change.

Troubleshooting if the change will not save

If you click Save and nothing happens, first check that you are actually logged in to your account. If you are logged in but the button does not respond, try refreshing the page or closing the app and opening it again. Sometimes Twitter's servers take a moment to catch up.

If you see an error message, it usually means Twitter detected something unusual about the request — for example, if you tried to change your name multiple times in a very short period, Twitter may temporarily block further changes as a security measure. Wait a few hours and try again. If the problem continues, you can contact Twitter's support team through the Help Center in your Settings menu, though response times vary.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I change my name back to what it was before?

Yes. There is no limit on how many times you can change your display name, so you can switch it back anytime. Just follow the same steps and type in the old name. Keep in mind that if you change your name very frequently, people may have trouble recognizing your account.

Will my followers see that I changed my name?

Your followers will not get a notification about the change. They will see your new name the next time they visit your profile or see one of your posts. If you want people to know about the change, you can post about it yourself.

What characters can I use in my display name?

Your display name can include letters, numbers, spaces, and most symbols. Twitter does not restrict the characters the way it does for usernames. You can use emojis, accents, and special characters without any problem.

If I change my name, will old posts still show my new name?

Yes. When you change your display name, all of your old posts will show the new name when people view them. The posts themselves do not change — only the name attached to them updates across Twitter.

Can I use someone else's name as my display name?

Twitter allows you to use any display name you want, including names that belong to other people. However, if you use a name to impersonate someone or deceive others about who you are, Twitter may suspend your account for violating their impersonation policy.