How to Change Your Snapchat Username and Display Name
By the View Snapchat Stories team · · 1 min read
Snapchat has two names. The display name is the big one friends see; change it as often as you like. The username is your unique handle (snapchat.com/add/username); you can change it once a year.
Change your display name
- Tap your profile picture (top left).
- Tap the gear icon, then Name.
- Type the new name and tap Save.
Change your username
- Tap your profile picture, then the gear icon.
- Tap Username, then Change Username.
- Type a new one. Snapchat tells you straight away if it’s taken.
- Confirm with your password.
Video by Tech Life Unity. It plays from YouTube (privacy-enhanced mode) when you press play.
Username rules
| Rule | Detail |
|---|---|
| Length | 3–15 characters |
| Start | Must start with a letter |
| Allowed | Letters, numbers, and one of . - _ |
| End | Must end with a letter or number |
| How often | Once a year |
What changes when you switch
- Your friends, Snap Score, streaks, Memories and chats stay. Only the handle changes.
- Old links like snapchat.com/add/oldname stop working. Update your Instagram, TikTok and YouTube bios.
- Your old username isn’t yours any more. After a while, someone else may be able to claim it.
- If you have a Public Profile, its web address changes too, and sites that showed your old profile (including ours) will show “no public profile” for the old name.
Check a name before you switch
Want to see whether a public account already uses a name? Try it in our Snapchat Username Finder. A “not found” there doesn’t guarantee the name is free (private accounts aren’t on the web), but a “found” means it’s definitely taken.
