Change Your Snapchat User Name

You cannot change the username associated with your Snapchat account.[1] You can, however, delete your old account and then create a new account with a different username. Alternatively, you can change your display name, which is the name your friends and other users will see when you send a Snap or a chat.

10 Second Summary

1. Open Snapchat.
2. Swipe down.
3. Tap the Settings icon.
4. Tap Log Out.
5. Tap Sign Up.
6. Enter your name and accept.
7. Enter your new username.
8. Enter a different email address and follow prompts.

Steps

Deleting Your Old Snapchat Account

  1. Open the Snapchat app. This is the yellow app with a ghost icon.
  2. Swipe down from anywhere on your screen. Doing so will open your Snapchat account page.
  3. Tap ⚙️. It's in the upper-right corner of the screen and takes you to the Settings menu.
  4. Scroll down and tap Support. It's in the "More Information" section.
  5. Tap My Account & Settings. It's the last selection on the screen.
  6. Tap Account Information.
  7. Tap Delete My Account. It's in the center of the menu. This launches a new page explaining how to delete your account.
  8. Tap page. It's in the second paragraph.
  9. Enter your password. Do so to verify that you want to delete your account.
    • If your username doesn't autofill, you'll need to enter that, as well.
  10. Tap Continue. Your Snapchat account is now deactivated and will be deleted after 30 days.
    • If you change your mind, you can reactivate your account by signing into Snapchat within 30 days of deactivation.
    • As of February 2017, there is not a way to export your friends list from Snapchat. While many of them will be searchable by phone number from your device's Contacts app, you should screen shot your Friends list before deleting your account.

Creating a New Snapchat Account

  1. Open Snapchat. It's a yellow app containing the outline of a white ghost.
    • Enter your username and password if you're not automatically logged in.
  2. Swipe down anywhere on the screen. Doing so takes you to the user screen.
  3. Tap ⚙️. It's in the upper-right corner of the screen and takes you to the Settings menu.
  4. Scroll down and tap Log Out. It's at the bottom of the menu.
  5. Tap Sign Up. This will prompt you to create a new Snapchat account.
  6. Enter your name. Type your first and last name in the provided spaces.
  7. Tap Sign Up & Accept. Then enter your birthday, when prompted, and tap continue.
  8. Enter your new username. Choose the new username you'd like to have associated with your Snapchat account.
  9. Enter an email address. This email address must be different from the one associated with your old Snapchat account.
  10. Follow the rest of the onscreen prompts. From here, you can skip steps and add new or old friends from your contacts.
    • Once you've got your account set up, you can go back and change your email and phone number from the Settings menu.
    • You can delete your old Snapchat account, if you like, or leave it active if you think you may return to it.

Changing Your Snapchat Display Name

  1. Open Snapchat. It's a yellow icon containing a distinctive ghost logo.
    • Enter your username and password if you're not automatically logged in.
  2. Swipe down from anywhere on your screen. Doing so will open your Snapchat account page.
  3. Tap ⚙️. It's in the upper-right corner of the screen and takes you to the Settings menu.
  4. Tap Name. It's at the top of the menu.
  5. Enter your new display name. You can enter just a first name or both a first and last name. Be sure to choose a name that's recognizable to your friends.
    • If you choose not to use a display name, tap Remove Name. Users will still be able to see your username, but if your username doesn't identify you, it will be difficult for friends to find you.
  6. Tap Save.
  7. Tap Back. It's the arrow in the upper left corner of the screen. Now other folks on Snapchat will see the name you've just entered when you send them snaps or post a story.

Sources and Citations