Here is How to Change Your TikTok Username – in 5 Simple Steps

These days, TikTok is taking the world by storm. Not only is the network growing quickly, but it’s also controversial because governments all over the world are concerned about its influence. However, as marketers, we understand that this network is an important way to reach the younger segments of our population. In particular, Gen Z spends a lot of time on this platform. Now, TikTok influencers are becoming more important than ever.

However, even if you love TikTok, you might want to change your username. Your username is your TikTok identity, even if people know your real name. For that reason, you shouldn’t change it lightly. However, in certain situations, knowing how to change TikTok username is necessary.

What’s a TikTok username, and why does it matter?

Ultimately, your TikTok username is an online identity. Typically, it’s anonymous because you don’t give your real name as part of the username. However, everyone refers to you by that username, and some users also reveal their actual names.

Besides being an online identity, your TikTok username serves as your channel name. Therefore, all of your content is labeled with that username, and people will answer challenges as responses to you. In that sense, your username is your brand on TikTok. And as your brand grows, so will your follower numbers.

Once you understand the importance of your TikTok username, it’s easy to see why you shouldn’t consider how to change TikTok username lightly. When you change your brand, it’s easy for people to lose the association between you and your content. However, in some circumstances, you want to change your brand for various reasons. For example, you might be in a different stage of life, and your username is no longer appropriate. In this case, you might also delete some of your videos.

Another reason to change your username is if you no longer like it. Sometimes, we coin usernames on social media because it’s an inside joke, or it might be based on a pet name from our significant other. When your relationship status changes, you might decide it’s better to have your username reflect current realities.

Finally, you might want to change your username to avoid confusion. Sometimes, people choose usernames that prove too similar to someone else’s. In this situation, it can be hard to distinguish your brand from its rival. Starting over by applying how to change TikTok username is often the best approach.

Luckily, changing your username is relatively easy. If you meet the eligibility criteria, you’ll simply change a setting in your TikTok account. Then, you’ll need to make sure your followers know about the change.

Step 1: Check if You Are Eligible to Change Your TikTok Username

Like many other social networks, TikTok has limits on how to change TikTok username. After all, if people changed their usernames every five minutes, it would be difficult to keep track of who’s who. Therefore, they’ve set a limit of one username change every 30 days. This limit lets you change names occasionally but gives people time to get used to the new one before you change it again.

Also, you’ll need a verified email address or phone number attached to your account. This is important because TikTok needs something that they can permanently associate with your account. Usually, people use an email address to sign up because it’s more convenient to get messages that way. However, some people also choose their phone numbers. By requiring the email or phone for a name change, TikTok makes sure that your account is yours, regardless of your username.

Finally, you can’t copy someone else’s username or violate community guidelines. That’s because, unlike some other networks, TikTok doesn’t add numbers as a way to differentiate one user from another. For most people, this is a good thing because numbers could result in people being confused about who’s who. Likewise, community guidelines protect everyone from bad actors.

Step 2: Open Your Profile and Tap on Edit Profile

If you’re eligible to change your username, then how to change TikTok username is easy. Your first step is to open your profile. To do this, tap on the “me” icon at the bottom right corner of your screen. You can access this icon from any page, from the FYP to a video player. However, you’ll usually want to do this when you’ve just logged in. Otherwise, you’ll miss out on your video.

Once you’ve opened your profile, tap on the “edit profile” button next to your profile picture or avatar. This is easy to find since many people change minor aspects of their profile. For instance, lots of people change their bulletin or profile video/photos. Especially for influencers, changing a profile photo can be a great way to reinforce your latest brand collab or build rapport with your audience for the holidays.

Further Reading: 17 TikTok Video Ideas That Will Skyrocket Your Engagement

Step 3: Tap on Your Current Username and Enter a New One

Under the “edit profile” menu, there are several options, including the answer to how to change TikTok username or your profile picture. To select your username, click on it under the “username” section. Like everything else on TikTok, it’s self-explanatory because the app is designed to be used on a mobile device.

Once the edit window for your username pops up, you can change the text. First, click on the current username and delete it using your phone’s onscreen keyboard. Then, type your desired username in the box. TikTok will automatically check to see if the new username is available. Otherwise, you’ll get an error message.

Within this whole process, the toughest part is often choosing a new username. This is especially true if the one you want is taken. To check this before you start the username change process, type the one you want in the search box. If nothing comes up, you can double-check by typing @username after TikTok.com/. Getting a 404 or any other reaction that indicates there’s no such page will indicate the username isn’t taken.

To create a great username, you should first make sure that your idea meets the requirements listed above. However, there are some other considerations, such as that you want your username to be memorable.

If you have other social media accounts, you should use the same username across all of them. In a situation where that username is already taken, then go with something that’s recognizably similar. You can also go with an industry-related keyword. Finally, avoid using numbers and symbols, even though they’re allowed. That’s because you want people to pronounce your username. An exception to the rule is using periods to separate words.

Further Reading: 9 Proven Ways How To Grow Your TikTok Account

Step 4: Confirm Your New Username and Save Your Changes

If everything looks good, the next step of how to change TikTok username is confirming the username. First, be sure to check for typos, because you can’t change your username again for a month. Once you’re sure it’s right, click the “save” button at the top right corner of the screen. This should lock the fields so you can’t accidentally change it.

Finally, tap “done” at the top left corner of your screen. Once you tap done, the username change is final. Your profile URL will change to match your new username, and your videos will list the new username as the content creator.

Congratulations, you’ve just changed your username on TikTok.

Further Reading: How to Get Verified on TikTok in 2024: 8 Tips to Follow

Step 5: Share Your New Username with Your Followers and Friends

Even with your username changed, the process of how to change TikTok username is incomplete. That’s because you need to tell your friends and followers about the new username. There are several important reasons for this step, including the fact that you don’t want people to search for your content under the old username because they won’t find it.

Another reason to tell everyone is that you want to avoid confusion. People get used to calling you by your old username, and not seeing it anymore means they may not realize you’re still on TikTok. In addition, you get a chance to introduce your new brand and tell people why you’re making the change.

Once people associate you with the new username, you should be able to keep most of your followers. They should also continue to comment on and otherwise engage with your content. And if you’ve changed your personal brand well, then you should have more people following your channel than ever.

Announcing your name change is easy, and there are several ways to do it. One way is with an announcement video, where you might give some reasons for the change. This works especially well because people associate your face with the new username. You can also post a story for everyone to read, which is nice because it may give you more time for a detailed explanation. Finally, update your bio link to reflect the change.

Further Reading: Here is How to Get On the TikTok For You Page in 2024

Conclusion

Changing your username on any social network should not be done lightly. After all, you’re changing your identity on that network at the same time. However, there are many reasons why knowing how to change TikTok username can be useful. Times change, similar usernames cause confusion, and content creators change direction. Fortunately, the process is easy once you have a new name figured out. Just don’t forget to tell everyone about the change.

Further Reading: 15 Legit Ways How to Get More Views on TikTok

Hero Photo by Collabstr on Unsplash

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