Where to find your username setting

Your Spotify username lives in your account settings, not in the app itself. On desktop, web, or mobile, you reach it the same way: go to your profile menu, select Account, then look for the Username field under Profile Information. The exact wording varies slightly between the web player and the app, but the path is always Profile → Account → Username.

The username is different from your display name. Your display name is what friends see next to your playlists and profile — you can change that anytime. Your username is the handle people use to find you, and it has stricter rules about what you can change it to and how often.

Key Takeaways

  • You can change your username once every 30 days, and the change takes effect when ready across all Spotify platforms.
  • Your new username must be between 3 and 30 characters, contain only letters, numbers, and underscores, and not already be taken by another user.
  • Changing your username does not affect your playlists, followers, or saved music — those stay attached to your account.
  • If you try to change your username and get an error, the most common reasons are that you changed it less than 30 days ago, the name is already taken, or the name contains spaces or special characters.

Steps to change your username on the web player

Open Spotify in a web browser and log in. Click your profile icon in the top right corner — it shows your current display name or a generic profile picture. From the dropdown menu, select Account.

You will land on your account overview page. On the left side, click Profile. Scroll down until you see the Username field. Click the pencil icon next to your current username to edit it. Type your new username, then click Save. Spotify will tell you when ready if the name is taken or breaks the character rules. If it accepts the change, you are done — the new username is live right away.

Steps to change your username on mobile

Open the Spotify app and tap your profile icon at the bottom right. Tap Settings and Privacy, then Settings. Scroll down to the Profile section and tap Username. Tap the pencil icon next to your current username, type the new one, and tap Save.

On both iOS and Android, the process is identical. The change takes effect when ready, and you will see your new username the next time you refresh your profile or log out and back in. If you do not see the change right away, close the app completely and reopen it.

Rules for your new username

Spotify enforces four hard rules. First, your username must be between 3 and 30 characters long — too short or too long and the system will reject it. Second, you can only use letters (a–z, A–Z), numbers (0–9), and underscores (_). Spaces, hyphens, periods, and special characters like @ or # are not allowed. Third, the username cannot already be taken by another Spotify user. Fourth, you can change your username only once every 30 days.

If you try to save a username and Spotify shows an error, check that you have not changed it in the past month. If you are certain you have not, try a different name — the one you chose is probably already taken. Spotify does not tell you which usernames are taken until you try to use one, so you may need to experiment with a few variations.

What stays the same after you change your username

Your playlists, followers, saved songs, and listening history are all tied to your account, not to your username. When you change your username, none of that moves or disappears. People who follow you will still follow you. Playlists you made will still be yours. Your saved music will still be saved.

The only thing that changes is the handle people use to search for you and the URL of your public profile. If you shared a link to your profile before the change, that old link will no longer work — you will need to share the new one. Friends who have you saved as a contact will not see the username change reflected in their app until they refresh or log out and back in.

Troubleshooting common problems

If you see a message that says you cannot change your username right now, you changed it less than 30 days ago. Spotify enforces this limit strictly — there is no way around it. Mark your calendar 30 days from your last change and try again. You can check when you last changed your username by going back to your Account page and looking at the timestamp next to the Username field if Spotify displays one.

If the name you want is rejected as taken, try adding a number or underscore to make it unique. For example, if "alex_music" is taken, try "alex_music1" or "alex_music_". If you see an error about invalid characters, look for spaces or special characters in what you typed — remove them and try again. If the system says your username is invalid for a reason you cannot figure out, try logging out completely, closing the app or browser, and logging back in. Sometimes a cached version of your account causes the form to behave oddly.

Changing your display name instead

If you want people to see a different name on your profile but do not want to wait 30 days to change your username, change your display name instead. Display name has no waiting period and no character restrictions — you can use spaces, emoji, and special characters. Go to Profile → Account → Display Name and edit it there. Your display name is what appears next to your playlists and on your profile card, while your username is what people type to search for you.

Many people use their display name for a casual version of their identity and keep their username more straightforward. This gives you flexibility: you can update how you appear to friends frequently through your display name, while your username stays stable for people searching for you.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I change my username back to what it was before?

Yes, but only after 30 days have passed since you changed away from it. If you changed from "oldname" to "newname" today, you cannot switch back to "oldname" until 30 days from now. After that waiting period, "oldname" becomes available again and you can claim it.

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

Yes. They can search for you by your display name, and if they already follow you, you will still appear in their followers list. The only way they cannot find you is if they have a saved link to your old profile URL — in that case, you will need to send them your new profile link.

What if the username I want is taken but the account looks inactive?

Spotify does not recycle usernames from inactive accounts. If someone claimed a username years ago and never used it again, that name stays reserved to their account. You will need to choose a different username.

Can I use my email address as my username?

No. Usernames must follow the character rules — letters, numbers, and underscores only. Email addresses contain the @ symbol, which is not allowed. You will need to create a separate username.

Does changing my username affect my Spotify family plan?

No. Your family members will still see you in the family group, and your account will still be linked to the plan. The username change is purely cosmetic to your profile.