When you create a Spotify account, you will receive a username that you’ll probably have a hard time remembering. Spotify is automatically generating usernames for new Spotify accounts to help identify different users. While this auto-generated username helps Spotify discern your account from other ones, it won’t help your friends, followers, and potential fans at all. One of the first things most people try to do once they’ve set up their Spotify account is to change their username, but sadly, it’s unchangeable.
What you can do, however, is change your Spotify display name. Your username and display name on Spotify are not the same things, and today, I’ll help you learn the differences between them and ultimately how to change your display name so people can remember it more easily.
Spotify Username vs Spotify Display Name: What’s the Difference?
The main difference between your Spotify display name and your Spotify username is that you cannot change your Spotify username. It is randomly generated and essentially serves as your virtual Spotify ID. It won’t be of much use to you, but Spotify’s algorithms need it to perform thousands of different processes (recommending new music, creating personalized playlists, etc.).
As soon as you make a new account, assuming you haven’t used your Facebook account, your Spotify username will appear on all of your songs, playlists, and profile. Since it’s usually a string of random numbers and letters, most people want to change the name displayed on their Spotify content as soon as possible.
Your Spotify display name, on the other hand, can be changed and will effectively replace your Spotify username everywhere, including the Spotify app, your profile, playlists, songs, and wherever your username appeared.
So, Spotify username is random, while Spotify display name is not random.
How to Change Username on Spotify
The randomly-generated username Spotify provides for all its users cannot be changed. However, you can change your profile name by clicking on the settings icon, opening the “Profile” section, and editing the details. This can be done either on a mobile device or a desktop computer.
You cannot change Spotify usernames, but you can change your Spotify display name. The process can take about a couple of minutes and is extremely straightforward, but there are still a couple of things you should know before you start.
First of all, when you create your Spotify display name, you will be more visible to other Spotify users. While most people can’t guess who the person using the “xZ69aZ1aG” username is, your chosen Spotify display name, especially if it is your real name, will make it easier to find.
Second and more importantly, you can change your display name on your Spotify account at any time and on any device and on any platform, whether it be the Spotify app, the web player, or the desktop app. You can also choose to use your Facebook name as your display name. With that out of the way, let me guide you through the steps.
Changing Your Spotify Display Name on Desktop App
I recommend using this method if you are not in a hurry to change your display name because the navigation is a bit simpler. To change the Spotify display name on your desktop Spotify app or Spotify Web Player, you’ll first need to log into the account on which you wish to make the change.
Once logged in, click on the profile icon in the upper-right corner of the screen. A drop-down menu will appear, so select the “Profile” option. All you have to do is tap on the current profile name and type the text that you wish to set as your new display name.
Tap “Save” to confirm your decision, and this will be the name that will be displayed on your Spotify playlists, music, and profile.
Changing Your Spotify Display Name on Mobile/Tablet Device
The process to change your Spotify display name on mobile devices is almost identical but has a couple of extra steps. Regardless of whether you’re using an Android or an iOS device, you’ll need to log into your account and click on the “Home” icon.
Select “Settings” and then go to “View Profile” (it’s the first option on top). Click on the “Edit” button, and tap on the box that allows you to change the display name. Type the name you wish to use as your display name, and click “Save”. This is also where you can change your profile photo or profile picture.
Using Your Facebook Name
If you are about to create a new account on Spotify, you can opt to use your Facebook profile info and integrate it with Spotify. This will simplify and accelerate the process quite a bit, but more importantly, you will be able to use your Facebook username as your Spotify display name. The option to change your display name will still be available to you, in which case your new Spotify display name will replace the Facebook name.
What Will Happen to my Spotify Username After I Change my Display Name?
The only “consequence” of setting a new Spotify display name is that it will appear on all your Spotify playlists and other content instead of your Spotify username. The username will still exist and will be used by Spotify to identify you.
When it comes to your display name, Spotify makes it public, while your username is private, so there are no reasons to change the latter.
FAQ
Spotify usernames cannot be changed while display names can. If you’re still trying to wrap your head around what you can do about your Spotify name, let me answer some of the most frequently asked questions.
Can people see your Spotify username?
No, Spotify usernames are private. Display names on Spotify, however, are public. The only way to “hide” any personal information on Spotify is to choose a generic, non-revealing nickname.
Are Spotify username and display name the same?
No, Spotify usernames are randomly generated, unchangeable, and serve for authentication purposes while display names are user-generated and changeable.
Wrapping Up
It would be more accurate to describe Spotify’s username as a personal user ID rather than a “name”; a lot of the confusion would be avoided that way. It’s unchangeable, but fortunately, you won’t ever need to use it. You can log in with your email or phone number; the only reason why your Spotify username exists is to give you a “temporary identification” until you decide how the world will see you by choosing your display name.
