You can change your Twitter username anytime from your account settings

Your Twitter username — the handle that starts with @ — can be changed whenever you want, and it takes less than a minute. The change happens immediately across your entire account. Your old username becomes available for someone else to claim after you release it, so if you want to keep it reserved, you'll need to create a new account with that handle or use a different platform to hold it.

The process is the same whether you use Twitter on a computer, phone, or tablet. You don't need to contact Twitter support or wait for approval — the change goes live as soon you save it.

Key Takeaways

  • Open your account settings, find the username field under "Account information," and type your new handle directly into the box.
  • Your new username must be between 4 and 15 characters, contain only letters, numbers, and underscores, and cannot start with a number.
  • The change takes effect immediately, and your old username becomes available for anyone else to register within minutes.
  • Your tweets, followers, and follower count stay exactly the same — only the @handle changes.
  • If your desired username is taken, you'll see an error message and will need to choose a different one.

Step-by-step: changing your username on desktop

Log into your Twitter account and click the three-dot menu icon in the top left corner (or look for "More" if you're using an older version). Select "Settings and privacy" from the dropdown menu.

Click "Account" in the left sidebar, then find "Account information" and click it. You'll see your current username in a field labeled "Username." Click directly on the username field, delete the current text, and type your new handle. Twitter will check in real time whether the name is available — if it's taken, you'll see a red error message saying "Username has already been taken." If it's available, you'll see a green checkmark.

Once you see the green checkmark, scroll down and click "Save" at the bottom of the page. Your new username is now active. You may need to refresh the page to see the change reflected everywhere on your profile.

Step-by-step: changing your username on mobile

Open the Twitter app and tap the three-line menu icon (called a hamburger menu) in the top left corner. Scroll down and tap "Settings and privacy," then tap "Account."

Tap "Account information" and then tap the username field. Delete your current username and type the new one. As you type, Twitter will show you whether the name is available — a green checkmark means you can use it, and a red X means it's taken.

Once the name is available, tap "Save" or "Done" (the button label depends on your phone's operating system). The change takes effect immediately, and you'll be returned to your profile.

Rules for choosing a new username

Twitter usernames must be between 4 and 15 characters long. You can use letters (A–Z, both uppercase and lowercase), numbers (0–9), and underscores (_). You cannot use spaces, hyphens, periods, or other special characters in your username.

Your username cannot start with a number — it must begin with a letter or underscore. Twitter is case-insensitive, so @JamesRodriguez and @jamesrodriguez are treated as the same account. If you change only the capitalization of your current username, the change will save but won't be visible because Twitter treats them identically.

Usernames that impersonate real people, organizations, or brands may be reported and suspended, even if you own the name. If you're changing your username to match a business or public figure you represent, keep documentation of that relationship in case Twitter asks you to verify it later.

What happens to your old username

Once you change your username, your old one becomes available for anyone else to register. This can happen within minutes. If you want to prevent someone else from taking your old handle, you have two options: create a new Twitter account and register the old username there (you can set it to private so it's not visible), or accept that the name is now public.

All your existing tweets, followers, and follower count remain attached to your account — they don't disappear or transfer. People who were following you will still be following your new username. Links to your old tweets will still work and will redirect to your new username automatically.

If your desired username is taken

Twitter will show you an error message if the username you want is already in use. You cannot request that someone else release a username, and Twitter does not have a waitlist or reservation system for usernames.

Your options are to choose a different username, add numbers or underscores to your preferred name (for example, @JamesRodriguez2 or @James_Rodriguez), or wait to see if the account holding that username becomes inactive. Twitter does not reclaim inactive usernames, so if an account is dormant, its username remains reserved indefinitely.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will changing my username affect my followers or tweets?

No. Your followers stay followers, your tweets stay on your account, and your follower count doesn't change. Only the @handle that appears next to your name changes. People who were following you will still be following you under your new username.

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

Only if no one else has claimed it in the meantime. Since old usernames become available immediately after you change them, someone else may have registered it. If they have, you cannot use it again unless they release it.

How often can I change my username?

Twitter does not limit how often you can change your username. You can change it as many times as you want, though changing it very frequently may confuse your followers about how to find you.

What if I see an error message when I try to save my new username?

The most common error is "Username has already been taken," which means someone else is using that handle. Try a different username. If you see a different error message, try refreshing the page and logging back in. If the error persists, check Twitter's status page to see if there's a service outage.

Can I use special characters like hyphens or periods in my username?

No. Twitter usernames can only contain letters, numbers, and underscores. Hyphens, periods, spaces, and other special characters are not allowed. If you want to separate words in your username, use an underscore instead.