What changing your X handle means and how to do it

Your X handle is the username that appears after the @ symbol on your profile — the part you use to tag other people and that shows up in your profile URL. Changing it takes about two minutes and does not affect your account history, followers, or anything else on your profile. The old handle becomes available for someone else to claim after you change it.

X (formerly Twitter) lets you change your handle as many times as you want, with no waiting period between changes. You can do this on the web, in the mobile app for iPhone or Android, or through the X app on desktop. The steps are the same across all platforms.

Key Takeaways

  • You change your handle in Settings under "Account" by finding the username field and typing a new one.
  • Your new handle must be between 4 and 15 characters, use only letters, numbers, and underscores, and cannot start with a number.
  • Your old handle becomes available for anyone else to claim immediately after you change it.
  • All your posts, followers, and account history stay exactly the same when you change your handle.

Steps to change your handle on the web

Open X in your web browser and sign in to your account. Click on the three dots (More) in the left sidebar, then select "Settings and privacy." This opens your account settings page.

Click on "Account" in the left menu. Scroll down until you see the "Username" field. Click in that field and delete your current handle, then type your new one. X will show you in real time whether the handle is available — if it is taken, you will see a red X and the message "This username is taken." If it is available, you will see a green checkmark.

Once you have typed a handle that is available, click the "Save" button. X will confirm the change immediately. You are done — your new handle is now live on your profile.

Steps to change your handle on mobile

Open the X app and tap your profile picture in the top left corner. Tap "Settings and privacy," then tap "Settings." Scroll down and tap "Account."

Tap "Username" to open the field. Delete your current handle and type the new one. Just like on the web, X shows you whether it is available as you type. When you see the green checkmark, tap "Save" at the top right of the screen. Your handle changes immediately.

Rules for what your new handle can be

Your handle must be between 4 and 15 characters long. You can use letters (uppercase and lowercase), numbers, and underscores. You cannot use spaces, hyphens, periods, or any other special characters. Your handle cannot start with a number — it must start with a letter or underscore.

X does not let you use certain handles that are reserved by the platform or that impersonate public figures, but in most cases you will see the rejection message immediately when you try to save. If you see "This username is unavailable," try a different one.

What happens to your old handle

Your old handle becomes available for anyone else to claim as soon as you change it. There is no grace period or hold. If you are worried someone might take it, you could create a second account and claim it yourself, but X does not let you use the same email address for two accounts. You would need a different email.

People who tagged you using your old handle will see that tag break — it will no longer link to your profile. Any links you shared that included your old handle in the URL will also stop working. For this reason, if you have shared your handle widely (in a bio, on a website, in marketing materials), changing it can cause confusion.

If you cannot find the username field

Make sure you are signed in to the account you want to change. If you are looking at someone else's profile, you will not see the Settings option. Sign out and sign back in to your own account.

If you are in Settings but cannot find the Username field, scroll down further — it is usually near the bottom of the Account section. If you are on mobile and the field is not showing, try closing the app completely and opening it again. Sometimes the app needs to refresh to show all settings fields.

If you see a message saying you cannot change your handle right now, your account may be new or restricted. X sometimes prevents very new accounts from changing their handle for a few days. Wait a day or two and try again.

Changing your display name instead

Do not confuse your handle with your display name. Your display name is the full name that appears at the top of your profile — this can be anything, can include spaces and special characters, and can be changed as often as you want. Your handle is the @username, which is what people use to tag you.

If you want to change your display name instead, go to Settings and Account, then click on "Name" (not Username). You can type anything you want there, up to 50 characters. This change does not affect your handle or your profile URL.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will changing my handle affect my followers or my tweets?

No. Your followers stay with you, all your tweets remain on your profile, and your follower count does not change. The only thing that changes is the @username that appears next to your name.

Can I get my old handle back if I change my mind?

If no one else has claimed it, yes — just change your handle back to the old one. If someone else has already taken it, you cannot get it back. You would have to contact that person and ask them to release it, which they are not required to do.

How often can I change my handle?

X does not limit how often you can change your handle. You can change it as many times as you want with no waiting period between changes. However, changing it frequently can confuse people who follow you.

What if the handle I want is taken?

Try a variation — add a number, use an underscore, or shorten it. You can also check if the account holding that handle is active. If it has not posted in years and looks abandoned, you could try messaging the owner and asking if they will release it, but they are under no obligation to do so.

Does changing my handle change my profile URL?

Yes. Your profile URL changes from twitter.com/@oldhandle to twitter.com/@newhandle. Any links to your old URL will no longer work. If you have shared your profile link anywhere, those links will break.