You can change your Steam username once every 30 days through your account settings

Your Steam username — the name that appears to other players — can be changed whenever you want, but Steam enforces a 30-day waiting period between changes. This means if you changed your name last week, you'll have to wait until that 30 days passes before you can change it again. The change takes effect when ready once you save it, and it shows up to everyone in your friends list and in-game.

The process takes about two minutes and requires no special permissions or verification beyond logging into your account. You don't need to contact Steam support unless something goes wrong during the change itself.

Key Takeaways

  • You can change your Steam username through Account Settings on the Steam website or in the Steam client, and the change appears when ready to other players.
  • Steam enforces a 30-day cooldown between username changes, so you cannot change it again until 30 days have passed since your last change.
  • Your Steam ID number stays the same forever — changing your username does not affect your game progress, achievements, or friends list.
  • If you see an error message saying the name is unavailable or contains banned words, you'll need to choose a different name and try again.

How to change your username on the Steam website

Log into your Steam account at steampowered.com. Click your username in the top right corner and select "Account" from the dropdown menu. On the Account page, look for the "Profile" section on the left side and click it. You'll see your current username displayed with an "Edit" button next to it — click that button.

Type your new username into the text field. Steam will tell you when ready if the name is already taken or contains words the system doesn't allow. Once you've entered a name that works, click "Save Changes" at the bottom of the page. Your new username is now live.

How to change your username in the Steam client

Open the Steam client on your computer and click your username in the top right corner. Select "View my profile" from the menu. On your profile page, hover over your username at the top and click the pencil icon that appears. Type your new username and press Enter or click outside the text field to save.

The change takes effect when ready. If you're in a game or in-game chat, you may need to restart the game or rejoin the chat to see your new name reflected there.

What happens to your profile, friends, and game progress

Changing your username does not affect anything else on your account. Your Steam ID — a unique number assigned to your account when you created it — never changes, so all your friends, game libraries, achievements, and playtime records stay exactly the same. Games you own remain in your library, and your friends list doesn't need to be updated.

Other players will see your new name the next time they look at your profile or see you in a game. If you're in the middle of a multiplayer match when you change your name, other players in that match may still see your old name until the match ends or the game refreshes.

The 30-day waiting period between changes

After you change your username, Steam locks you out of changing it again for 30 days. This cooldown starts from the moment you save the change, not from when you first tried to change it. If you change your name on a Tuesday, you can change it again on the Tuesday 30 days later.

There is no way to bypass this waiting period. Steam support will not remove the cooldown even if you contact them, so plan your username changes accordingly if you know you might want to change it again soon.

Reasons your username change might fail

The most common reason a username change fails is that the name you chose is already taken by another account. Steam will show you this message when ready when you try to save. Choose a different name and try again.

Steam also blocks usernames that contain certain words or phrases it considers offensive or inappropriate. If you see a message saying your name violates the Code of Conduct, try removing or replacing the word that triggered it. Usernames with numbers, underscores, and spaces are usually allowed, so adding those can help you keep a name you like while avoiding blocked words.

Changing your display name versus your username

Steam has two separate name fields that can be confusing. Your username is what you use to log in and what appears on your profile — this is what you change through Account Settings. Your display name is a separate nickname that shows in some games and community spaces, and you can change it as often as you want with no cooldown.

If you only want to change how your name appears in a specific game, check that game's settings first — many games let you set a custom in-game name without touching your Steam profile at all. This is different from your Steam username and can usually be changed without any waiting period.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will my friends still be able to find me after I change my username?

Yes. Your Steam ID number never changes, so your friends list stays the same and they'll see your new name automatically. They don't need to re-add you or do anything on their end.

Can I change my username back to what it was before?

Only if nobody else has claimed that name in the meantime. If someone else took it, you'll need to choose a different name. You'll still have to wait 30 days between any changes you make.

What if I want to change my username more than once a month?

You'll have to wait 30 days between each change. There's no exception to this rule, even for new accounts or accounts with no games. Plan your changes so you're happy with each name for at least a month.

Does changing my username affect my game saves or achievements?

No. Your game progress, saves, achievements, and playtime are all tied to your Steam ID, which never changes. Changing your username has no effect on any of this.

Can I use special characters or emojis in my username?

Steam allows letters, numbers, spaces, underscores, and hyphens. Emojis and most special characters are not allowed. If you try to use them, Steam will reject the name and ask you to choose a different one.