Change Your Facebook URL in Three Steps

Your Facebook URL is the web address people use to find your profile — it looks like facebook.com/yourname. You can change it to something shorter or more memorable by setting a custom username. Facebook lets you change your username once every 60 days, and the process takes less than a minute from your settings menu.

The custom username you choose must be between 5 and 50 characters long, contain only letters, numbers, periods, and underscores, and cannot have already been claimed by someone else. Once you set it, your old URL stops working and redirects to your new one for 101 days, then the old address becomes available for someone else to claim.

Key Takeaways

  • You can change your Facebook username once every 60 days through your account settings, not through your profile page.
  • Your custom username must be 5 to 50 characters and can only include letters, numbers, periods, and underscores.
  • The name you choose cannot already be taken by another person or Facebook Page, and you cannot use Facebook's reserved words like "facebook" or "help".
  • After you change your username, your old URL redirects to the new one for 101 days before becoming available to others.
  • If you change your mind within 60 days, you must wait until that period ends before you can choose a different username.

Where to Find the Username Setting

Open Facebook on a computer or mobile browser and click the menu icon (three horizontal lines on mobile, or the downward arrow on desktop in the top right corner). Scroll down and select Settings and privacy, then click Settings.

On the left side, you will see a menu with options like "Personal information" and "Password and security". Click Personal information. Under that section, look for the line that says Username — this is where your current URL appears. Click the pencil icon next to it to edit.

How to Choose and Enter Your New Username

When you click the pencil icon, a text box opens showing your current username. Delete what is there and type your new choice. Facebook will tell you when ready if the name is already taken or if it breaks the rules — for example, if it is too short, contains spaces, or uses characters Facebook does not allow.

Common reasons a username gets rejected: it is already in use, it contains a space or special character other than a period or underscore, it is fewer than 5 characters, it is more than 50 characters, or it matches a Facebook reserved word. If you see an error message, try a variation — adding a number, a period, or an underscore often solves the problem.

Once you find a username that works, click Review or Confirm (the button label varies by device). Facebook will show you your new URL one more time. Click the final confirmation button to save the change.

What Happens to Your Old URL

Your previous Facebook URL does not disappear when ready. For 101 days after the change, anyone who visits your old address will be automatically sent to your new one. This gives you time to update links on your website, resume, or other places where you shared your old profile URL.

After 101 days, your old username becomes available for someone else to claim. If you want to keep using the old address, do not change your username. If you change it and then change your mind within 60 days, you cannot switch back to the same username — you have to wait until the 60-day window passes, and even then, the old name may have been claimed by someone else.

The 60-Day Waiting Period Between Changes

Facebook enforces a 60-day rule: once you change your username, you cannot change it again for 60 days. This applies even if you made a typo or changed your mind when ready. The timer starts the moment you confirm the change, not when you click the pencil icon.

If you are locked into a username you do not like, your only option is to wait out the 60 days. There is no way to speed this up or request an exception. Plan your username carefully before you confirm, because you are stuck with it for at least two months.

Usernames Reserved by Facebook

Facebook does not allow you to use certain words as usernames because they are reserved for the company's own use or for system functions. These include "facebook", "help", "home", "login", "marketplace", "pages", "watch", "friends", "groups", "events", "photos", "videos", "messages", "notifications", "settings", and many others.

If you try to use a reserved word, Facebook will reject it with a message saying the username is unavailable. You cannot appeal this decision or request an exception — you straightforward have to choose a different name.

Changing Your Username on Mobile

The process on a phone or tablet is nearly identical to desktop. Open the Facebook app, tap the menu icon (three horizontal lines at the bottom right on Android, or the three horizontal lines at the bottom on iPhone), scroll to Settings and privacy, then tap Settings. Find Personal information and tap Username. Tap the pencil icon, enter your new username, and confirm.

Mobile sometimes shows the same error messages as desktop, but occasionally the text box behaves differently — if you cannot see the pencil icon, try scrolling within the Personal information section or refreshing the page. If the button does not appear after a refresh, try the process on a computer instead.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use my old username again after I change it?

Not when ready. After 101 days, your old username becomes available, but someone else may have already claimed it. If you want to use it again, you would have to wait until the 101-day window closes, check if it is still available, and then wait another 60 days from your current change before you can switch back to it.

What if someone else takes my old username after I change mine?

Once the 101-day redirect period ends, your old username is fair game. If someone else claims it before you do, you cannot get it back. Facebook does not reserve old usernames for their original owners. This is why you should update any links to your profile on your website or resume as soon as you change your username.

Does changing my username affect my Facebook Page?

No. Your personal profile username and your Page username are separate. Changing one does not change the other. If you run a Facebook Page, you can set a custom username for the Page through the Page settings, using the same process but in a different menu.

Can I use spaces or special characters in my username?

No. Facebook only allows letters (A–Z, a–z), numbers (0–9), periods (.), and underscores (_). Spaces, hyphens, and other symbols will cause Facebook to reject the username. If you want to separate words, use a period or underscore instead.

What if I see an error message that does not match any of these reasons?

Try refreshing the page and entering your username again. Sometimes Facebook's servers take a moment to check whether a name is available. If the error persists, try a slightly different username — adding a number or underscore — or come back and try again in a few minutes.