The difference between your Microsoft account and your in-game name

Minecraft Education Edition uses your Microsoft account to sign in, but your in-game username is separate. When you change your Microsoft account name, it does not automatically change what other players see in the game. To change what appears in-game, you need to change your Microsoft account's display name through the Microsoft account settings, not through Minecraft itself.

Your Microsoft account email address stays the same — changing the display name only affects what shows up when you play. This matters because Education Edition is often used in schools where teachers need to see student names clearly in the game world.

Key Takeaways

  • Your in-game name comes from your Microsoft account's display name, not a separate Minecraft setting.
  • You change it by going to account.microsoft.com, signing in, and editing your profile information.
  • The change takes effect the next time you launch Minecraft Education Edition.
  • If you are a student, your school may have restrictions on name changes — check with your teacher or IT department first.
  • Your email address and password do not change when you update your display name.

Steps to change your display name in your Microsoft account

Go to account.microsoft.com in your web browser and sign in with the email and password you use for Minecraft Education Edition. Once you are signed in, look for your profile picture or name in the top right corner and click it.

Select View profile or Manage your Microsoft account from the menu that appears. On your profile page, find the section labeled Name or Your info. Click Edit name or the pencil icon next to your current name. Type your new name in the field and click Save. Microsoft will ask you to confirm the change — follow the prompts to finish.

The new name will show in Minecraft Education Edition the next time you close and reopen the game. If you are already in a world or classroom session, you may need to sign out and sign back in for the change to appear to other players.

What happens if your school manages your account

If your school uses Microsoft 365 for Education or manages accounts through a school domain, you may not be able to change your display name yourself. School administrators sometimes lock this setting to keep student names consistent with official records.

If you try to change your name and see a message saying the change is not allowed or is managed by your organization, contact your teacher, IT department, or school administrator. They can tell you whether the restriction is in place and whether they can change it for you. Do not try to work around the restriction — it is there for record-keeping and safety reasons.

Troubleshooting: the name did not change in-game

If you changed your Microsoft account display name but the old name still appears in Minecraft Education Edition, try signing out completely and signing back in. Close Minecraft entirely, not just the world or classroom. Then reopen the game and sign in again with your Microsoft account.

If the name still has not updated after signing out and back in, clear your game cache. On Windows, go to C:\Users\[Your Username]\AppData\Local\Packages\Microsoft.MinecraftEducationEdition_8wekyb3d8bbwe\LocalState and delete the cache folder. On Mac, open Finder, press Command+Shift+G, paste ~/Library/Containers/com.microsoft.minecrafteducationedition/Data/Library/Caches, and delete the cache folder. Restart Minecraft and sign in again.

Changing your name if you use a school-provided device

School-provided computers sometimes have additional restrictions. Your device may be set up so that only the school's IT team can change account settings. If you cannot access account.microsoft.com or the settings are grayed out, you are likely on a managed device.

Ask your school's IT department or technology coordinator to change your display name for you. Bring them the name you want to use. They can make the change from their admin panel, and it will take effect the next time you sign in to Minecraft Education Edition on that device.

Why your username matters in Education Edition

Teachers use the in-game username to track who is who during lessons and to see student progress in worlds and assignments. If your name is unclear or misspelled, your teacher may not be able to match your work to your grade. Changing your name to match what your teacher expects — usually your first and last name or a school-assigned username — makes it easier for them to manage the class.

If you are working on a shared world or classroom assignment, let your teacher know you changed your name so they do not think you are a different student. The change is when ready on your end, but your teacher may need to refresh their view to see the new name.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I change my username without changing my Microsoft account name?

No. Minecraft Education Edition pulls your in-game name directly from your Microsoft account's display name. There is no separate username field in the game itself. If you want a different name in-game, you must change your Microsoft account display name.

Will changing my name affect my saved worlds or assignments?

No. Your worlds, assignments, and progress are tied to your Microsoft account email, not your display name. Changing the name does not delete or move any of your work. Other players will just see the new name when you join their worlds.

How long does it take for the name change to show up?

The change is usually when ready in your Microsoft account, but Minecraft Education Edition may take a few minutes to a few hours to display the new name. If it has been more than an hour, try signing out of the game completely and signing back in.

What if I want to change my name back to what it was before?

Go back to account.microsoft.com, sign in, and edit your name again to whatever you want. There is no limit to how many times you can change your display name, though Microsoft may ask you to wait a short time between changes if you change it very frequently.

Can I use special characters or numbers in my username?

Microsoft allows letters, numbers, spaces, and some punctuation in display names. Avoid symbols like @, #, or &. If you try to save a name with characters Microsoft does not allow, you will see an error message telling you which characters to remove.