What happens when you change your Twitter handle

Your Twitter handle — the @username that appears in your profile — can be changed at any time from your account settings. When you change it, your old handle becomes available for someone else to claim within a few minutes. Any links to your old profile will stop working, and people who try to visit your previous handle will see a "user not found" message.

The good news: changing your handle does not affect your followers, your tweets, your direct messages, or anything else on your account. People who follow you will still follow you after the change. Your tweets stay exactly where they are. The only thing that changes is the @name people use to mention you or find you by searching.

Twitter allows you to change your handle as often as you want, with no waiting period between changes. However, if you change it very frequently, Twitter may temporarily prevent further changes as a security measure — this usually lasts a few hours.

Key Takeaways

  • Your handle change takes effect when ready, but your old handle becomes available for others to claim within minutes.
  • All your followers, tweets, and messages stay with your account — only the @username changes.
  • You change your handle through Settings and Privacy, then Account, then Username — the same place you change your email or password.
  • If you plan to use a new handle permanently, tell people about the change before you make it, since old links will no longer work.
  • Twitter may block further handle changes for a few hours if you change too frequently, as a security precaution.

How to change your handle on the Twitter website

Open Twitter in your web browser and sign in to your account. Click the three-dot menu icon in the top right corner of the screen (on the web version, this appears next to your profile picture). From the dropdown menu, select Settings and Privacy.

On the left side of the page, click Account. This opens a list of account options. Find and click Username. You will see your current handle displayed in a text box. Delete the current text and type your new handle. Twitter will show you in real time whether the handle is available — if it is taken, you will see a red X and a message saying "Username is not available." If it is available, you will see a green checkmark.

Once you have entered an available handle, click the Save button. Your new handle takes effect when ready. You will remain signed in, and your profile will now show the new @username.

How to change your handle on the Twitter mobile app

Open the Twitter app and tap the three-line menu icon (sometimes called a hamburger menu) in the top left corner. Scroll down and tap Settings and Privacy. Then tap Account.

Tap Username. The text box with your current handle will appear. Clear it and type your new handle. As you type, Twitter shows whether the name is available. When you see the green checkmark, tap Save at the top right of the screen. Your new handle is now active.

What to do before you change your handle

If people know you by your current handle, tell them about the change before you make it. Send a direct message to close friends or contacts, post a tweet from your current account saying you are changing your handle and what the new one will be, or update your bio temporarily to say "changing to @newhandle soon." This gives people a chance to update their records or follow you under your new name.

If your current handle is linked anywhere — in an email signature, on a resume, on a business card, in a Discord server, or on another website — you will need to update those links after the change. Old links to your Twitter profile will not work once you change your handle, so anyone clicking an old link will see an error.

If you are changing your handle for security reasons (because you think your account has been compromised or you want a fresh start), also change your password at the same time. Go to Settings and Privacy, then Account, then Change Your Password. This ensures that even if someone else knows your old handle, they cannot use it to find or access your account.

If your desired handle is taken

If the handle you want is already in use, you have a few options. You can try a slight variation — adding numbers, underscores, or abbreviations. For example, if @sarah is taken, you might use @sarah2024, @sarah_writer, or @sarahm.

You can also wait and check back periodically. Twitter does not delete inactive accounts automatically, so a taken handle may stay taken indefinitely. However, if the account holding that handle is suspended by Twitter for violating rules, the handle may become available again.

If the handle belongs to someone you know personally or professionally, you can try contacting them to ask if they would be willing to change their handle or transfer it to you. Twitter does not facilitate handle transfers, but some people are willing to change their own handle to free up the one you want.

Recovering if you change your handle by mistake

If you change your handle and when ready realize you made a mistake, you can change it back right away — as long as no one else has claimed your old handle in the meantime. Go back to Settings and Privacy, then Account, then Username, and type your old handle. If it is still available, you can reclaim it when ready.

If someone else has already taken your old handle, you cannot get it back. Twitter does not reserve old handles for previous owners. In this case, you will need to choose a different handle or wait to see if the person who took it ever changes their own handle, freeing it up again.

Why Twitter might prevent you from changing your handle

If you see a message saying you cannot change your handle right now, the most common reason is that you have changed it too many times in a short period. Twitter temporarily locks the username feature as a security measure. This block usually lasts a few hours. Wait and try again later.

If you have just created your account, you may also see a delay before you can change your handle. New accounts sometimes have a waiting period of a few hours or a day. If you are locked out for longer than a day, or if you see an error message that does not mention rate limiting, your account may have a security issue. In that case, check your email for any alerts from Twitter and consider changing your password.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will my followers unfollow me if I change my handle?

No. Your followers will continue to follow you after you change your handle. They will see your new @username in their feed and in their follower list, but the follow relationship does not break. You do not lose any followers when you change your handle.

Can I change my handle back to my old one later?

Only if no one else has claimed it. If your old handle is still available, you can change back to it at any time. If someone else has taken it, you cannot reclaim it — Twitter does not reserve old handles for previous owners.

Do my old tweets disappear when I change my handle?

No. All your tweets stay on your account with your new handle. However, any links to individual tweets that included your old handle will no longer work. People can still find your tweets by searching for content or visiting your profile under your new handle.

What if I change my handle and then forget what it was?

You can see your current handle by going to Settings and Privacy, then Account, then Username. Your current handle is displayed in the text box. If you want to know what your handle was before your most recent change, Twitter does not provide a history of old handles, so you would need to check your own records or ask someone who knew your old handle.

Can I use special characters or spaces in my handle?

No. Twitter handles can only contain letters, numbers, and underscores. Spaces, periods, hyphens, and other special characters are not allowed. If you try to use them, Twitter will show an error message and ask you to use only allowed characters.