The Mobile Path: Open Twitch, Go to Settings, Change Your Name

You change your Twitch username on mobile through the Twitch app itself, not through a web browser. Open the Twitch app on your phone or tablet, tap your profile icon in the bottom right corner, select Settings, then tap Username. Type your new name and confirm the change. The whole process takes about two minutes.

Twitch allows you to change your username once every 60 days. If you changed it recently, you will see a message telling you when you can change it again. The name you choose must be between 4 and 25 characters, contain only letters, numbers, and underscores, and cannot already be taken by another account.

Key Takeaways

  • Open the Twitch app, tap your profile icon, go to Settings, then Username to make the change on mobile.
  • You can change your username once every 60 days, and Twitch will tell you the exact date you can change it again if you are within the waiting period.
  • Your new username must be 4 to 25 characters long and can only contain letters, numbers, and underscores.
  • Changing your username does not affect your followers, subscriptions, or stream history — everything stays attached to your account.

What Happens to Your Account When You Change Your Name

Your followers stay with you. Your subscriber list stays with you. Your stream history, clips, and VODs all stay attached to your account. The only thing that changes is the name people see when they visit your channel or watch you live. Old clips and VODs will show your new name, not the old one.

If you have a custom URL like twitch.tv/yourname, it updates automatically to match your new username. Anyone who bookmarked or shared your old URL will find a redirect that takes them to your new one, so old links do not break.

If Your Desired Username Is Already Taken

Twitch will tell you when ready if the name you want is not available. You will see a message saying the username is taken. At that point, you have to choose a different name — there is no waitlist or reservation system. If you want a specific name badly, you can check whether that account is still active by searching for it in the Twitch directory. Inactive accounts can sometimes be reclaimed after a long period, but Twitch does not publish the exact timeline for when that happens.

If the account holding your desired name appears abandoned, you can report it to Twitch through the Help Center, but there is no may provide they will release it. Your best option is to pick a variation — adding numbers, underscores, or a short prefix — and move forward.

Changing Your Display Name Instead of Your Username

Twitch has two separate name fields: your username (the one you log in with and that appears in your channel URL) and your display name (what viewers see on screen). If you want to change only how your name appears to viewers without changing your login credentials, you can change your display name as often as you want.

To change your display name on mobile, go to Settings, tap Profile, then Display Name. You can use spaces, capital letters, and special characters in your display name, which gives you more flexibility. Many streamers use their display name for branding while keeping their username straightforward for login purposes.

Troubleshooting: Why the Change Did Not Go Through

If you tapped confirm but your username did not change, check whether you are still within the 60-day waiting period. Scroll back to the Username field — Twitch shows the exact date you become may be able to access to change again. If the date has passed and the change still did not work, try logging out of the app completely, closing it, and logging back in.

If you see an error message saying the username is unavailable even though you just checked and it was free, wait a few minutes and try again. Sometimes another user claims a name in the seconds between when you check and when you submit. If the problem persists after several attempts, contact Twitch Support through the Help Center in the app — they can investigate whether a technical issue is blocking your change.

What You Cannot Change on Mobile (And What to Do Instead)

Some account settings, like your email address or password, cannot be changed through the mobile app. If you need to change those, you have to use a web browser on your phone or a computer. Open twitch.tv in your browser, log in, go to Settings, then Security and Privacy to change your email or password.

The mobile app handles username and display name changes smoothly, but Twitch keeps the more sensitive account security settings behind the web version. This is a safety measure — it prevents someone with temporary access to your phone from locking you out of your account.

Frequently Asked Questions

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

Yes, but only if no one else has claimed it in the meantime. You still have to wait 60 days between changes. If someone else took your old name, you cannot get it back unless that person changes their username and no one else claims it again.

Will my followers see my old username anywhere after I change it?

No. Your old username disappears from your channel, clips, and VODs. Followers will only see your new name. However, if someone shared a link to your old profile URL before you changed it, that link will redirect to your new profile.

What if I change my username and then want to change it again within 60 days?

You cannot. Twitch enforces a strict 60-day waiting period between changes. The app shows you the exact date you become may be able to access to change again. You will have to wait until that date passes.

Does changing my username affect my Twitch Partner status or monetization?

No. Your Partner status, subscriptions, bits, and all monetization features stay active and attached to your account. The username change is purely cosmetic from Twitch's perspective.

Can I use spaces or special characters in my username?

No. Usernames can only contain letters (a–z), numbers (0–9), and underscores (_). If you want spaces or special characters in how your name appears, use your display name instead, which allows both.