Twitter is one of the most popular social networking sites with over 450 million active users. Celebrities and business personnel extensively use the platform to share information, arrange events, connect to their audiences and more. Although there's a lot of formal content, Twitter is mostly an informal type of social media platform. Celebrities, organizations and ordinary people, everybody tweets.

How does Twitter distinguish the vast numbers of users? If you try to open a Twitter account, you will find that the creation of a handle takes a comparatively longer time than other steps. Refer back to 450 million users and you will understand why. A unique Twitter handle benefits your profile visibility. It can attract a good number of followers from the circle you want to be in and the type of information you want to see on your timeline. If your Twitter handle is not eye-catching, attractive or looks spammy, you can change it at any time. People also change Twitter handles for business purposes. In this article, we will show you how to change your Twitter handle and explain why you might consider doing so.

What is a Twitter handle?

Your Twitter handle is your identifier on the Twitter platform. It is also known as a Twitter username. A Twitter handle is a mandatory requirement, without which you simply cannot exist on the app. A Twitter handle is the unique identifier of your profile. It begins with the "@" symbol. It's also used as a promotion tool for lots of businesses, organizations and influencers. Twitter users are mentioned in tweets by using the handles. They also form a part of the user's Twitter URL (e.g., twitter.com/username). You can change your Twitter username anytime, but it must be unique. If you choose a username that is already taken or doesn't fall under the guidelines of the platform, Twitter will prompt you to choose a different one.

Why Do People Change Their Twitter Handles?

Changing a Twitter handle is not a tough task, although it can dramatically affect your experience on the platform. For example, if you change your username without notifying your followers, they may not be able to find you for a time being. There are several reasons why people might change their Twitter handle.

Rebranding

Individuals or organizations may decide to change their Twitter handle to align with a new brand identity or marketing strategy. For example, if you become a member of a new band, you can use the band's name as your Twitter handle. 

Personal preference

Some Twitter users may simply want to change their handles to better reflect their personalities or interests. Sometimes, usernames with funny words become a trend. People do it often to keep up with new trends. Great thing is, you can totally take Twitter handle ideas from other platforms to stand out.

Commercial purpose

When the Twitter user starts a business, they change their personal profile to a business profile. Common practice for startups is to create a personal profile first to generate genuine followers, and then use that profile for commercial purposes. Think artists and creatives who use Twitter to advertise and promote their art.

Privacy concerns

In some cases, you may choose to change your Twitter handle to protect your privacy. The reason may be unwanted attention or harassment on the platform. If that's the case we advice you ensure your privacy through Twitter's 'Protect Tweets' alongside changing the username.  Depending on how serious the issue is, you can not change the handle and use the protection for a period a time.

Mergers or acquisitions

If your company is acquired or merges with another company, you may change your company Twitter handle to reflect the new ownership or identity. But before changing, let the audience know by tweeting about it, so that your existing followers can recognize you.

Legal reasons

If your Twitter handle infringes on someone else's trademark or violates Twitter's terms of service, you may be required to change it. Always follow the guidelines for creating username that will guarantee your account doesn't get suspended.

How Do You Change Your Twitter handle?

You have to change your Twitter handle if any of the above mentioned situations occur. Outside of that, you can change your Twitter handle using any device, as many times as you like in just a few steps:

Step 1: Run the Twitter app or Twitter for Web

If you use Twitter on your smartphone, tap on the app icon and log into your Twitter account. However, if you want to use Twitter with a browser, type "Twitter for Web" and log into your Twitter profile in the similar way. 

Step 2: Tap on your profile picture

After logging into your profile, click on your profile picture in the top right corner of the screen, then scroll down to the main menu.

Step 3: Tap on Settings and privacy

After tapping on your profile picture, you can find different categories for communities, settings, privacy, the help center, and more. You have to select "Settings and Privacy". 

Step 4: Enter the "Account" menu

When you click on "Settings and Privacy" menu, some sub categories such as accounts, manage accounts, blocking, manage post etc., will pop up. You have to click on the "Account" tab on the left side of the screen.

Step 5: Edit your username

• In the account menu, find your username, password, and account deactivation under the Personal Information panel. Select the "Username".
• Under the "Username" section, you will see the editing button. Click on it.
• In the edit menu, you have to enter your new Twitter handle in the text field. Then, click "Save" to update your username. And this may sound silly, but don't forget to erase your previous username beforehand.

Some Guidelines to Follow While Creating Your Twitter Handle

In some cases it's difficult to set your desired handle because Twitter has denied your entered username several times. It happens because you might have ignored some rules on setting a username on the platform.

• Usernames cannot contain the words 'Twitter' or 'Admin.' If you use these words, the Twitter authority will deny your username right way. They can also restrict you from creating a profile. Only official Twitter accounts of Twitter can use such words. 
• Your username has to be limited to 15 characters. You can't use names longer than 50 characters or shorter than 4 characters.
• You have to create your username only with alphanumeric characters such as letters A-Z and numbers 0-9. You can't use symbols, spaces, or punctuation marks in your username. Unless it's an underscore. 
• You can idea from other accounts, but you can't have the same exact username as someone else.
• If you have used Twitter before and deactivated the account, avoid using your past handle. Twitter doesn't accept usernames of deactivated accounts. Additionally, if your Twitter account is suspended and you are trying to open a new one, you can't use the previous username.

One trick here is to change small "L", "l" with a capital "I" if any of these letters wear featured in your previous usernames. 

Conclusion

Changing your Twitter handle will also change your Twitter URL, so make sure to update any links to your profile accordingly. Additionally, your old Twitter handle may still appear in mentions and links for a time being but it will, eventually, completely change into the new one. Make sure to follow Twitter rules when selecting the handle. If you are having a hard time, think about what you want it to be about, search the accounts with similar concepts, interests or words and take inspiration from them. You can even write down your "dream handle" and just add additional word, even @x_twt will do.