You can change your Twitch username once every 60 days

Twitch allows you to change your username once per 60-day period. The 60 days starts from the date you last changed it, not from when you created your account. If you changed your username on March 15, you cannot change it again until May 14. The system counts calendar days, so partial days at the beginning or end do not shorten the wait.

When you change your username, your old name becomes available for someone else to claim after a short delay. Twitch does not hold old usernames for you, and you cannot reserve a name you used before. If you want to go back to a previous username, you would have to wait for it to cycle back into availability and then claim it before anyone else does — which may never happen if the name is popular.

Key Takeaways

  • You can change your Twitch username once every 60 days, measured from your last change date.
  • Your old username becomes available for others to claim and is not reserved for you.
  • Changing your username does not affect your channel URL, subscriber list, or follower count.
  • You change your username through Account Settings on the Twitch website, not through the mobile app.
  • If your username violates Twitch's terms, the platform may force a change and lock you out of changing it again for 60 days.

What stays the same when you change your username

Your channel URL remains the same even after you change your username. If your old URL was twitch.tv/oldname, it stays twitch.tv/oldname after the change. Viewers who bookmarked your channel or have you in their follows list will still find you at that same URL. This is why changing your username does not disrupt your audience or require you to tell everyone where to find you.

Your subscriber list, follower count, stream history, and all channel settings carry over unchanged. Emotes you created, panels you added to your channel, and any moderators you appointed stay in place. The only thing that changes is the name that appears next to your messages in chat and on your channel page.

How to change your username on Twitch

Go to twitch.tv and sign in to your account. Click your profile icon in the top right corner and select Settings. On the left sidebar, click Account. Under the section labeled Username, you will see your current name and a button that says Change Username. Click that button.

Type your new username into the field that appears. Twitch will tell you when ready if the name is already taken or if it violates the username rules — usernames must be 4 to 25 characters, contain only letters, numbers, and underscores, and cannot start with a number. Once you enter a valid available name, click Confirm. The change takes effect right away, and you will see a confirmation message. You cannot undo this action, so double-check the spelling before you confirm.

The change option only appears on the website version of Twitch. If you try to find it in the mobile app, you will not see it. You must use a computer or tablet browser to make the change.

What happens if Twitch forces you to change your username

If your username violates Twitch's Community Guidelines — for example, if it contains slurs, hateful language, or impersonates a public figure — Twitch may force you to change it. When this happens, you receive an email notification explaining why. You are given a important date, usually 30 days, to choose a new username yourself.

If you do not change it by the important date, Twitch will assign you a temporary username like "TwitchUser12345" and lock your account from changing it again for 60 days. This means you cannot pick a new name until the 60-day period passes. During that time, you can still stream and use your channel, but your username will be the one Twitch assigned. This is different from a voluntary change, which resets your 60-day timer from that date forward.

Planning around the 60-day limit

If you stream under a brand name or want to rebrand your channel, plan your username changes in advance. Changing your username every 60 days is possible if you want to rotate through different names, but each change requires you to wait the full period before the next one. Some streamers use this to test new branding or to match seasonal themes, though frequent changes can confuse your audience.

If you are unsure about a new name, test it informally first. Ask your community what they think, or use it in your channel title and panels before you commit to changing your actual username. Once you change it, you cannot undo it, and you will have to wait 60 days to try something different.

Usernames and channel identity across platforms

Your Twitch username is separate from usernames on YouTube, Discord, or other platforms. Changing your Twitch name does not change anything on those services. If you want a consistent identity across multiple platforms, you will need to update each one individually. Some streamers use the same name everywhere for brand recognition, while others keep them separate.

Your Twitch username also does not affect your email address or password. Those remain the same no matter how many times you change your display name. If you forget your password, you can still recover your account using the email address you signed up with, even if your username has changed multiple times since then.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I change my username more than once every 60 days?

No. Twitch enforces a hard 60-day waiting period between changes. The timer resets from the date of your last change, so if you changed your name on January 1, you cannot change it again until March 1. There is no way to bypass this limit or request an exception.

What if someone takes my old username after I change mine?

Once you change your username, it becomes available for anyone else to claim. Twitch does not hold old usernames in reserve. If you want to reclaim an old name, you would have to wait for the person using it to abandon it, then claim it before someone else does. For popular names, this may never happen.

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

No. Your Affiliate or Partner status stays active after a username change. Your channel URL, subscriber revenue, and all monetization features remain unchanged. The only thing that changes is the name displayed on your profile and in chat.

Can I change my username if my account is suspended or banned?

If your account is suspended, you cannot change your username until the suspension is lifted. If your account is permanently banned, you cannot make any changes. You would need to create a new account to stream again, which would have its own separate username.

Why does Twitch have a 60-day limit on username changes?

The 60-day limit prevents impersonation and account takeover fraud. Without it, someone could change a username frequently to pretend to be different people or to evade moderation. The waiting period also gives the community time to recognize and report suspicious activity tied to a single account.