You can change your Xbox username once per year at no cost through your Microsoft account settings

Xbox allows one free username change every 12 months. You make the change through your Microsoft account online, not through the console itself. The process takes about five minutes and applies to your entire Microsoft account — your Xbox username, your email display name, and how you appear to other players all update at once.

If you have changed your username within the past year, you will see a message telling you when you become may be able to access to change again. After that date passes, your next change is free. Changes made before your annual window resets cost 800 Microsoft Points, which is roughly $10.

Key Takeaways

  • One free username change is available every 12 months, counted from the date of your last change.
  • You change your username through account.microsoft.com, not through your Xbox console or the Xbox app.
  • The new username must be between 3 and 15 characters, can include numbers and some symbols, and cannot match a reserved name.
  • Your change takes effect when ready across all Microsoft services, and your old username becomes available for others to claim after a few minutes.
  • If you change your username and then want to revert to an old one, you can do so only if nobody else has claimed it and you still have a free change available.

Step-by-step process to change your username

Go to account.microsoft.com and sign in with the email and password for your Microsoft account. Click your profile picture or name in the top right corner, then select "View profile" or "Manage your Microsoft account."

Look for a section labeled "Your info" or "Account info" and find the option to change your username or gamertag. Click "Change username" or "Edit" next to your current name. Type your new username into the field. Xbox will show you when ready whether the name is available — if it is taken, you will see a red X; if it is free, you will see a green checkmark.

Once you have chosen an available name, click "Next" or "Change" to confirm. The system will ask you to re-enter your password for security. After you do, your new username is live. You will see a confirmation message, and the change appears across Xbox Live, your Microsoft profile, and any other Microsoft services within a few minutes.

Rules for what your new username can be

Your username must be between 3 and 15 characters long. You can use letters (uppercase and lowercase), numbers, and these symbols: underscore (_), hyphen (-), and period (.). You cannot use spaces or special characters like @, #, $, or &.

Xbox reserves certain names that cannot be claimed — these include profanity, slurs, names of celebrities or public figures, and names that impersonate Microsoft staff or Xbox support. If you try to use a reserved name, the system will reject it and ask you to choose something else. Names that violate the Xbox Code of Conduct (such as those promoting hate or illegal activity) will also be blocked.

Your username is not case-sensitive for login purposes, but Xbox displays it exactly as you type it. If you enter "MyGamer42", that is how it will appear to other players, even though you can log in as "mygamer42" or "MYGAMER42".

What happens to your old username

Once you change your username, your old one becomes available for other players to claim. This usually happens within a few minutes. If you realize you made a mistake and want to go back to your previous name, you can do so only if nobody else has taken it and you still have a free change available in your annual window.

Your old username does not carry over to any new account. If someone else claims your former gamertag, they own it — you cannot reclaim it later unless you pay for another change and they happen to abandon it first.

If your free change is not available yet

If you changed your username fewer than 12 months ago, you will see a countdown showing when your next free change becomes available. The timer is based on the exact date of your last change, not on calendar years. For example, if you changed your username on March 15, your next free change becomes available on March 15 of the following year.

During this waiting period, you can still change your username by paying 800 Microsoft Points through the same account.microsoft.com page. The cost appears before you confirm the change, so you will know the price before you commit. Paying for a change does not reset your free-change timer — your next free change still comes 12 months after your last change, whether that change was paid or free.

Troubleshooting common problems

If you see a message that your username is unavailable even though you just checked and it was free, wait a few minutes and try again. Sometimes the system needs time to update. If the name stays unavailable, someone else claimed it between your check and your attempt to change.

If you cannot find the "Change username" option on account.microsoft.com, make sure you are signed into the correct account. Some accounts have restrictions — for example, child accounts linked to a family group may not be able to change their username without parental approval. If you are the parent, you can adjust these permissions through the Family Safety settings.

If your change went through but you do not see the new username in your Xbox games yet, sign out of your console and sign back in. The change should appear when ready after you log back in. If it still does not show after 10 minutes, restart your console.

How your username differs from your email and gamertag

Your Microsoft account username is the display name people see when you play games or interact on Xbox Live. It is separate from your email address, which is what you use to log in. You can change your display username once per year for free, but changing your email address is a different process with different rules.

On older Xbox accounts, you may also have a "gamertag" — a legacy name from Xbox 360 or earlier. Modern Xbox accounts use the username system instead. If you have both, changing your username through account.microsoft.com updates your display name but not any legacy gamertag data associated with your account history.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I change my username on my Xbox console instead of online?

No. You must change your username through account.microsoft.com. The Xbox console and Xbox app do not have a built-in option to change your username — they only let you view it. Going to the website is the only way to make the change.

What if someone else takes my old username right after I change it?

Once your old username is released, it becomes available to anyone. If someone claims it before you decide you want it back, you cannot reclaim it unless you pay for another change and they later abandon it. To avoid this, make sure you are happy with your new name before you confirm the change.

Do I lose my game progress or achievements if I change my username?

No. Your game progress, achievements, and account history stay with your account. Only your display name changes. Other players will see your new username, but your stats and unlocked content remain the same.

Can I change my username more than once per year if I pay for it?

Yes. You can change your username as many times as you want by paying 800 Microsoft Points each time. Your free change resets 12 months after your last change, whether that change was paid or free.

What if my username contains a space or special character I want to keep?

Xbox does not allow spaces or most special characters in usernames. You can only use letters, numbers, underscores, hyphens, and periods. If you want a space effect, use an underscore or hyphen instead — for example, "My_Gamer" instead of "My Gamer".