Change Your Snapchat Username, Display Name, Email or Phone Number (Rules and Limits)

Does this match what you see?

• Snapchat won’t let you change your username yet.
• Your new username is rejected.
• Friends still see your old display name.
• The settings gear in your Profile is red.

iPhone & iPadAndroid

Based on four Snapchat Support articles supplied by the site owner. Logged out and can’t remember your details? See can’t log in to Snapchat.

Why this happens: the possible causes

The rules Snapchat gives for each change.

• You changed your username in the last 12 monthsCheck this first

  Snapchat says usernames can be changed once a year, 12 months to the day since the last change.

• The new username breaks the rulesCheck this first

  Snapchat lists length, character and start/end rules, and says usernames can’t include a phone number.

How to fix it, step by step

Work through these in order. They start with the quickest, safest checks and only move to steps that sign you out or remove data later.

Change your display name (and why friends see the old one)

Your display name is what others see in Chat, on your Profile and elsewhere. It doesn’t have to be unique, and you can change it any time: Settings > My Account > Name, enter it and tap Save.

• Rules: up to 30 characters including spaces; letters, numbers, emojis and most special characters; no phone numbers; must follow Snapchat’s display name guidelines.
• Public Profile name, photo, bio, follower count or clearing it? See Snapchat Public Profile and public Story.
• Friends still see your old name? Snapchat says people who already added you may keep seeing the name they saw when they added you; new friends should see the new one. And if someone has your number saved in their phone, they may see the name in their contacts.

Change or verify your email (red settings gear)

Snapchat says a valid email matters because it’s how you get back in if you forget your password. Change it: Settings > My Account > Email, enter the address, tap Continue and confirm it’s yours.

• Red settings gear? Snapchat says it means your email isn’t verified. Tap the gear, tap your email (also in red), and follow the instructions in the email Snapchat sends.
• Snapchat says email verification only works in the app, not on the web.
• With an email on your account, Snapchat says others can find you by your email by default; you can turn this off in Settings.

Change or verify your mobile number

Settings > My Account > Mobile Number, type the number and tap Verify. Tap Send via SMS for a code (or Call me instead), enter it and tap Continue. On some Android phones, a Google prompt verifies the number with your carrier instead, with no code; if you don’t see it, use SMS or a call.

• Remove your number? Snapchat says you can’t completely remove a verified number, but you can change it to a different one.
• Standard text messaging fees apply, and Snapchat may send you transactional SMS notifications.
• Code not arriving or “Too many requests”? See verification code problems.

Your email or number disappeared from another account

Snapchat says an email or mobile number can only be verified on one account at a time. If the same email or number is verified on a newer account, Snapchat says it’s removed from the older one.

How to know it worked

• Your new details show in Settings > My Account, and the gear is no longer red.

Still not working? Your next steps

1. Locked out or can’t log in: see can’t log in to Snapchat. Someone else changed your details: see Snapchat hacked.

Frequently asked questions