Not long ago, a new ability was introduced on Snapchat to change your username without deleting your account. This article will explain how to do that you use an Android or iOS device.
Hello my friends, it is your pal Frankie Caruso here to talk about more instant messaging tips and tricks. I am the self-proclaimed instant messaging guru, and today I want to talk about a Snapchat.
Today, you will get pertinent information about how to change your Snapchat username quickly.
If you have been wanting to change your username Snapchat before now, the only suitable option was to delete your account entirely and start over from scratch.
Fortunately, that is no longer the case. Allow me to explain.
When it comes to social media, people look to your username as the most important and recognizable aspect of your profile.
This is how people connect with you, recognize your brand, and will make the first impressions they have of you as a person.
Naturally, the username that you made several years ago when you were different, and probably less mature, might not suit you anymore. Now, you would be interested and even eager to change it.
Thankfully, you can change your username on Snapchat now without having to delete your entire account to do so.
Continue reading so that we can tell you what you need to know about changing this username without incident.
Ready to get going? Let’s begin.
Frankie’s Take:
It is important to note that Snapchat rolled out this feature to change your usernames at the beginning of 2022. This feature might not be showing up on your phone if you have not updated this app since then. Make sure you update the app and change to the latest version before you begin with the steps I will list below.
Snapchat Username vs Display Name
It is important to note that before I describe how to change your username or display name that they are two different things to this social media program.
Your display name is the name shown on the Snapchat profile, which is what your friends see in the conversation window. You can always change this, and your friends can change your display name on their side of Snapchat as well to make it more convenient for them.
Your Snapchat username is the unique name chosen when you first made an account. Here is what you need to know before you go about changing your Snapchat username.
How to Change Your Username on Snapchat
If you’re wondering “Can I change my Snapchat username without having to create a whole new account?”, the answer is YES!
Before we get too far, there is an important thing to consider: You can ONLY change your username once every 365 days.
Think hard about what you want it to be before you commit to the change, because you will be stuck with it for a year until it can be modified again.
Follow these steps for either iPhone or Android to achieve this change:
- Open Snapchat and click on your Bitmoji (profile icon) in the upper left portion of the screen.
- When you reach the profile page, you can click the settings gear icon in the top right of the screen.
- Next, select Username under My Account (which is usually the second option down the list)
- On this screen, you will see a button appear to Change Username – tap that.
- When prompted with a warning that you can only change your name once a year, select to Continue.
- Type in the username you wish to use in the box and then press on Next.
- Enter your password to confirm this change, and solidify it by tapping Confirm.
- The next prompt will have a Continue button, which allows you to confirm, for the final time, that you wish to change your username to the newly written one.
That’s it! 🎉
After you are done you will see a pop-up from Snapchat showing that you successfully changed your username.
Changing Your Snapchat Display Name
Now that we’ve discussed changing your username, let’s talk about how to change your display name:
- Open Snapchat and tap on your profile icon (Bitmoji) in the top left of the screen
- On the profile page you can click on the settings gear icon located in the top right
- Instead of choosing about your username, hit Name which should be the first option on the list
- Now, type the name you want as your new display name and choose to Save it.
Your new display name should be active now. 🎉
You can check your Snapchat profile to see the changes.
Changing Your Snapchat Username Before a Year Passes
Didn’t I warn you earlier to take time to think about your username before you clicked to confirm?
If you didn’t, you aren’t completely out of options.
If you are desperate, there is one thing you can do.
You will have to delete your whole Snapchat account and create a new one, much like people used to have to do before this update rolled out at the beginning of 2022.
While this is not a hard process to complete, you cannot transfer the data from the old account to a new one you are creating.
If you still want to move ahead, here is what you need to do:
- First, sign into Snapchat’s account portal through the desktop or mobile browser.
- Select the option to Delete My Account.
- Enter your username and password and choose to Continue.
Your account will be deactivated for 30 days. If you change your mind in that time, you can reactivate and resume normal activity. If you wait beyond the 30 day threshold, it is permanently deleted.
Creating a new account is simple.
Just follow these few simple steps:
- Open up Snapchat and choose Sign Up with a button on the screen.
- Enter your personal information and click to Sign Up & Accept.
- You will add more credentials here like your birthdate, and choose Continue.
- Next, enter your username (that you will not regret after a short time using it), a password, and choose to Continue.
- You will enter you email address and linked phone number to finalize the signing up process.
That’s it – congratulations! 🎉
You have a new username to go with a shiny, new account. Hopefully it will be longer before you regret this username and need to take these drastic measures to change it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Need more answers than what the guide provided?
Let’s take a quick look at some frequently asked questions that might help you on the topic of changing your Snapchat username.
How often can I change my Snapchat username?
To maintain a long-standing account life, you can only change a username once in any 365 day period. Display names, on the other hand, can be changed multiple times. If you have a reason to change your username more than the one time you are allotted in the year, you need to create a new account altogether.
Why can I not change my Snapchat name?
If you have already changed your username once in the past 365 days, you have reached the number of times you are allowed to change things.
Snapchat is slowly rolling out this feature to users, so make sure your app is up to date with the latest version to if you should be able to change your username.
Will someone know if I change their display name on Snapchat?
No. If you change a friend’s display name, that is private to your account. They will have no idea about the changes you have made.
Can I hide my username on Snapchat?
You cannot, at least not permanently.
If you create a display name, however, this overrides your username to those who are your friends and those finding you through searches.
The display name is what shows up in chats, stories, and other features of the app. If they click on your profile, though, it is still possible to see it.
Conclusions
This is all you will need to know about changing your Snapchat username.
As you can tell, it is not a difficult process, but it does come with a one-year stipulation before you can change or modify this information again.
So, make sure you choose this name wisely.
If you have more comments, questions, or concerns, you can leave a comment on the post below and I will get back in touch with you to answer.
Let me say once more before we part that you can have access to a wealth of helpful information and fresh video content on my YouTube channel and for free with the newsletter I put out weekly.
Love,
Frankie Caruso
