Why you can't change a Reddit username
Reddit treats your username (the u/yourname handle) as a permanent identifier for your account. It is attached to every post, comment, award, and piece of karma you have ever earned, and to every link that points to your profile or your contributions. Letting people rename accounts would quietly break all of those links, so Reddit simply does not allow it.
This is stricter than most platforms: you cannot change even the capitalization of an existing username, and if you delete your account, the username is not released back into the pool for anyone (including you) to claim again. There is no hidden setting and no support request that will rename an existing account.
Confirmed on Reddit Help: usernames cannot be changed in any way, and deleted usernames are not recycled.
Option 1: Change your display name (what most people actually want)
Your display name is different from your username. It is the larger name shown at the top of your profile, and unlike the username it can be changed as often as you like. For most people who want to "change their Reddit name," updating the display name is the real solution — your u/handle stays the same, but the name people see can be whatever you want.
- On the web: click your avatar in the top-right corner, then open Settings.
- Go to the Profile section of your settings.
- Edit the Display name field (you can also update your bio, avatar, banner, and social links here).
- Save your changes.
- On the mobile app: open your profile, tap Edit, update the display name, and save.
Option 2: Create a new account with the username you want
If you genuinely need a specific username, the only way to get it is to register a new account with that name. Reddit explicitly allows you to keep multiple accounts, so you can create the new one and continue using your old one at the same time. There is no automatic migration of karma or post history between accounts, but you can resubscribe to your communities and, if you moderate any subreddits, invite your new account as a moderator from the old one.
- Log out (or open a private window) and start the Reddit sign-up flow.
- Choose your desired username during sign-up — this is the only point at which you pick it.
- Re-join your favorite communities and set up your profile.
- If you moderate subreddits, invite the new account as a moderator from your old account, then reassign as needed.
What won't work
A few common ideas are dead ends. Deleting your account to "reclaim" the name does not work — the username stays locked and unusable. Contacting Reddit support to request a rename does not work either, because the option does not exist on their side. And waiting for an inactive account's name to free up is unreliable; Reddit does not routinely recycle usernames just because an account is dormant.