Why Can’t You Change Your Reddit Username? – Answered!

Are you wanting to change your Reddit username, and are wondering why Reddit doesn’t have this functionality built in?

This is a good question, especially since so many other platforms like Twitter and Discord already allow this on their platforms.

Thankfully, there’s a simple explanation – and in fact, under certain circumstances you actually can change your username!

In this article, I’ll cover everything you need to know about changing your username on Reddit.

Why Can’t You Change Your Username On Reddit?

Currently, Reddit doesn’t support the changing of usernames for most accounts. Although Reddit staff has mentioned ‘edge cases’ that can make username changes problematic, the primary reason likely comes down to moderation and spam.

Unfortunately, Reddit has a large problem with bot accounts and upvote manipulation, that are used to sway what people see on the platform.

Allowing people to change their usernames may make it more difficult for moderators to recognize repeat offenders, and keep an eye on their communities.

It’s also possible that because the creation of an account is such a core system of the platform (and it’s been there since the very beginning), that Reddit would need to massively overhaul it before username switches become possible.

This is particularly true since Reddit still allows you to login with an email, rather than a permanent identifier (like an account ID, or an email address.)

Will Reddit Allow Name Changes In The Future?

Reddit co-founder Steve Huffman has stated that he supports the idea of people being able to change their name on Reddit.

However, he noted a few ‘edge cases’ that may make implementing this problematic.

Steve made a few notable points:

1. Future name changing capabilities may be time-limited, meaning that you can only change it periodically. The number he threw out was once a year.
2. This feature may be locked behind Reddit Gold.

So, even if name changes come in the future, it may require payment in order to be done.

However, since the idea was not flat-out denied, it’s possible name changes may come in the future!

How To Change Your Username On Reddit

Did you know that in certain cases, it’s actually already possible to change your Reddit username?

It’s true!

Depending on the situation however, the process is a little bit different. Let’s first look at auto-generated usernames that Reddit provides for new accounts (which consists of two random words, along with some numbers.)

Then, we’ll cover regular usernames you chose when signing up.

Changing Auto-Generated Usernames

If you signed up to Reddit using a Google account or Apple ID, you will have been automatically assigned a Reddit username.

Thankfully, changing this is pretty simple.

If you’re browsing Reddit on desktop, follow these instructions. Note that they will not work on Old Reddit – you must be using the newer version of Reddit for this to work:

1. On Reddit’s website, click on the dropdown menu in the top-right corner of the screen.
2. Click on ‘Profile.’
3. Reddit will show a pop-up asking if you want to change your username.
4. Enter your new username, and confirm it. Note this will be the only time you can change your username following these instructions, so choose carefully!

To change your autogenerated username on mobile, follow these steps:

1. Open the Reddit app, and tap on your profile picture.
2. On the menu that pops up, tap on ‘My Profile.’
3. Reddit will show a pop-up asking if you want to change your username.
4. Enter the new username you want to change it to. Note that you will not be able to change your username again via this method.

There you have it – you should now have a new, permanent username of your choice!

Can You Change Other Usernames?

Unfortunately, you cannot change usernames that you’ve chosen yourself.

However, you can make a new Reddit account using the same email, and switch between them as you wish.

Although your new Reddit account will start over with zero karma, you can follow this guide to gain karma on Reddit quickly.

If you want to transition to a new Reddit account, I recommend that you:

• Write down all of the subreddits you’re currently subscribed to.
• Make a note of all of your friends. You can view a list of your Reddit friends here.
• If you’re moderating any subreddits, transfer ownership to your new account, or notify the mod team that you’re switching to a new account.
• Take note of anyone that you’re following.

If you regularly move between accounts, using the Reddit Enhancement Suite plugin is a great way to save posts across multiple accounts.

So if you want a new username, this is a great option.

Conclusion

Currently, only accounts with auto-generated usernames are able to change them, without going through the deactivation process.

Otherwise, the only other way is to deactivate your Reddit account, and make a new one with the same email.

More and more users are requesting the ability to change their username (and other popular services like Discord already allow this), so hopefully it’s a feature that Reddit will introduce in the future.

I hope that this article has answered all of your questions. If you have any other questions about changing your username on Reddit, please ask them via the comment form below.

Wishing you the best,

– James McAllister