You can change your Twitter handle anytime, and it takes about two minutes

Your Twitter handle — the @username that appears in your profile — can be changed whenever you want, directly from your account settings. Twitter doesn't charge for this, doesn't limit how many times you can change it, and doesn't require you to wait between changes. The process is the same whether you use Twitter on the web, the mobile app, or TweetDeck.

When you change your handle, your old one becomes available for someone else to claim after a short period. Your tweets, followers, and follower count stay with your account. People who had you bookmarked or saved your profile link will need to find you under your new handle, so it's worth letting your followers know if your handle is how they recognize you.

Key Takeaways

  • Change your handle from Settings and Privacy > Account > Account Information > Username, then type your new handle and save.
  • Your old handle becomes available for others to claim after you change it, so choose carefully if you're switching from a handle people know you by.
  • Your tweets, followers, and follower count stay with your account when you change your handle.
  • If your new handle is already taken, Twitter will tell you immediately and you'll need to choose a different one.
  • You can change your handle back to a previous one if you do it before someone else claims it.

How to change your handle on the web

Open Twitter in a web browser and click the three-dot menu in the top left corner of the screen. Select Settings and Privacy. On the left side, click Account, then click Account Information.

You'll see your current username listed. Click on the username field, delete the current handle, and type your new one. Twitter will check in real time whether the handle is available — if it's taken, you'll see a message saying so. Once you've entered a handle that's available, click Save. You'll be asked to enter your password to confirm the change.

After you confirm, your new handle takes effect immediately. You'll stay logged in, and your profile will show the new handle right away.

How to change your handle on the mobile app

Open the Twitter app and tap your profile picture in the top left corner. Tap Settings and Privacy, then tap Account. Tap Account Information, then tap the username field.

Delete your current handle and type the new one. As on the web, Twitter checks availability as you type. Once you've chosen an available handle, tap Save and enter your password to confirm. The change takes effect immediately.

What happens to your old handle

When you change your handle, your old one doesn't disappear immediately. Twitter holds it for a grace period — usually around 30 days — during which only you can claim it back. This means if you change your mind, you can switch back to your previous handle without anyone else being able to take it in the meantime.

After that grace period ends, your old handle becomes available for anyone else to register. If you had a well-known handle and you're changing it, consider whether you want to keep that old handle by switching back before the grace period ends, or whether you're comfortable with someone else eventually using it.

Handles that won't work and why

Twitter has a few rules about what characters and formats are allowed in a handle. Your handle must be between 4 and 15 characters long, can only contain letters, numbers, and underscores, and cannot start with a number. Spaces and special characters like hyphens, periods, or @ symbols are not allowed in the handle itself.

If you try to use a handle that breaks these rules, Twitter will show you an error message. If the handle you want is already taken by another account, Twitter will also tell you it's unavailable. In either case, you'll need to choose a different handle.

Things to know before you change

Your handle is different from your display name. Your display name is what appears at the top of your profile and in tweets — it can have spaces, special characters, and can be changed as often as you like. Your handle is the @username, and while you can change it anytime, changing it does affect how people find and mention you.

If you have a business account or are known by a particular handle, your followers might not immediately recognize you under a new one. Some people send out a tweet or update their bio to let followers know about the change. Links to your old profile will still work — Twitter automatically redirects them to your new handle — but bookmarks and saved links will show your new handle once you've made the change.

If you can't find the username setting

Make sure you're logged into the account you want to change. If you're on the web, check that you clicked Settings and Privacy from the three-dot menu, not from a different location. On the mobile app, the menu is in the bottom right corner on iOS and the top left on Android.

If you're using TweetDeck, click the three-dot menu next to your profile picture, select Settings, then click Account. The username field is in the same place. If you still can't locate the setting, try logging out and logging back in, or try the process on a different device or browser.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I change my handle back to one I used before?

Yes, if no one else has claimed it. You have about 30 days after changing your handle to switch back to your previous one without anyone else being able to take it. After that grace period, if the old handle is still unclaimed, you can take it back, but if someone else has registered it, you cannot.

Do my tweets disappear when I change my handle?

No. All your tweets stay on your account with your new handle. The tweets themselves don't change — they'll just show your new handle when people view them. Your follower count and all your followers stay with you as well.

Will people who follow me still see my tweets if I change my handle?

Yes. Your followers follow your account, not your handle. When you change your handle, your followers continue to follow you and will see your tweets in their feed just as before.

What if someone takes my old handle before I want to change it back?

If the grace period has ended and someone else has claimed your old handle, you cannot get it back. This is why it's important to switch back to a previous handle quickly if you think you might want it again. Once someone else registers it, only they can use it.

Can I use special characters or spaces in my handle?

No. Handles can only contain letters (a–z, A–Z), numbers (0–9), and underscores. They cannot start with a number, and they must be between 4 and 15 characters long. If you want spaces or special characters in your name, use your display name instead.