How to change your Twitter handle or username

• You can change your Twitter handle by opening your Account Information menu.
• A Twitter handle doesn't have to be your real name, but you can't take a username that someone else has.
• Your Twitter handle starts with an @ symbol, and is different from your display name.

Unlike some social media sites, you don't have to use your real name anywhere on Twitter. Your handle can be a take on your own real name, to a pun or meme, to a collection of random numbers and letters. It just has to be unique, and can't contain slurs or other terms that violate the rules.

And best of all: You can change your Twitter handle whenever you want. All you need to do is open your account settings.

Here's how to change your Twitter handle, and go by a different @ name.

Important: If you're verified on Twitter, changing your handle will remove your verification status. $4.

How to change your Twitter handle

This guide will show how to change your handle via the Twitter mobile app, but the steps are nearly identical on the website.

1. Swipe right to open the side menu, and tap Settings and privacy at the bottom.

2. Tap Account, and then Username.

3. Enter your new name. You might also be given some suggestions - tap any of these to set it as your username immediately.

4. Tap Done to save your new handle.

Quick tip: If you're looking to change your display name - the larger and longer name that's at the top of your profile and all your tweets - you'll need to open your profile page, not settings. Check out our article $4 for more details.

Steven John contributed to a previous version of this article.