TikTok has two different names for your account. Your name and your username.
Your name is what is shown to users on your profile and can be literally anything (as long as it is allowed by TikTok ToS).
Your username is what people use to tag you or find your account on TikTok. This means it must be unique to your account.
This post will cover how to change both when using the TikTok app.
Change your TikTok Display Name
To change your TikTok display name on Android or iPhone, you will need to complete the following steps:
Step 1
Open the TikTok app and tap on profile in the bottom right corner.
Step 2
Tap edit profile in the middle of the screen to access where you can change your personal data.
Step 3
Tap name, delete your current display name, type in a new name and tap save to accept the changes. You can also change your username in the same location.
Display names can be anything you like as long as they are compatible with TikTok’s terms and conditions. Other users will be able to view your TikTok name at the top of your profile page. Your username, however, must be completely unique and not used by other TikTok users.
Many people choose to use their actual name or nickname as their display name on the site. You can also use a pseudonym or the name of your brand. If you want to get creative, use the space to put a personal motto (as long as it is short enough).
Change your TikTok username
Your username is how most people on TikTok will recognize you and talk to you. The steps to change your username on TikTok are the same as your name. Complete the following:
Step 1
Open TikTok and go to profile.
Step 2
Tap edit profile. On the following screen, you should see your existing username. Tap username to change your TikTok name.
Step 3
Delete your current username, type in a new one, and tap save.
All TikTok accounts must choose a unique username for their TikTok account on the site. If the username you’ve chosen is already in use there will be a notification saying that the username isn’t available.
Choosing a new username on TikTok
What if the username you want isn’t available? With so many TikTok users on the platform, it can sometimes be difficult to customize your branding. There are over 700 million TikTok account names in use, so even if you find one that you like it may not be available.
You can try adding numbers or extra letters at the beginning or end of the name you want or try to think of something that makes sense for your brand or business. You may be able to side-step to a different term or alter your current username enough to make it work.
If continually struggle to think of a new username, you can try a name generator for TikTok. There are several available online and many will allow you to input ideas that it will use to help you come up with an original username that you and your audience will appreciate.
What are the TikTok rules for usernames?
TikTok’s support page states that “Usernames can only contain letters, numbers, underscores, and periods. However, periods can’t be put at the end of the username.”
Also, you can only change your username once every 30 days. However, you can get around this feature by altering your time settings. All you need to do is go into the Date & Time settings (they are in your General settings) to turn off automatic time. You can then manually change the date to 30 days in advance.
Tips for a Good TikTok Username
When it comes to picking a username, you’ll need to think about whether or not you might become an influencer (or are attempting to brand yourself for business purposes). A name identical to your company’s branding should be used across all of your online platforms.
If you want to ignore your business name when creating a username entirely, consider focusing on another aspect of your life. Perhaps you may come up with a name connected to one of your pets, interests, or hobbies. You may create a name that emphasizes your personality or appearance (but not self-deprecation).
Here are some username ideas for TikTok (remember two users on the platform cannot obtain the same username):
Pick a Name That Represents Yourself
You may feel inspired to pick a username that has something to do with your appearance. It can accurately describe what you look like or something related to feeling. For example, consider using BlueEyes201 or TheBlueEyedGoddess as your TikTok name if you have bright blue eyes.
Creating personalized content is never easy and you may as well take the extra step to ensure that your overall niche appears in your name one way or another.
Don’T Use Anything Inappropriate, Rude, or Offensive
When you create a username for your account, try to keep it clean and professional. This means not incorporating slang terms or foul words. You should avoid using any demeaning nicknames that people have called you in the past.
Make Sure Your Username Isn’t Too Complicated to Spell
You don’t want anyone making up their versions of your username in place of it. When creating a username, orient the spelling to be simple and easy to spell. This means avoiding abbreviations, punctuation, and numbers. For example, if your name is Jessica, but you want to use “Jess” as your username, this may confuse other users.
Use Something Original
The more original a name is on the TikTok app, the better users will receive it. If your username is the same as someone else’s, you could end up losing followers or even getting banned from the app. You should never copy your friend’s account name either because it may confuse people who are following both of you. If someone sees that you have an identical username to another person, this will result in a loss of followers, and TikTok may even shut down your account.
Make sure whatever username you pick is consistent with your principles and the online image you wish to project; just avoid names that may embarrass you later in life. You should also keep your branding across platforms consistent if possible. For instance, your username should be the same on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and other social media sites.
Frequently Asked Questions
How Often Can You Change Your TikTok Username?
Your username may be changed only once every 30 days. Only periods, underscores, numbers, and letters are permitted in usernames. However, periods cannot be placed at the end of a username. All usernames must be between 4 and 20 characters long.
You’ll see a pop-up as soon as you decide to change your username. In addition, usernames cannot contain any special characters. In other words, you can’t put a hashtag or something like that in your username. However, certain emojis are not permitted in TikTok usernames either.
What Happens When You Change Your Username on TikTok?
When you update your username on TikTok, the link to your TikTok profile is updated as well. That’s why it’s a great idea to think before changing your username. In some cases, the 30-day waiting period is beneficial since it allows you to consider various options. Unfortunately, if you make a mistake, you’ll be stuck with it for a month.
Outside of that, there’s not much for users to be concerned about after you change your TikTok username. Even if you change your username, all of their followers will stay the same, the For You page recommendations won’t differ, and the rest of the app experience will not be changed in any way.