How to Change Facebook Username: A Step by Step Guide

Changing your Facebook username is simple, but the new username must meet some requirements.

Your Facebook username serves as part of your Facebook URL, so it should accurately reflect your real name (or, for Facebook Pages, your organization or business name).

While changing your username is easy, there are some guidelines to follow. These guidelines vary depending on if you’re changing the username for a personal account or Facebook Page.

Facebook username requirements

Facebook has different username requirements for personal profiles and business/brand pages.

Username requirements for personal profiles

Facebook has a strict naming policy that follows its account integrity and authentic identity guidelines. For your personal account, you should use the name you go by. It can, therefore, be your nickname, professional name, or maiden name.

Facebook usernames cannot include the following:

• Symbols
• Numbers
• Strange capitalizations
• Repeated characters
• Punctuation
• Characters from multiple languages
• Titles (such as professional titles)
• Words/phrases
• The name of another person

Username requirements for business/brand pages

If you are a page’s admin, you can change the page’s username. The username must:

• Be unique
• Be at least five characters in length
• Use only numbers, letters, and the period punctuation
• Follow Facebook’s terms of service

How to change Facebook username for a personal account

Facebook allows you to change your username only from your computer (not mobile or tablet). To change the username of your personal Facebook account, follow these steps:

1. Log on to Facebook on a computer.
2. Click on the down caret at the far right of the top menu.

Locate and click on the down caret (Source: All images are from the author’s personal account)

3. From the drop-down menu, select “Settings and Privacy.”
4. From the menu that appears next, click “Settings.”

Click “Settings” under “Settings & Privacy”

5. Under “General Profile Settings,” click the “Edit” option (represented by a pencil icon) in the “Username” row.

Click “Edit” in the row that says “Username”

6. In the box that appears, enter your new username. If your selected username is not available, you’ll see a red “X” and a message that reads: “Username is not available.”

Enter your new username in the text box

7. When you enter a unique username (indicated by a green check mark), click “Save changes.”

Click “Save changes” to proceed

8. Enter your password when prompted.

Enter your password to confirm your identity

9. Click “Submit” to complete the process.

After entering your password, click on “Submit”

How to change Facebook username for a business account

Facebook recently released a new version of Facebook Pages. It now refers to the old version as Classic Pages and the new version as New Pages Experience.

The process for changing the username of your Page account differs for each version. In both cases, however, you must be logged in from a computer and have admin access.

Changing the username of a Classic Pages account

1. Click the Home icon to navigate to your News Feed.
2. On the left menu, click the “Pages” option, which is represented by a flag icon.

Click on “Pages” in the left-hand menu

3. From the options on the left menu, click on your Page.

Select the Pages account you wish to edit

4. Click on your Page’s current username.
5. Under the “Page Settings” menu, select “Edit Page Info.”

Click “Edit Page Info”

6. Enter your new username.

Enter your new username

7. Facebook automatically saves this change when you navigate away from this page.

Changing the username of a New Pages Experience account

1. Navigate to your Page following steps 1 through 4 mentioned above.
2. Click on the profile page icon at the top right.
3. In the box that appears, click “Settings & Privacy.”

Click “Settings & Privacy”

4. In the next box, click “Settings.”
5. Under “General Page Settings,” click the “Edit” option (represented by a pencil icon) in the “Username” row.

Click “Edit” in the “Username” row

6. In the box that appears, enter your new username, and click “Save Changes.” A green check mark will indicate the entered username is available.

Enter your new username in the text box

7. You’ll be prompted to enter your password to confirm your identity. Enter your password and click “Submit” to complete the process.

Classic Facebook Pages vs. New Pages Experience

Classic Facebook Pages had five administrative roles: Admin, Editor, Moderator, Advertiser, and Analyst. The New Pages Experience condenses administrative access to two roles: Facebook Access and Task Access.

Users with Facebook Access have full or partial control over various Page functions, including:

• Content management (post creation and deletion)
• Message and comment replies
• Linking accounts (such as Instagram)
• Ads management
• Insights
• Events
• Removals and bans
• Account settings
• Account access

Users with Task Access can manage Pages through tools such as Facebook Business Suite, Creator Studio, Ads Manager, and Business Manager. Users can’t control a Page’s settings (such as naming another person as an admin or deleting the Page), but they can create and manage content, respond to messages, manage advertisements, and access insights.

Use Facebook Pages to market your business

You just learned how the New Pages Experience offers Task Access, which allows users to control a Pages account via Facebook Business Suite, Creator Studio, Ads Manager, and Business Manager. With this new access system, numerous parties can make changes to your account. Make collaboration between these parties easy by utilizing social media management software, which allows you to plan campaigns, engage users, and track your success and reach.