Change Your Game Center Name in Settings

To change your name on Game Center, open the Settings app on your device, tap your Apple ID at the top, then select Name, Phone Numbers, Email. From there, you can edit your first and last name. Game Center pulls your display name from your Apple ID, so updating it there changes how your name appears to other players.

The change takes effect when ready across all Apple services linked to that Apple ID, including Game Center. You do not need to restart the app or sign out and back in—your new name will show the next time you open Game Center or refresh your profile.

Key Takeaways

  • Game Center uses the name stored in your Apple ID account, so you change it through Settings, not within the Game Center app itself.
  • Go to Settings > [Your Apple ID] > Name, Phone Numbers, Email to edit your first and last name.
  • The change appears when ready across Game Center and all other Apple services tied to your account.
  • If you want a different display name just for gaming, you can create a separate Apple ID with a different name and use that for Game Center instead.

Step-by-Step Instructions for iPhone or iPad

Open the Settings app and tap your name at the very top of the screen. This opens your Apple ID account page. Tap Name, Phone Numbers, Email—it is the first option in the list.

You will see your current first name and last name in separate fields. Tap the field you want to change, delete the old text, and type your new name. Tap Done when you finish. If you are changing both names, repeat the process for the second field. After you save, tap the back arrow to return to your Apple ID page, then close Settings.

Changing Your Name on Mac

On a Mac, click the Apple menu in the top-left corner and select System Settings (or System Preferences on older versions). Click your Apple ID in the sidebar on the left. Click Name, Phone Numbers, Email in the main panel.

Edit your first name, last name, or both in the fields provided. Click Done to save your changes. Your Game Center profile will reflect the new name the next time you launch the app or refresh your profile.

Using a Separate Apple ID for a Gaming Name

If you want a completely different name just for Game Center but do not want to change your main Apple ID name, you can create a second Apple ID with a different name and use that account for gaming instead. This keeps your personal name separate from your gaming identity.

To do this, go to Settings > [Your Name] > Family Sharing and add a new family member, or create a new Apple ID from scratch at appleid.apple.com. Once the new account is set up, sign out of Game Center with your main account, sign in with the new Apple ID, and your gaming name will be whatever you named that account.

What Happens to Your Old Name in Games

When you change your Apple ID name, your new name appears in Game Center and in any games that pull your name from Game Center. However, leaderboards and achievements you earned under your old name stay attached to your account—they do not disappear or reset.

Other players will see your new name going forward, but your game history and scores remain the same. If you were playing with friends, they will see the name change the next time they refresh their friends list or load the game.

Troubleshooting: Name Change Not Showing Up

If you changed your Apple ID name but Game Center still shows the old one, try closing the Game Center app completely and reopening it. On iPhone or iPad, swipe up from the bottom of the screen (or swipe down from the top-right on newer models) to open the app switcher, find Game Center, and swipe it away. Then tap the Game Center icon again to relaunch it.

If the old name persists after relaunching, sign out of Game Center, wait a few seconds, and sign back in. Go to Settings > [Your Name] > Game Center, tap your account, and select Sign Out. Then sign back in with the same Apple ID. This forces Game Center to refresh your profile information from Apple's servers.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does changing my Apple ID name affect my iCloud or email?

No. Your iCloud email address and account login stay the same. Only your display name—the name that appears to other people—changes. You still sign in with the same Apple ID and password.

Can I change my name back to what it was before?

Yes. Go back to Settings > [Your Apple ID] > Name, Phone Numbers, Email and edit the fields again. You can change your name as many times as you want, and there is no waiting period between changes.

Will my friends see my new Game Center name right away?

They will see it the next time they refresh their friends list or restart the game. The change is when ready on your end, but other players' apps may take a few moments to sync the update from Apple's servers.

What if I do not have an Apple ID yet?

You need an Apple ID to use Game Center. Go to Settings > [Sign in to your iPhone] and follow the prompts to create one, or visit appleid.apple.com on a computer. You will set your name during the account creation process.