Changing Your Spotify Username Might Be More Complicated Than You Think

Remember the early days of the internet when all of your usernames revolved around an animal, sport, or your most embarrassing nickname? Thankfully the internet moved past that era a long time ago, but there’s one platform that might still be behind the times: Spotify. If you’ve had your Spotify account since high school, there’s a good chance your username reflects that. But is there a way to bring your account name into this decade, or will you have to live with your outdated handle forever? Here’s the scoop on how to change your Spotify username, and spoiler alert: it might not be the answer you want.

Though you’re probably more concerned about which songs will top your Spotify Wrapped than changing your username, it would still be nice not to be reminded of your past every time someone asks to follow you. After all, you want your crush to focus on your amazing music taste every time your name pops up in the Friend Activity section — not your cringey username inspired by the nickname your best friend gave you in 7th grade. Just because your playlists are full of throwbacks doesn’t mean your username needs to be from the past, right? Well, unfortunately, it doesn’t work like that, because once you set your Spotify username, you won’t be able to change it. But don’t lose hope just yet, because there might be a way around it.

Can You Change Your Username On Spotify?

Spotify’s support page spells out whether or not you can change your username pretty simply. According to the website, your username is “designed to identify you on Spotify, so you can’t change it.” So unless you’re willing to delete your account and start fresh, it looks like you’re stuck with your last remaining embarrassing username until the end.

Before you hit that delete button, there is a way to remove your username from your profile without actually changing it. To hide your username from your friends and followers, all you have to do is change your account’s display name and it’ll replace the username where it shows up on your profile, app, and playlists. Hey, at least it’s something.

How To Change Your Display Name On Spotify

If you’re ready to rebrand your Spotify account, you can change your display name on your mobile device or tablet by following these steps:

1. Open the Spotify app.
2. Tap the house-shaped Home icon.
3. Tap the gear-shaped Settings icon in the top-right corner.
4. Tap “View profile.”
5. Tap “Edit profile.”
6. In the line underneath your profile picture, type your display name.
7. Tap the “Save” button in the top-right corner.

Your display name can be up to 30 characters long, but the app recommends changing it to reflect your name or a nickname.

To change your display name on a desktop, you’ll need to:

1. Open Spotify web player.
2. Click the downward-facing arrow next to your username.
3. Select “Profile.”
4. Click your profile name.
5. Type your display name.
6. Click “Save.”

It’s unclear if there are restrictions on how often you can change your display name, so it’s probably best to choose a name that won’t go out of style (like, ya know, your actual name).

Though you won’t be able to wipe your embarrassing username from your account — or your memory, for that matter — completely, changing your display name on Spotify is a pretty solid alternative.