Change your display name before or during a meeting

Your name in Google Meet comes from your Google Account. You can change what appears to other people in two ways: edit your Google Account name (which changes it everywhere Google shows your name), or change just your Meet display name for a single meeting or all meetings going forward.

The fastest route if you only want a different name in Meet is to change it right in the app. If you want the change to stick across all your Google services — Gmail, YouTube, Google Calendar — edit your account name instead. Both take less than a minute.

Key Takeaways

  • Your Google Account name controls what appears in Meet unless you set a display name just for that meeting.
  • You can change your display name for a single meeting by clicking your name during the call and selecting "Change name".
  • To change your name for all future Meet calls, go to your Google Account settings and edit your name in the Personal info section.
  • Changes to your Google Account name show up in Gmail, Calendar, and other Google services, not just Meet.
  • If you are joining a meeting as a guest without signing in, you can type any name you want when you enter the call.

Change your name for one meeting only

If you want a different name to show just for this call, you can change it without affecting your account. Open Google Meet and join the meeting. Once you are in the call, look for your name and profile picture in the bottom right corner of the screen (on mobile, swipe up to see the participant list).

Click or tap your name. A menu will appear with the option "Change name". Select it, type the name you want to use for this meeting, and click "Save" or "OK". The new name shows to everyone in the call when ready. When the meeting ends, your name reverts to your account name for the next meeting.

Change your name for all Google Meet meetings

To change the name that appears in every Meet call going forward, you need to edit your Google Account. Go to myaccount.google.com and sign in if you are not already. On the left side, click "Personal info".

Find the section that shows your name (usually near the top). Click on it to edit. You will see fields for your first name and last name. Type the new names you want, then click "Save" at the bottom. This change takes effect in Meet within a few minutes and also updates your name in Gmail, Google Calendar, YouTube, and anywhere else Google displays your account name.

What happens when you join as a guest

If someone sends you a Meet link and you click it without signing into a Google Account, you will see a screen asking for your name before you enter the meeting. Type any name you want — it does not have to match an account. This name shows only to people in that one meeting and does not save anywhere.

This is useful if you want to join a call without using your real name or if you do not have a Google Account. Once you close the meeting, that guest name is gone.

Why your name might not change right away

If you changed your Google Account name and it still shows the old name in Meet, wait a few minutes and refresh the page or close and reopen the app. Google sometimes takes a few minutes to sync the change across its services.

If you changed your name for a single meeting and then joined another meeting, you will see your account name again — the single-meeting change does not carry over. If you want the new name in all meetings, go back to your Google Account settings and change it there instead.

Change your name on mobile (Android or iPhone)

The steps are almost the same on a phone. Join the meeting in the Google Meet app. Swipe up from the bottom to see the participant list and find your name. Tap your name, then tap "Change name". Type the new name and tap "Save".

To change your account name on mobile, open any Google app (Gmail, Calendar, or Meet), tap your profile picture in the top right, and select "Manage your Google Account". Tap "Personal info" and edit your name the same way you would on a computer. The change syncs to Meet within a few minutes.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can other people in the meeting see that I changed my name?

No. When you change your name during a meeting, it straightforward updates in the participant list and on the screen. There is no notification that says you changed it. Other people just see the new name.

If I change my Google Account name, does it change my email address?

No. Your email address stays the same. Only the display name changes — the part that shows next to your email in Gmail, Meet, Calendar, and other Google services. Your email address is locked to your account and cannot be changed.

What if I want different names in Meet and Gmail?

You cannot have different names across Google services if you change your account name — it updates everywhere. But you can change your name just for a single Meet meeting without touching your account. If you need a different name in Meet every time, change it at the start of each call.

Can I change someone else's name in a meeting I am hosting?

No. Each person can only change their own name. As a host, you cannot edit another person's display name. If someone is using an inappropriate name, you can remove them from the meeting, but you cannot rename them.

Does changing my name in Meet affect my work email or school email?

If your work or school uses Google Workspace (Google's business version), changing your account name might affect how you appear in work meetings and email. Check with your IT department first. Personal Google Accounts are not connected to work accounts, so changes there do not affect your job.