To change your Xbox gamertag, sign in at social.xbox.com/changegamertag with your Microsoft account, enter a new name under Choose your new gamertag and select Check availability; on Xbox Series X|S or Xbox One, the same screen is under Profile & system > your gamertag > My full profile > Customize profile.
On this page
Your first change is free and later changes cost $9.99 USD; the web, console, Xbox 360 and phone routes, the suffix rules, the email on your account and the messages that block a change are covered below.
Guide: how to change your gamertag through the web
The browser route works on a Windows PC, a phone or any other device with a browser, and it needs only the Microsoft account that owns the gamertag.
- Open social.xbox.com/changegamertag in a browser.
- Sign in with the Microsoft account whose gamertag you want to change. If you have more than one Microsoft account, check the email address shown before going further.
- Under Choose your new gamertag, type the name you want in the text box.
- Select Check availability. A taken name of 12 characters or fewer comes back with a numbered suffix, and an unavailable name has to be replaced with another.
- Confirm the new gamertag. If this is your first change, there is no charge.
After you confirm, the change is reflected across Xbox, and your friends' lists update automatically, so there is no need to tell anyone.
Which way to change your Xbox gamertag fits your device?
| Your situation | Use this route | Why |
|---|---|---|
| At a PC or laptop | Browser: social.xbox.com/changegamertag | No console needed, and the change applies across Xbox |
| Holding an Xbox Series X|S or Xbox One controller | Console: Profile & system > your gamertag > My full profile > Customize profile | Same availability check without leaving the TV |
| Only have an Xbox 360 | Browser, signed in with the account your 360 profile uses | The gamertag belongs to the Microsoft account, not the console |
| Only have a phone | Browser on the phone | The change page is a website, so a mobile browser works |
| You own an original gamertag with no suffix | Think twice before changing | Changing it means giving up the original name |
Your first gamertag change is free
Every account gets one free gamertag change. That holds even if Xbox created your gamertag automatically when you signed up, and regardless of how many changes you made before modern gamertags arrived in 2019.
| Change | Cost in the U.S. | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| First change | Free | Applies whether you chose your gamertag or Xbox assigned it at sign-up |
| Every later change | $9.99 USD | The same price Xbox charged for a change before 2019 |
| Replacement after Xbox removes an inappropriate gamertag | Purchase a change if you dislike the new one | Xbox assigns an automatically generated gamertag first |
How to change gamertag on an Xbox Series or Xbox One console
On Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One, the gamertag sits on the same console profile page as your gamerpic, profile color, profile theme and privacy settings.
- If several profiles share the console, sign in to the right one first: press the Xbox button, select Profile & system, then Add or switch, and choose your profile.
- Press the Xbox button on your controller to open the guide.
- Go to Profile & system, and then select your gamertag.
- Select My full profile > Customize profile, and then select your current gamertag.
- Under Choose your new gamertag, enter the name you want and select Check availability.
- Confirm the new gamertag.
How to change gamertag on an Xbox 360 console
A gamertag belongs to the Microsoft account, not the console, so an Xbox 360 owner changes it in a browser with the account the 360 profile signs in with.
Older games that only support classic gamertags convert a modern gamertag automatically, and a suffix is run into the name: Dragon#1652 appears as Dragon1652. A unique name of up to 15 Latin letters, numbers and spaces has no suffix to merge.
- On a PC or phone, open social.xbox.com/changegamertag.
- Sign in with the Microsoft account your Xbox 360 profile uses.
- Enter the new name under Choose your new gamertag, select Check availability, and confirm the change.
Can you change gamertag on the Xbox app for smartphones?
The Xbox mobile app is not one of the three routes Xbox Support gives for a gamertag change, which are a browser, an Xbox console and a Windows device. On a phone, use the browser; the Xbox app for mobile shows the new gamertag once it is set, and it is where you change your gamerpic.
- Open your phone's browser and go to social.xbox.com/changegamertag.
- Sign in with the Microsoft account linked to your Xbox profile.
- Enter the new name under Choose your new gamertag, tap Check availability, and confirm the change.
- Reopen the Xbox app to see the new name.
How Xbox gamertag length limits and suffixes work
A suffix is a number after a # that keeps two players with the same name apart, for example Doctor Hoot#1056. It shows in a smaller, lighter font, and games are required to display it.
| Gamertag type | Maximum length | Characters | Suffix |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unique name nobody else holds | 15 characters | Alphanumeric | None |
| Name already taken, or using non-Latin characters | 12 characters | 13 alphabets covering more than 200 languages | Numbered suffix when the name is shared, 4 digits by default |
| 12-character name that is taken | 12 characters plus suffix | Any supported alphabet | Limited to a 3-digit suffix |
| Original classic gamertag never changed | 15 characters | a-z, A-Z, 0-9, comma and space | None; the owner keeps it |
A player with no suffix was the first to claim that name. Nobody else can take it without a suffix while the owner keeps it.
