How to Change Twitter Handle In Easy Way: A Comprehensive Guide

Today, Twitter is used for multiple purposes; it can be used to make connections or for marketing purposes. For instance, as a freelance writer, you can use the platform to gain a great following, and as a business, you can include it in your marketing strategy. But, what if your Twitter handle or username doesn’t represent you now? The way you identify yourself online says a lot about who you are, which is why it’s important to have a username that fits your persona.

The Question Is, Can You Change Your Twitter Handle?

Well, it’s quite easy to change your display name as well as the username on Twitter. Plus, you can change your handle as many times as you wish. Here’s a quick guide on how to change your Twitter handle:

You might want to change Twitter handles for a number of reasons. For instance, you might want to rebrand yourself, want a cleaner and better URL, or you’ve just gotten bored of your old username. If you’re confused, your Twitter handle is basically the combination of characters after the ‘@’ symbol below your display name.

Changing the Twitter handle doesn’t affect your history; the only thing that changes is that all the new tweets on your profile will have the new handle.

Steps to Changing Twitter Handle via Desktop

If you’re also wondering how to change your Twitter handle via a PC, then you don’t need to worry. It is quite easy to do so. So, how can you change your Twitter handle? Well, here’s what you must do:

Step 1: Log In

Head over to Twitter.com from your browser and log in. You can use your username, email, or phone number to login. If you’ve forgotten your password, you can simply click on ‘Forgot password?’ and recover it.

Step 2: Go to Account Settings

Click on your circular profile picture. You will see a drop-down menu. From the menu, select Settings and Privacy.

Step 3: Edit Your Username

Once you are in your Account settings, it’s quite simple. The first thing you will notice is the Username field, which is basically your Twitter handle. Delete the current text entered in the field and enter a new name.

Step 4: Save Changes

Once you see a green message that says that the username is available, go to the bottom of the page and click on Save changes. Your handle is now changed!

How to Change Your Twitter Handle via Ios or Android Device

If you use Twitter on your mobile device and want to change your handle, here’s what you must do:

Step 1: Log In

On your Android or iOS device, launch the Twitter app. If you aren’t logged into your account, sign in.

Step 2: Go to Settings & Privacy

On the top left of your screen, you will see your profile icon. Tap on it. You will then see Settings and privacy. Tap on that.

Step 3: Go to Account

Now, tap on the account.

Step 4: Tap on Username

Next, tap on the username.

Step 5: Enter Your New Twitter Handle

Now, type in a new handle under the “New” header. To help you out, Twitter gives you a list of suggestions. If the username is not available, Twitter will ask you to enter a new one. However, if it is available, then you will see a green-colored message saying, “Available!”

Step 6: Tap Done

Once you have the desired username, simply tap on Done to save it.

Restrictions on Twitter Handle

When it comes to choosing a new handle, there are a few restrictions you need to keep in mind. These are:

1. The username shouldn’t be longer than 15 characters.
2. You cannot use any symbols in the username apart from the underscore.
3. A deactivated or suspended account cannot claim a username.
4. Your username cannot include the words ‘Admin’ or ‘Twitter.’ Only official Twitter accounts can include these.

How Can I Get a Unique Twitter to Handle?

Whether you’re an individual or a business, it’s always a good idea to have a unique handle that reflects your persona. Here are some tips for getting a handle that’s completely unique to you.

Personal account

If you’re trying to create a recognizable brand or become more professional, some tips you can try out are:

• Firstly, try using some variation of your name.
• If you have a common name, there are high chances that the handle you want is already taken. If that is the case, try adding some numbers or underscores to create a unique handle.
• You can also try including your middle name to create something unique.

Business Account

In some cases, it so happens that some businesses find that the handle they want for their company’s name is already registered. And, if the account is active and not impersonating your brand, there’s not much you can do. However, if someone pretends to be speaking on behalf of your company, some things you can do are:

Try getting in touch with the account holder by tweeting to them or find some contact details in their account bio.

If you can’t contact the person, you can work through Twitter to get the account. According to Twitter, they will suspend the account and notify the holder if the account misleads people via unauthorized use of a trademark. However, if the account is confusing to others but doesn’t purposefully pass itself off as the product, company, or brand, then the holder will be informed. He will also be allowed to keep the account, given that he clears up the confusion.

If the account in question is completely inactive, then Twitter might just release a username so that the trademark holder can use it. If you’ve tried all the steps above but still haven’t been able to get the username you want, you must get creative. Think of how you can represent your name in fewer characters. You can also try using underscores.

How Can I Avoid Losing Followers?

There’s one loophole that you come across when changing your handle: any retweets you were mentioned in or the tweets you made in the past will have your old handle. The connection and conversations between the tweets also don’t die. In the ‘Tweets & mentions’ column, you will still be able to see the conversations you had before you changed your handle.

However, if someone were to click on your old handle if you were mentioned in your friend’s tweet before you changed the name, one of two things could take place. They might not be able to tap or click on the handle at all, which means it is still unclaimed, or if it is claimed by someone, then he or she will be redirected to the new person’s profile.

This could lead to you losing your followers. If you don’t want that to happen after you change Twitter handles, you can simply create another account using your old handle. Use a secondary phone number or email for that. All the mentions under the old handle will be directed to this account. Then, tell users that you’ve changed your handle in a tweet and ask them to follow you on your new handle.

You can also use your old handle as a second persona if you don’t want old followers on the new handle. This way, you can continue to build a great profile with connections you already established.

The Final Word

You now know how to change Twitter handles. Remember, you can change it as many times as you want, provided that you keep all the things mentioned above in mind. However, make sure to note that if you have a verified account and you change your username, then you might lose your verification mark. Plus, your followers might get confused if you constantly change your names. With that being said, have fun tweeting!