There comes a time in your Twitch career where the username you created back when you were a kid just doesn’t cut it anymore. Maybe you created your username before you planned on streaming and it doesn’t align with your brand.
In this article, we are going to show you how to change your Twitch username. For a long time, Twitch did not have this feature. Luckily they added this ability back in 2017. Let’s jump in and show you how to change your name.
How To Change Your Twitch Username
Changing your name on Twitch is simple. Follow the steps below to change your username:
- Open Twitch.tv and click on your profile picture in the top right hand corner
- Click on the settings button in the drop-down menu
- Navigate to the Profile section of the settings page and scroll down to Profile settings.
- Click on the edit button to the right-hand side of your username
- A panel will pop up where you can enter your new username. You will also see what your new channel URL will look like.
- Click on the update button and your Username will now be updated.
You have now successfully updated your username on Twitch. Make sure to share your new username with your followers on your other social media platforms as well as update any links you have linking out to your Twitch channel.
Changing Your Display Name On Twitch
When you update your username you may notice that there is another box which contains your “Display Name”.
Your display name must be the same as your username however you can change the capitalization of your name. Your display name is what your audience will see on your Twitch profile.
For example, xQc’s username is xqcow but that doesn’t look all that great. He has adjusted his display name to xQcOW which looks much more aesthetic on his Twitch profile.
How Often Can You Change Your Name On Twitch?
You can change your name on Twitch once every 60 Days. If you plan on changing your name you should think long and hard about what you are going to change it to. Make sure you double-check the spelling before clicking the update button.
If you accidentally save your name and it is not correct you will be stuck with the wrong name for the next 60 days. This could be terrible for your branding.
Stuck trying to find a Twitch Username? Check out our article on the Top 10 Username Generators For Twitch
How To Change Your Twitch Name On Mobile
You can also change your Twitch username in the Twitch mobile app if you are on the go. Just follow the steps below to change your Twitch name on mobile:
- Open the Twitch App on your Phone
- Click on your profile picture in the top left corner
- From the menu click on the Settings Button –> Account
- In the Profile section click on Username
- You will be asked if you’re sure you want to change your username as you can only change it once every 60 days. Click on Change Username
- On the change username screen you can enter your new username and click go to submit it.
As long as your new username is available you will have now successfully changed your username.
You can also change your Username through the browser on your phone. Just visit the desktop version of the site and go through the steps listed at the start of this article.
Will My Old Username Become Available When I Change My Name?
You may be wondering what happens to your old username on Twitch when you change to a new one. While it won’t become available to the public for someone else to claim right away, it will in 6 months.
This means that in 6 months from changing your name, your old username will be up for grabs. If you want to keep both you should mark 6 months on the calendar and create a new account to claim your old username.
Should I Change My Name On Twitch?
You are maybe wondering if you should or shouldn’t change your name on Twitch. It can be a hard choice. The answer is, it really depends on your situation.
Just Starting – If you are just starting out on Twitch and you previously only watched streams you may have a random username. If this is the case you should change it to something more recognizable. As you have no audience, there really is no down side to changing your name at this point.
Have An Audience – If you already have an audience the decision to change your name will be a little harder. If your fan base knows you by a specific name it is likely a bad choice to rebrand unless it is early in your journey as a creator.
If people know you by a name and then don’t see that name anymore they may not click on your streams as they don’t recognize the streamer.
If you have a username like “WildDog567” and the username “WildDog” has become available, we would recommend making this change as it makes your branding more simple.
Reasons You Should Change Your Name On Twitch
There are some circumstances where it makes sense to change your name even if you do already have a following:
Hard To Memorize – If your name is long with lots of words or numbers people will have a hard time memorizing it. If they want to go watch your stream but can’t remember your name then they will end up watching someone else. This is bad for your brand in the long run.
Hard To Pronounce – If your name is hard to pronounce then people will have trouble sharing your name/stream via word of mouth. This means you will lose out on one of the biggest ways to grow on Twitch. If someone sees your content on Twitch, you want them to be able tell their friend about it and have them easily be able to search for your channel. If there is too much friction then people won’t bother and you will lose out on viewers.
Copying A Bigger Streamer – If your name is similar to a streamer who is well known and much larger than you, you should change your name. People will assume that you are a “copycat” and don’t have your own serious brand. Even if you had the name first, if they are the bigger streamer people will look at you in a negative light.
Your Branding Is Off – If your name is GuitarGuy45 but you are regularly streaming Call of Duty then we would recommend switching your name. We recommend choosing a name that is broad enough that you can change direction in your content without your name looking out of place. Lots of streamers fall into the trap of naming themselves based on a game “CODguy69”. When it comes to them wanting to play a different game it looks weird on their channel and they lose a lot of audience.
Will Changing My Username Unban Me From A Channel On Twitch?
If you are thinking of changing your username on Twitch to avoid a ban you have received on a channel it will not work. Even if you change your name, the ban is still linked to your account and you will not be able to interact in the chat.
Wrapping Up
You now know how to change your username on Twitch. Hopefully this guide made the process as smooth as possible. Changing your name is a big step and should be thought about carefully. Remember you won’t be able to change it again for another 60 days.
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