How to check your new Xbox gamertag is live
- On console, press the Xbox button and look at the name shown under Profile & system.
- Open the Xbox app on PC or mobile and check the name on your profile.
- Ask a friend to look at their friends list; it updates automatically.
- If the name uses non-Latin characters, check your profile page: where modern and classic gamertags differ, some profile pages show both so you can see how you appear on each system.
How to change the email linked to your Xbox account
The email is separate from the gamertag. Email addresses on a Microsoft account are called aliases, they share one password, and any alias can sign in to Windows and Xbox devices. Changing your Microsoft account display name does not change your gamertag either.
- Go to account.live.com/names/manage and sign in to your Microsoft account.
- Open Your info to see the email addresses on the account.
- Choose Add email to add the new address.
- Sign in to your Xbox with the new address; the gamertag stays the same because aliases share one account.
- Back on the same page, select Remove next to an address you no longer want.
Fix an Xbox gamertag change that does not work
The gamertag is unavailable
The name is either inappropriate for the Xbox service or cannot be used at this time.
- Try a different name under Choose your new gamertag.
- Select Check availability again before you confirm.
- Avoid names that break the Xbox Community Standards; Xbox can remove one later even if the tool accepted it.
A number was added to the end of my gamertag
Someone already holds that name, so Xbox attached a suffix; names in non-Latin characters can also get one.
- Pick a name nobody else holds, using Latin characters only.
- Keep it to 15 characters or fewer.
- Select Check availability to confirm no suffix will be added before you confirm the change.
My old gamertag still shows in some games
Older classic experiences cannot display non-Latin modern gamertags, so they keep showing the previous or classic gamertag.
- Check the name on your console or in the Xbox app, which show the modern gamertag.
- If you made a paid change with non-Latin characters and had no earlier classic gamertag, use the option to customize how your classic gamertag appears in older experiences.
Xbox replaced my gamertag with a random one
Xbox found the gamertag offensive or inappropriate and assigned an automatically generated one.
- Open social.xbox.com/changegamertag and sign in.
- Choose a name that follows the Xbox Community Standards.
- Purchase the gamertag change if you do not want to keep the assigned name.
What happens to your old Xbox gamertag when you change it?
Keep an original, suffix-free gamertag unless you are sure you want a new name. Existing players who change their gamertag relinquish the original. Once it is gone, someone else can claim it, and coming back to a taken name brings a suffix with it.
Frequently asked questions about changing an Xbox gamertag
Can I change my gamertag for free?
Yes, once. Every account gets one free gamertag change, even if Xbox created your gamertag automatically at sign-up or you changed it before modern gamertags arrived. Every change after that is a paid change of $9.99 USD in the U.S.
How much does it cost to change your Xbox gamertag?
The first change is free. In the U.S., each later change costs $9.99 USD, the same price Xbox charged for a gamertag change before modern gamertags launched in 2019.
Do my friends need to know I changed my gamertag?
No. After you confirm a new gamertag, the change is reflected across Xbox and your friends' lists update automatically. Friends see the new name without adding you again.
How many characters can an Xbox gamertag have?
A unique alphanumeric gamertag can be up to 15 characters with no suffix. A Unicode name of your choice is limited to 12 characters, and a name that is already taken gets a numbered suffix after a # to keep it unique.
What does the number after the # in a gamertag mean?
It is a suffix Xbox adds when someone else already holds the same name. Suffixes are 4 digits by default, shown in a smaller font, and always displayed in games, so every player keeps a unique, visible identity.
Does changing my Microsoft account name change my gamertag?
No. Your Microsoft account display name and your gamertag are separate. Changing the display name, which can take up to 24 hours to update everywhere, leaves the gamertag untouched; change the gamertag from the Xbox change page or the console instead.
Can I get my old gamertag back after changing it?
Only if nobody else claims it. Changing your gamertag relinquishes the original, and if another player takes it, choosing it again gives you a version with a suffix. Going back also counts as a paid change after your free one.
Can I change my gamerpic at the same time?
Yes, but it is a separate setting. Change your gamerpic from the console profile page or the Xbox app on mobile, using an image from the Xbox library or custom gamerpics made from your own picture.
