On social media, you don't have to exist stuck with the name your parents gave y'all. While you likely opened this commodity to learn how to change Instagram name, y'all're probably also wondering if doing so impacts your business relationship in any mode. In this guide, nosotros'll share everything you demand to know near changing your name on Instagram, including how to avoid any potential negative implications similar losing followers or lowering your appointment.

Can you change your Instagram name?

Instagram does let you to easily alter your name within the app whenever you lot desire. However, there are a few things within the social media app's account settings that you lot need to know first.

Instagram essentially has two ways of identifying you and your account: your username and your display proper noun. Your username is what you create when y'all starting time set up your Instagram business relationship. Yous tin find it displayed over every postal service you make, every comment you leave, every like you lot requite, and every direct message y'all send. It can too be seen at the top center of your profile.

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While you tin cull a new username at any time, it has to exist unique to you. That means that no one else on Instagram can have the same username as you. If you lot try to use a username that's already in use, Instagram will notify you lot that it'southward already been taken.

You won't be able to save any changes you make to your username until your chosen name is unique. And unfortunately, you can't use symbols to assist make it unique. At this time, Instagram doesn't allow y'all to use symbols in your username. You can only utilize letters, numbers, underscores, and periods.

Your display name, however, is not unique to you. It's displayed at the elevation right of your profile and can be changed to anything at any time. Multiple accounts can accept identical brandish names at the same time. You can take symbols and even emojis in your brandish proper name.

Information technology's as well important to note that other people tin can find your business relationship by searching for your username or your display proper name. When someone searches for your account, your profile pops upward with your username on top and your brandish name underneath it.

Changing your display proper name on Instagram will not affect your business relationship at all, so if yous experience like testing out a new name, updating your brandish name is a dandy way to experiment.

However, changing your username on Instagram could have some negative impacts, and then there'southward a skillful reason to be hesitant. Nosotros'll go over this in more depth in the following section.

What happens when you modify your Instagram username?

If you lot're still on the fence nearly irresolute your Instagram name, it might be the fearfulness of the unknown that's holding you back. What really happens to your profile — and your followers — when you change your Instagram username?

When yous change your username, the profile you take been promoting and linking to volition substantially exist gone. Every tagged post, annotate, or like from your sometime username will lead to a profile that reads User Non Institute.

Your username is also included your profile'due south URL. So if you lot're searching for your profile on your desktop, it won't come up. Instead of seeing your profile, you'll be taken to a page that reads, "Sorry, this page isn't bachelor. The link you followed may exist broken, or the page may have been removed."

If yous've linked to your Instagram profile in a blog post, email signature, or website, y'all'll need to update each of those links afterwards you lot've inverse your username.

If all of this information gives you lot common cold feet, it might help to know that there is a chance to opposite the change. After you update your username, Instagram gives you xiv days to change it back, equally long every bit:

  • It hasn't been taken by a new Instagram account.
  • It hasn't been recently removed from an agile account that you don't own.

Is it bad to change your Instagram proper noun?

While Instagram hasn't acknowledged or reported whatever adverse effects on accounts that change their usernames, some users have reported some not-so-slap-up side effects.

Some Instagram users accept reported losing followers and engagement subsequently changing their usernames. The reason for this could exist that when people go to search for your username — which they've associated with your account for the entirety of the time they've followed yous — they'll become an alert that reads User Not Found. That could, in theory, cause the person to unfollow your account because they no longer think you are active.

At that place is a way to forestall this, however. If you give your followers a heads upwardly that y'all're about to change your username, they'll exist more likely to go along following you considering they still know how to detect yous.

Another reason why changing your username might not exist a great thought is that it might take a few weeks for search engines like Google to recognize your new account name. That in itself could crusade you to lose some engagement on your profile.

How to change your name on Instagram

If, despite all those risks, you're still looking to modify your name on Instagram, you lot'll be happy to hear that it'south relatively like shooting fish in a barrel to do. And remember: if you practise experience any loss in followers or lower engagement rates subsequently you change your username, you yet have 14 days to change it back.

Hither'south how to change your username on Instagram:

  1. Go to your profile.
  2. Press on the Edit Profile push button underneath your profile picture.
  3. Press on your username.
  4. Press the 10 button on the far correct to clear your former username, then blazon in your new username.
  5. Press the Washed selection in the top right corner.

If you're non yet ready to accept the dive and change your Instagram username, try experimenting with a new display name first.

Here'southward how to modify your display proper noun on Instagram:

  1. Get to your profile.
  2. Press the Edit Contour button underneath your contour picture show.
  3. Press on your name.
  4. Press the X button on the far right to clear your name.
  5. Type in your new name.
  6. Printing the Washed option in the top correct corner.

Why is there a lock side by side to my proper name on Instagram?

If you've gone into your settings to experiment with changing your username or brandish name, y'all might have noticed a lock icon adjacent to your username. All that means is that your account is currently set up to private, and only people who yous approve to follow yous can see your content, according to Instagram.

If y'all change your profile to a public business relationship, that lock symbol will go away. Here'due south how to change your privacy settings.

  1. Become to your profile.
  2. Printing on the button with three lines at the top right of the screen.
  3. Press the Settings option,
  4. Press the Privacy pick.
  5. Press the Account Privacy option.
  6. Press the toggle next to Private Account.

While changing your proper name on Instagram sounds similar a fun manner to switch upward your social media presence, remember that in that location could be negative implications for doing and so. Try irresolute your display name first, and if you do determine to follow through with a new username, give your followers a heads up.