You can change your display name and username separately, and they work in different ways

TikTok lets you change two different things: your display name (what appears on your profile) and your username (the @handle people use to find you). The display name is straightforward to change whenever you want. The username has restrictions — you can only change it once every 30 days, and changing it breaks any links people saved to your old profile.

Both changes happen in your account settings, not in your profile itself. You do not need to read anything or use a third-party tool. The process takes less than a minute once you know where to look.

Key Takeaways

  • Your display name can be changed as often as you want and can include spaces, emoji, and special characters.
  • Your username (the @handle) can only be changed once every 30 days and can only contain letters, numbers, periods, and underscores.
  • Changing your username breaks old links to your profile, so people who bookmarked your page will not find you at the old address.
  • Both changes are made in Settings & Privacy, under Account, then Edit Profile.
  • You cannot claim a username someone else is currently using, even if their account is inactive.

How to change your display name

Open TikTok and tap the profile icon at the bottom right. Tap the three horizontal lines (menu) at the top right, then tap Settings & Privacy. Tap Account, then Edit Profile. The first field shows your current display name. Tap it, delete the old name, and type the new one. Tap Save.

Your display name can be up to 30 characters and can include spaces, emoji, numbers, and special characters. You can change it back and forth as many times as you want, and the change takes effect when ready. People who follow you will see the new name the next time they open the app.

How to change your username

Follow the same path: profile icon, menu, Settings & Privacy, Account, Edit Profile. Below the display name field, you will see your username starting with @. Tap it to edit. Type your new username and tap Save.

Usernames can only contain letters (a–z, A–Z), numbers (0–9), periods, and underscores. No spaces, emoji, or special characters. TikTok will tell you when ready if the username is taken or if it breaks the character rules. If you change your username, your old one becomes available for someone else to claim after a short delay.

What happens when you change your username

Any link to your old profile stops working. If someone bookmarked your profile, saved a video link, or shared your @handle with a friend, that link will not lead anywhere. Your followers will still follow you — the change does not affect your follower list. But people who try to visit your profile using the old @handle will see an error.

Because of this, you can only change your username once every 30 days. TikTok counts 30 days from the date you made the last change, not from the calendar month. If you change your username on March 15, you cannot change it again until April 14.

Why you might want to change your name

People change their display name for privacy reasons — using initials instead of a full name, or a nickname instead of a legal name. You might also change it if you want to rebrand your content, start a new theme, or straightforward prefer a different style. Since the display name can change as often as you want, this is low-risk.

Changing your username is a bigger decision because of the 30-day wait and the broken links. Only do it if you have a strong reason — for example, if your current username no longer matches your content, or if you are concerned about privacy and want to distance yourself from an old handle people might recognize.

Privacy and safety considerations when choosing a new name

Avoid using your full legal name, home address, phone number, or any information that could identify you in the physical world. Usernames are public and searchable, so anyone can see them. If you are a minor, be especially careful not to include your age, school, or location.

If you are changing your name to distance yourself from old content or an old identity, remember that TikTok videos can be downloaded and re-shared by others. Changing your name does not delete your old videos or remove them from the internet. If you want to remove content, you need to delete the videos themselves from your account.

What to do if your desired username is taken

If the username you want is already in use, TikTok will not let you claim it, even if that account has not posted in years or appears abandoned. You cannot request that TikTok release an inactive username. Your options are to choose a variation (adding a number, underscore, or period) or wait to see if the account holder ever changes their username, which would free up the original.

Some people buy and sell usernames through third-party sites, but TikTok's terms of service forbid this. If you buy a username from someone else and TikTok finds out, both accounts can be suspended. The safest approach is to choose a username you can live with and move on.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I change my username more than once a month?

No. TikTok enforces a 30-day waiting period between username changes, measured from the date of your last change. If you change your username and when ready regret it, you have to wait 30 days before you can change it again.

If I change my username, do my followers disappear?

No. Your followers stay with your account when you change your username. The change only affects the link to your profile — people who follow you will still see your content in their feed and can still find you by searching your display name.

Can I use special characters or emoji in my username?

No. Usernames can only contain letters, numbers, periods, and underscores. If you want to use emoji or special characters, use them in your display name instead, which has no character restrictions.

What if someone else takes the username I just changed from?

Once you change your username, the old one becomes available for others to claim. If someone takes it before you can reclaim it, you cannot get it back. This is why changing your username is a permanent decision — you should only do it if you are sure you will not want the old one again.

Does changing my name affect my videos or watch history?

No. Your videos stay on your account with the same view counts and comments. Your watch history and saved videos are tied to your account, not your username, so they do not change. Only the name that appears on your profile changes.