How to change your Instagram username

With nearly two billion active users every month across the world, Instagram is one of the most popular social networking platforms there has been in recent times. Recent surveys have revealed that India has the largest Instagram audience in the world, with around 360 million users. Amidst this thriving community, users often try to personalise their profiles in different ways, including changing their usernames. 

If you have a good number of followers or own a popular brand, you may want to modify the username for various reasons such as rebranding, aligning with a new content focus, or simply refreshing your online presence. Here are some reasons why some may consider changing their usernames on Instagram.

1. Personal growth: Your old username might reflect an outdated interest or phase of your life.

2. Branding: Creating a username more aligned with your business, brand, or online persona.

3. Name changes: Reflecting real-life name changes (like after marriage).

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4. Availability: Your desired username might have been taken previously but is now available.

5. Privacy: Removing personal information from a username for increased privacy.

6. Memorability: Crafting a username that’s easier to remember and share.

There is no set limit to changing your username on Instagram. However, once you have modified your username, it will not allow you to change it again for a few days. If you’re looking to do the same, here is a little step-by-step guide we put together.

How to change your username on the Instagram app

Here is how to change your username using the Instagram app:

1. Open Instagram on your phone and tap on your profile picture at the bottom-right corner. 

2. Tap on the ‘Edit Profile’ option beneath your bio.

3. Tap on the ‘Username’ field here and enter a new username of your choice. 

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4. The app will check whether it is available. If it can be used, it will show a green tick, and a red cross, if it is taken already. 

5. Once you are satisfied with an available username, tap the checkmark (iOS) or ‘Done’ (Android) in the top-right corner.

How to change your username on Instagram using a browser

1. Open instragram.com on your preferred web browser and sign into your account.

2. Click on your profile picture in the top-right and then select ‘Profile.’

3. Click on the ‘Edit Profile’ option under your username.

4. Enter the desired username in the ‘Username’ field.

5. Scroll down and click on the ‘Submit’ button to save your changes. 

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It’s worth noting that an Instagram username cannot be longer than 30 characters. In addition to this, it can only include letters, numbers, periods, and underscores. The username you decide on shows in your profile URL. Hence, if you modify it, your old profile URL will not work.

Two Instagram accounts cannot have the same username. Therefore, it is worth noting that the old username becomes available for others after you change it. If you just changed your username, Instagram allows you to revert to the previous one up to 14 days, if no one else has taken it.

Instagram has a rule that does not allow users to change their display name (not the username, but the name that appears under the profile image) more than once within a 14-day period. This should not be confused with changing a username, which has its own limited number of allowable changes.