What changing your Facebook web address actually does

Your Facebook web address — the part that comes after facebook.com/ in your profile URL — is different from your name. When you change it, you're creating a custom username that makes your profile easier to share and remember. Instead of a long string of numbers, your web address becomes something like facebook.com/sarah.chen or facebook.com/sarahchen92.

This change affects only how people find you through a direct link. It does not change your actual name on your profile, your privacy settings, or who can message you. The old web address stops working when ready, so anyone with a bookmark or saved link to your old URL will see an error.

You can change your username once every 60 days. If you change it and then want to switch back to a previous username, you have to wait the full 60 days before you can claim it again — and someone else might take it in the meantime.

Key Takeaways

  • Your Facebook username is the custom web address (facebook.com/yourname) that appears in your profile URL, separate from your display name.
  • You can change your username once every 60 days, and the old address stops working when ready after the change.
  • The username must be between 5 and 50 characters, use only letters, numbers, periods, and underscores, and cannot be a name already claimed by someone else.
  • Changing your username does not affect your privacy settings, friend list, or messages — only the web link people use to find your profile.
  • If you change your username and want to go back, you must wait 60 days before you can reclaim the old one.

How to change your username on desktop

Open Facebook in a web browser and go to your profile by clicking your name or profile picture in the top right corner. Click the down arrow next to your name (or the three-line menu icon on some versions) and select Settings and privacy, then Settings.

On the left side, click Personal information. Look for the row labeled Username. Click the pencil icon next to it to edit. Type your new username in the box that appears. Facebook will show you a preview of what your new web address will look like. Click Review change to confirm.

If the username you want is already taken, Facebook will tell you when ready and suggest alternatives. You can try a different variation — adding numbers, periods, or underscores often helps you find something available. Once you confirm the change, it takes effect right away.

How to change your username on mobile

Open the Facebook app and tap the three horizontal lines (menu icon) in the bottom right corner. Scroll down and tap Settings and privacy, then Settings. Tap Personal information.

Find Username in the list and tap it. Tap the pencil icon to edit. Type your new username and review the preview. Tap Review change to save. The process is the same on both iPhone and Android — the main difference is the menu location.

Rules for choosing a valid username

Facebook usernames must be between 5 and 50 characters long. You can use letters (a–z, A–Z), numbers (0–9), periods (.), and underscores (_). You cannot use spaces, hyphens, or special characters like @, #, or &.

The username cannot be a name that someone else already has. It also cannot be a name that Facebook reserves — this includes common words like "facebook", "help", "login", or "admin". If you try to claim a reserved name, Facebook will reject it and ask you to choose something else.

Your username does not have to match your display name. Many people use a variation of their name, a nickname, or something completely different. The only person who sees your username in most places is someone who visits your profile directly or clicks a link you share.

What happens to your old web address

When you change your username, your old web address becomes inactive when ready. Anyone who tries to visit the old link will see a message that the page does not exist. This includes old bookmarks, saved links, or URLs you shared in messages or on other websites.

If you shared your old Facebook URL in an email, a forum post, or anywhere else online, those links will break. Before you change your username, think about where you have shared your old address. If it appears in important places — like a business website, a resume, or a professional directory — you may want to update those links after you change it.

You cannot reclaim your old username for 60 days. After that waiting period, the old username becomes available again, but someone else might claim it first. If you think you might want to go back, wait the full 60 days before changing to something new.

Changing your username does not affect privacy or security

Your username is public information — anyone can see it by visiting your profile. Changing it does not make your account more or less private. Your privacy settings stay exactly the same, and the people who can message you, see your posts, or view your photos do not change.

If you are trying to hide from someone or make your profile harder to find, changing your username alone will not do that. You need to adjust your privacy settings separately. You can make your profile private (so only friends can see your posts), limit who can search for you, or block specific people.

Changing your username also does not affect your password, two-factor authentication, or any other security feature. If you are concerned about account security, focus on those settings instead — use a strong password, turn on two-factor authentication, and review which apps have access to your account.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I change my username more than once?

Yes, but only once every 60 days. After you change your username, you must wait a full 60 days before you can change it again. If you change it back to a previous username, that same 60-day rule applies — you cannot reclaim an old username until 60 days have passed since you stopped using it.

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

Once your old username becomes available (after 60 days), anyone can claim it. If someone else takes it first, you cannot get it back. If your old username was important to you, do not change it unless you are sure you will not want it again.

Will my friends still be able to find me after I change my username?

Yes. Your friends can still find you by searching your name, and they will still see you in their friend list. The only thing that changes is the web address. Old links to your profile will not work, but your friends do not need the link to find you — they can search for you by name or visit you through their friend list.

Can I use special characters or spaces in my username?

No. Facebook only allows letters, numbers, periods, and underscores. You cannot use spaces, hyphens, @, #, or other special characters. If you want to separate words, use a period or underscore instead — for example, sarah.chen or sarah_chen.

Does changing my username affect my business page or group?

No. Your personal profile username and your business page username are separate. If you manage a business page or group, those have their own usernames that you change through their settings, not through your personal profile settings.