How to Change Your Name on Snapchat: Display Name and Username

Snapchat gives you two names, and most of the confusion comes from mixing them up. One is the name your friends see on your profile and in chat. The other is the username that people type to find you. Whether you've outgrown a teenage nickname or you're rebranding a small business account, it helps to know which one you're changing.

I've followed Snapchat's own help articles for the steps below. Menus shift between app versions, so if yours looks different, look for the same wording rather than the same position.

Changing your display name on Snapchat step by step

This is the quick one, and it's the answer to most searches for how to change your name on Snapchat. Snapchat's help gives these steps:

1. Open your Profile in the Snapchat app.
2. Tap the gear icon to open Settings.
3. Under Shortcuts, choose My Account.
4. Under Change My Info, select Name.
5. Enter your new name and confirm the change.

That's all it takes. Snapchat's article doesn't list a limit on how often you can do this, which is different from the username rule further down.

What your Snapchat display name can include

There are a few rules. Snapchat says a Display Name must be 30 characters or fewer, including spaces. You can use letters, numbers, emojis and most special characters. It can't contain a phone number, and it has to follow Snapchat's Display Name guidelines.

If the app won't accept your new name, check those three things first: the length, a phone number tucked in somewhere, and anything that might break the guidelines. Trim the name, remove any number string and try again.

Who sees your new Snapchat name

According to Snapchat, your Display Name appears to your friends in Chat, on your Profile and in other places throughout Snapchat. That's the name people recognise, so it's worth making it clear for the people who need to know it's you.

Here's the bit that surprises people. The help article says friends who already added you may keep seeing your old name, while new friends should see the updated one. It also says contacts who have your number saved on their phone may see the name they saved instead. So a change isn't always instant and universal, and a friend who still sees the old name hasn't necessarily done anything wrong.

Changing your Snapchat username

Your username is the handle people search for, and Snapchat treats it more strictly than your display name. Its help article says you can change your Snapchat username once a year, which it describes as 12 months to the day since the date you last changed it. Think before you do it.

The steps, as Snapchat describes them:

1. Tap the gear icon in your Profile to open Settings.
2. Under Shortcuts, choose My Account.
3. Under Change My Info, select Username.
4. Tap Change Username.
5. Enter the new username and tap Next.
6. Enter your password and tap Confirm.

Snapchat username rules you need to know

• It must be at least 3 characters and no longer than 15.
• Only Latin letters, numbers and the symbols -, _ and . are allowed.
• It must start with a letter and end with a letter or number.
• It can't be a phone number, and it must follow Snapchat's Community Guidelines.
• Snap Star accounts have to submit a request to change their username.

Because of the yearly limit, pick something you can live with for a full year. If you run a brand account, choose a handle that matches your other channels, since people searching for you will type it.

Display name or username on Snapchat: which should you change

Setting	What it does	What Snapchat's help says
Display Name	Shown to friends in Chat and on your Profile	30 characters or fewer; no phone number
Username	The handle people can search for	Once a year; 3 to 15 characters

If you only want to look different to your friends, change the display name. If you need people to find a new handle, change the username. Snapchat's add-friends help says people can search by name or username, so anyone searching for the old handle will no longer find you under it.

Telling people about your new Snapchat name

After a change, tell the friends who matter, because some may keep seeing the old display name for a while. If you use Snapchat for your business or as a creator, add the new handle to your other profiles and your website. Where people struggle to find you, my guide on finding someone on Snapchat by search, Snapcode and contacts is a good one to share.

If you want to know who has added you under the new name, my walkthrough of seeing who added you on Snapchat shows where to look.

If you can't change your name on Snapchat

1. Check the length: 30 characters or fewer for the display name, 3 to 15 for the username.
2. Remove any phone number from the name.
3. For a username, remember the wait is 12 months from your last change.
4. Update the Snapchat app and open My Account again.
5. If you're a Snap Star, submit the request Snapchat's help describes instead of changing it yourself.
6. Still stuck? Use the Contact Us link on the Snapchat help site.

While you're in My Account, it's a good moment to check your security settings, and my short guide to changing your Snapchat password covers that.

Frequently asked questions

How do I change my name on Snapchat?

Open your Profile, tap the gear icon, choose My Account, then under Change My Info select Name, enter the new name and confirm. That changes your Display Name.

How many times can I change my Snapchat display name?

Snapchat's help article on Display Names doesn't list a limit. It only says the name must be 30 characters or fewer and can't contain a phone number.

Can I change my Snapchat username?

Yes. Snapchat's help says you can change your username once a year, 12 months to the day since you last changed it. Use Change My Info, then Username.

Why does a friend still see my old Snapchat name?

Snapchat's help says people who already added you may keep seeing your old name, and contacts with your number saved may see the name from their phone.

What are the rules for a Snapchat username?

It must be 3 to 15 characters, using Latin letters, numbers, and the symbols -, _ or . It has to start with a letter and end with a letter or number.