Where to find the username setting on Twitter

Your Twitter username is the handle that appears after the @ symbol — the one people use to mention you or search for your account. You can change it anytime from your account settings, and Twitter lets you switch back to a previous username within 30 days if you change your mind.

Log into Twitter on a web browser or open the mobile app. Tap or click the three-dot menu icon in the top right corner of the screen. From the menu that appears, select Settings and privacy, then choose Account. Look for the field labeled Username — this is where you'll make your change.

The username field will show your current handle. Click or tap on it to edit. Twitter will show you whether your new choice is available in real time as you type — if the name is taken, you'll see a red X. If it's available, you'll see a green checkmark.

Key Takeaways

  • Your username is found in Settings and privacy > Account > Username on both the web and mobile app.
  • Twitter usernames can be 4 to 15 characters long and can include letters, numbers, and underscores, but not spaces or most special characters.
  • You can change your username as often as you want, but you can only reclaim a previous username within 30 days of changing away from it.
  • Changing your username does not affect your followers, direct messages, or any tweets you've already posted.

What characters and length rules explore to usernames

Twitter usernames must be between 4 and 15 characters long. You can use letters (both uppercase and lowercase), numbers, and underscores. You cannot use spaces, hyphens, periods, or most other punctuation marks.

Twitter treats uppercase and lowercase letters the same way — @JohnSmith and @johnsmith are the same account. If you change only the capitalization, Twitter will not let you make that change because the username already exists in that form. The system is case-insensitive for matching purposes, but you can display your username however you prefer once it's set.

If the username you want is taken, you have two options: wait to see if the person abandons it (inactive accounts can be reclaimed after a long period, though Twitter's exact timeline is not public), or choose a variation. Many people add numbers or underscores to make a taken name available — for example, @JohnSmith2 or @John_Smith.

How changing your username affects your account and followers

When you change your username, your followers stay with you. They will not be unfollowed, and you will not lose any followers. Your direct message conversations remain intact, and all your past tweets stay on your account under your new username.

However, any links that used your old username will break. If you shared a link to your profile or someone linked to your old @handle in a tweet or website, those links will no longer work. People who try to visit your old username will see a message that the account does not exist.

If you had a custom URL for your profile (like twitter.com/youroldusername), that URL will stop working once you change your username. Your new URL will be twitter.com/yournewusername. If you want to keep using the old username, you have 30 days to change back to it before someone else can claim it.

Steps to save your new username and confirm the change

After you type your new username and see the green checkmark showing it's available, look for a Save button or similar confirmation option. On the web version, this usually appears near the username field. On mobile, you may need to scroll down or tap a confirm button.

Click or tap to save. Twitter will process the change, which usually happens when ready. You may be logged out briefly while the system updates, or you may stay logged in and see your new username reflected when ready in your profile and settings.

If you do not see a save button, try scrolling down on the settings page — sometimes the button appears below the field rather than beside it. If the page seems stuck, refresh your browser or close and reopen the app, then return to the username field to check whether your change went through.

What to do if your desired username is taken

If the username you want shows a red X and says it's unavailable, that handle is currently in use. You cannot claim it unless the account owner abandons it, which Twitter does not may provide will happen.

Your options are to choose a variation (adding a number, underscore, or abbreviation), wait and check back periodically to see if it becomes available, or contact the current owner if you know them and ask if they would consider changing. Twitter does not transfer usernames between users, so you cannot purchase or request a taken handle through the platform.

If the account holding the username appears to be inactive or abandoned, you can report it to Twitter, but there is no formal process to claim inactive usernames. Twitter may eventually recycle very old inactive accounts, but this is not something you can request or predict.

How to switch back to a previous username within 30 days

If you change your username and then decide you want your old one back, you have 30 days to reclaim it. Go back to Settings and privacy > Account > Username and type your old handle. As long as no one else has claimed it in the meantime, you'll see the green checkmark and can switch back.

After 30 days, your old username becomes available for anyone to claim. If someone else takes it during those 30 days, you cannot get it back. This is why it's important to decide quickly if you want to revert — waiting until day 29 is risky if the name is popular.

The 30-day window applies each time you change your username. If you change from @OldName to @NewName and then to @AnotherName, you can reclaim @NewName for 30 days from when you left it, but you cannot reclaim @OldName unless you change back to it within 30 days of leaving @OldName the first time.

Troubleshooting if your username change won't save

If you've typed a new username, seen the green checkmark, but the save button won't work or the change doesn't stick, start by refreshing the page. Sometimes the settings page loads incompletely, and a refresh will restore the save button.

If refresh doesn't work, try a different browser or the mobile app if you were using the web version, or vice versa. Occasionally one platform has a temporary glitch while the other works fine. Log out completely, wait a few seconds, and log back in, then return to the username field.

If you're still stuck, check that your username meets Twitter's rules: it must be 4 to 15 characters, contain only letters, numbers, and underscores, and not be already taken. If it meets all those requirements and still won't save, the issue may be a temporary server problem on Twitter's end — try again in a few minutes.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will my followers see my old username after I change it?

No. Your followers will see your new username when ready. Old tweets and messages will display your new username, not your old one. If someone searches for your old username, they will not find your account.

Can I change my username on the Twitter mobile app?

Yes. Open the app, tap the three-dot menu, go to Settings and privacy > Account > Username, and follow the same steps as the web version. The process is identical on both iPhone and Android.

What happens to my verified badge if I change my username?

Your verified badge stays with your account. Changing your username does not remove verification. However, if Twitter reviews your account later and finds you no longer meet verification requirements, they may remove the badge — but the username change itself does not cause this.

Can I reserve a username I want to use in the future?

No. Twitter does not have a reservation system. You can only claim a username by actually changing your account to use it. If you want to hold a specific name, you would need to create a separate account with that username, which violates Twitter's terms of service if done to prevent others from using it.

How long does it take for my new username to show up everywhere?

The change is usually when ready in your profile and settings. However, it may take a few minutes to an hour for the new username to appear in search results, in other people's followers lists, and in notifications. This delay is normal and does not mean anything went wrong.