One of the first things you’ll notice after creating your Reddit account is that your username will be generated by default. And to stand out from the crowd of randomly assigned usernames, you may want to change it. But it’s not as simple as it may seem.
Reddit allows users to change only the username given to them automatically. However, this can only be done within the first 30 days after creating an account. After that, Reddit will save a randomly generated username as a primary one.
So, unfortunately, there’s no way to change your username after these 30 days and once you’ve finalized (confirmed) it. All you can do in this situation is create a new account and change your username to something you like.
Let’s look at all the solutions in more detail.
How to change your Reddit username within 30 days
As I said above, you can only change a randomly generated username within 30 days of creating your Reddit account. Here’s how to do it on desktop and mobile devices.
On desktop
- Visit Reddit and sign in to your account if necessary.
- Then click your profile icon at the top right corner and select Profile.
- A pop-up will appear, prompting you to Change Username or Keep Username.
- To change it, click Change Username.
- Enter your new username and click Continue.
- Finally, confirm it by clicking Save Username.
On mobile
- Open Reddit and sign in to your account if needed.
- Then tap your profile icon at the top right corner and select My profile.
- A pop-up will appear, prompting you to change or keep your username.
- Select Change Username.
- Enter your new username and tap Next.
- Finally, confirm the change by tapping Save Username.
Your new username will now appear in your profile. Remember that you cannot change it in any way now.
How to change your Reddit username by creating a new account
Another way to change your Reddit username is to create a new account with the username you want. You can do this by logging out of your existing account and clicking the “Sign Up” button on the Reddit home page. Follow the prompts to create a new account.
After you create a new account and log in, you will immediately be prompted to change your username. To do this, simply follow the steps listed above.
Note: You don’t need to delete or deactivate your old Reddit account. Just keep it to save all your previous post history, karma, and other content. Moreover, you can have as many Reddit accounts as you want. Reddit has no limitations in this regard.
What does u/ before username mean on Reddit?
On Reddit, the “u/” before a username indicates that it is a user’s account or profile. The “u/” prefix is a shorthand way of referring to a specific Reddit user.
The “u/” prefix helps distinguish usernames from other elements on Reddit, such as subreddit names or user mentions in comments or posts. When someone mentions a user in a comment or post, they typically use the format “u/username” to tag or notify that user.
This tagging feature allows users to bring specific users’ attention to a particular discussion or post.
Can I use the same usernames on different Reddit accounts?
No, Reddit doesn’t allow users to have the same username across multiple accounts. Each Reddit account must have a unique username associated with it. This policy is in place to ensure that each user has a distinct identity and to prevent confusion or impersonation within the Reddit community.
When creating a new Reddit account, you will need to choose a unique username that another user doesn’t already take. If you attempt to create a new account with a username already in use, Reddit will prompt you to choose a different, unused username.
It’s important to note that even though you can’t have the same username on multiple accounts, you can still use different usernames to maintain separate identities or participate in different discussions under different aliases.
Can I use the username of my deleted Reddit account?
No, once a Reddit account is deleted, the associated username becomes unavailable for future use. Reddit doesn’t allow users to reuse or claim the username of a deleted account. This policy ensures that usernames remain unique and prevents others from impersonating deleted accounts.
When you delete your Reddit account, all your account information, including your username, is permanently removed from Reddit’s database. This action cannot be undone, and the username associated with the deleted account cannot be recovered or used again.
If you create a new Reddit account after deleting an old one, you should choose a different, unused username.
