While the process of changing your name is unnecessarily restrictive on Facebook, it is relatively simple on Instagram. Even though Instagram is directly owned and operated by Mark Zuckerberg’s social media behemoth, it still lets you change both your display name and username much more freely. So without wasting any time, let me show you how to change your Instagram name and username on iPhone, Android, and the web.
Change Your Name and Username on Instagram (2021)
As mentioned already, Instagram doesn’t have the same restrictions on name change as imposed by its parent, Facebook. There are, however, a few caveats that we will be discussing in this article before taking a look at the step-by-step guide. We will also be talking about the difference between your display name and username and things you should know before changing them in each case. That said, let’s check out how you can change your Instagram name and username in a few easy steps.
Difference Between Name and Username on Instagram
Before you set off on your mission to change your name on Instagram, it is worth noting that there’s a difference between your display name and username on the platform. The display name is your own name or an alias, and you can change it up to twice in 14 days. It can be exactly the same as anyone else’s display name because many people can share the exact same name.
On the other hand, your username comes with the “@” tag and is unique to your account. Often referred to as your Insta handle, it goes at the end of your Instagram URL and has more restrictions on what’s acceptable and what’s not. According to the company, your Instagram username must fulfill the following criteria:
- Must be unique (no two Instagram users can have the same username)
- Must have less than 30 characters
- Should contain only letters, numbers, periods, and underscores (no spaces or other symbols)
- Should not have any profanity or restricted language
Things to Know Before Updating Instagram Profile Info
While Instagram doesn’t put the same type of restrictions on name changes as Facebook, there are a few things you need to know before updating your profile information. For general users, your username will be updated immediately, and your followers will be notified of the change. However, “if your account reaches a lot of people, your username change may need to be reviewed. If so, you’ll be notified when we’ve completed a review,” says Instagram.
Do note that Instagram doesn’t explain what constitutes “a lot of people,” so the threshold to activate the manual review process remains ambiguous. As for what will change following your edit, changing the ‘Name’ field will not change anything except the name shown on your profile. However, changing the ‘Username’ will change your account URL, which means your old Instagram URL will return a 404 error (page not found). Meanwhile, your account link will auto-update everywhere else (such as embedded posts, etc.), which means users clicking on an earlier post will still be able to engage with your account as usual.
Instagram will preserve your old username for 14 days, so in case you decide to revert back to your old handle, you can do so within this period. After that, it will be available to the public, which means you might not be able to get it back if someone else has already claimed it. In either case, the rest of the account information will remain unchanged. That includes the number of followers, liked posts, followed accounts, etc.
Anyway, now that we have got that out the way, you can learn how to change your Instagram name and username on Android, iOS, and the website in the next section.
Change Instagram Name and Username on Android
Here’s how you go about changing your name and username on Instagram for Android:
- Open the Instagram app and tap on your profile image at the bottom-right corner. Then, tap on ‘Edit Profile‘.
- Next, select either ‘Name‘ or ‘Username‘ depending on what you want to change. Finally, type in the new name/username and hit the blue check (tick) mark at the top-right to save your changes.
Your new name or username will reflect immediately unless “your account reaches a lot of people”. In that case, Instagram will review the changes before implementing them, as mentioned earlier in the article.
Note: If your preferred new username is already in use by someone else or doesn’t meet the standards set by Instagram, you will see a red exclamation mark and a message saying ‘Username not available’. You can keep trying other options till you don’t see that message anymore.
Change Instagram Name and Username on iPhone
You can also change your Instagram name and username using the iPhone mobile app. Here’s how:
- Open the Instagram app and tap on your profile image at the bottom-right corner. Then, tap on ‘Edit Profile‘ under your name.
- Now type a new name or username depending on what you want to change. Finally, hit ‘Done‘ to confirm.
Like on Android, your new display name or username will be immediately reflected on Instagram across all platforms except for the instances mentioned earlier.
Change Name and Username on the Instagram Website
The process of changing your name or username on the Instagram website is similar to how you go about it on mobile apps. Here are the step-by-step instructions:
- Go to the Instagram website and log in with your account credentials. Now, click on your profile image [1] at the top-right. On the drop-down menu, hit ‘Profile‘ [2].
- On your profile page, click the ‘Edit Profile‘ button next to your username.
- Now change your profile name or username as you please. Finally, hit ‘Submit‘ at the bottom to save your changes.
Note: Unlike on the app, you will not get a real-time warning on the website if your preferred username is already in use. Instead, you will have to hit the Submit button to know whether the username you are after is available or not.
Easily Update Your Instagram Name and Username
Now that you know how to change your name or username on Instagram, go check out our guide on how you can change your name on Facebook. You can also change your name on Zoom, so check that out if you are looking to refresh your identity across various apps and services. Moreover, as an Instagram user, check out some of our other tutorials for the app, including how to hide message requests on Instagram and how to turn off contacts syncing in Instagram. On the other hand, if you are concerned about your privacy and want to get rid of the app altogether, check out the best Instagram alternatives on Android and iOS.
