As the most popular streaming platform for gamers and hobbyists, Twitch still has its share of problem
When you register your username on Twitch, your username will become your Twitch channel name. The thing is, many Twitch user and streamer regret their first username
If you try to follow our method on how to change your Twitch username, some users face problems and get an “Unable to change username” issue.” notification after trying to replace their username
No worries. You don’t need to create a new Twitch account to fix this issue. This problem can easily be solved, and this guide will help you to solve the problem of being unable to change your Twitch username
Keep in mind there are several reasons you can’t change your Twitch username. We need to identify which problem you have so we can solve the problem using our method
Why Can’t I change my Twitch Username?
The most common reason why you can’t change Twitch username is that you just changed your username in less than 60 days. After 60 days, the username you changed into must be free and already recycled. You can’t change Twitch username if another active user has already registered the username
According to Twitch Help
“Twitch usernames are provided to the first individual to register an open and available username through our rename tool. To be clear, this is a first-come, first-serve basis.”
So you need to check first whether the username is already taken or not. You only need to type the link on your web browser to check if any existing Twitch user is using the username
If the username is not taken, then maybe Twitch doesn’t allow you to change your Username
There are several reasons why Twitch doesn’t allow you to change your username. Here is a list of common reasons you need to check:
- You had just changed your Twitch username
After changing your username, there is a waiting period of 60 days before you can change your username again. Before 60 days period passed, you couldn’t do anything except waiting
- The username is banned because it violates Twitch’s Term of Service
The username that violates Twitch’s Term of Service will be permanently banned.
It’s almost impossible to use a banned username unless Twitch change their Term of Service
- The username is one of the previous usernames of a Twitch Partner.
Twitch Partner username won’t be available after they change their username to prevent abuse. This is a protective right given for Twitch Partner to prevent other people from impersonating a Twitch Partner by using their old username
- The username is not yet recycled.
If you change your Twitch username, your old username will be waiting to enter the recycling queue.
Other users need to wait until the username is finished to be recycled before they can switch their username to your old username. How long they need to wait, is usually range from 6 months to 2 years
If the above cause causes the problem, there is no solution besides waiting until Twitch lets you change your username. You can consider choosing a different username if you don’t want to wait for that long
Sometimes, you can’t change your username because of an error on your web browser. Cache and Cookies Error on your web browser causes a bug on your Twitch account.
The sign you get this problem is you get “Twitch Username Grayed Out” error
How To Solve “Twitch Username Grayed Out” Error
Some Twitch users reported encountering strange bugs when they tried to change their username
The Twitch username change box is grayed out, which prevents them from replacing their Twitch username. This bug is already documented in various Twitter tweets and Reddit posts. Until 2022, users still encounter this problem.
This bug is caused because your web browser encounter error when they try to process cache and cookie on your Twitch account
Luckily, you can follow these methods to solve the bug
Method 1: Refresh the Web Browser
If a bug happens, refreshing your web browser usually fixes the problem.
If you’re a Windows user, press Ctrl + F5. If you’re a Mac user, press Command ⌘+ F5. This command will prompt your web browser to refresh the website
If the username is still grayed out, try to do the following method
Method 2: Clear Your Web Browser Cache And Cookies
Because the “Twitch Username Grayed Out” error is caused by cache and cookie bugs, you need to clear cache and cookies on your web browser
Follow these steps to clear cache and cookie on most Web Browser:
Just Click Ctrl+Shift+Del on Windows or Command ⌘ +Shift+Del on your keyboard to open the Clear browsing data options. You can use this method on Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Microsoft Edge, and Safari
Each web browser has a different user interface. Make sure Cookies and site data/Cache is selected. Click Clear data.
If you use Google Chrome: Follow these step
- Click Ctrl+Shift+Del on Windows or Command ⌘ +Shift+Del on your keyboard
- Click the “Advanced” Tab
- Choose the “Cookies and Other Site Data” and “Cached Image and Files” options. You don’t need to delete your browser history, so unlist the option
- Click “Clear Data”
Wait and open Twitch on Google Chrome. Login to your account and try to change your username. Usually, your username will not be grayed out, and you can change your Twitch username
If the issue still persists, try the other methods below.
Method 3: Open Twitch on Incognito Mode on Google Chrome
Opening Incognito Mode can force a website to use the default setting for you. Sometimes the issue is caused by the Twitch server’s errors from saved cookies on their server.
So using Incognito can make a “soft reset” on the setting on your Twitch account
Incognito mode can also prevent Twitch from using cookies to track your activity. We all know the importance of privacy, especially for gamers and Twitch streamers
Method 4: Open Twitch on Microsoft Edge or Safari
Sometimes the issue is caused by Google Chrome. Trying a different browser can identify the cause of the issue
Microsoft Edge is a browser that every Windows PC have, so you don’t need to install an additional browser
If you’re a Mac user, then try opening Twitch on Safari
You only need to use Edge and Safari to change your Twitch username. If it is successful, you can go back to your favorite web browser
Method 5: Contact Twitch Support Team
If all the above methods can’t fix the issue, you need to contact their support team. If their server causes the issue, they will happily help you to solve the issue
To contact the Twitch support team, head into:
https://help.twitch.tv/s/contactsupport?language=en_US
- Login to your Twitch Account
- Fill out your name and Twitch username
- On the Category dropdown list, choose “Account/Login Issue”
- On the Subcategory dropdown list, choose “Changing Username”
- Describe the problem you have briefly. Make sure to give out all important data from the screenshot image, your OS, web browser, and the username you want to change into
- Complete the ReCaptcha verification
- Click “Submit”
Wait until you get a reply email from the Twitch support team
If the problem is fixed, then congratulation. Finally, you can change your Twitch username without any problem
Conclusion
Changing Twitch username sometimes is a troublesome process even though other social media like Twitter or Reddit doesn’t have the same problem that Twitch has
Twitch has many other bugs that still exist on their platform. It’s a letdown because Twitch is the most popular streaming platform for gamers. Luckily, most issues on Twitch are easy to fix. We hope that our guide can solve your problem
If you have any similar issues, check other guides on our website. Don’t forget to comment if our solution work for you