Did you register your Xbox gamertag in the days of the original Xbox or Xbox 360? Have you come to resent the handle you chose all those years ago? Don’t worry, you can change your Gamertag using an Xbox, Windows PC, or on the web.
Your First Gamertag Change Is Free
If you’ve never changed your Xbox gamertag, Microsoft allows you to do it once for free. Subsequent changes cost $9.99 (plus tax) per change, a measure put in place to stop people from constantly changing their usernames and abusing the system.
In 2019, Microsoft introduced a system where random numbers are displayed after your chosen gamertag if it’s already in use. The idea here was to design a system where the numbers are less noticeable while increasing the total number of gamertags available. In reality, many games will display the full username, numbers and all. Make sure you’re happy with what you see before you finalize it!
There’s no need to do anything once you’ve changed your gamertag, your name change will be reflected across all platforms. You don’t need to tell your friends, though you might want to if you think your new handle will confuse them.
How to Change Gamertag on Xbox.com
Changing your gamertag on Xbox.com is probably the easiest method since you don’t have to contend with keyboard input using a controller (unless you’ve connected a keyboard to your Xbox console).
To get started, head to Microsoft’s Choose your new gamertag website and log in when prompted to do so. Once you’ve logged in, double-check you’re changing the correct gamertag by looking at the name displayed in the top-right corner of the screen.
From here, you can enter your desired gamertag into the “New gamertag” box then hit the “Check availability” button to run a search.
If you don’t see any numbers following your chosen tag, you’re the sole user of that tag.
Hit “Change gamertag” to claim that gamertag. If this is your first change, there’s no charge. If you’ve already changed once, you’ll be billed using your Xbox payment method to complete the process.
How to Change Gamertag on an Xbox Series or Xbox One Console
Since the Xbox Series and Xbox One console families now run the same software, the process of changing your gamertag is identical whether you have have an Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Xbox One, Xbox One S, or Xbox One X.
To do this, turn on your console and sign in as normal. Press the Xbox button and use the bumper buttons to navigate to the “Profile & system” tab. From here, select your profile and choose My profile > Customize profile and select the gamertag you’re currently using.
Use the text box under “Choose your new gamertag” to enter the gamertag you want, followed by the “Check availability” button to run a search. Keep trying until you find a gamertag that’s available and that you’re happy with.
Review how your gamertag looks and make sure you’re happy with any numbers that are displayed after your chosen handle. You can then claim the gamertag using the “Change gamertag” button. The first change is free, but if you’ve already used your free change, you’ll need to pay to complete the process.
How to Change Gamertag on an Xbox 360 Console
You can also change your gamertag on an older Xbox 360 console. On the Xbox 360, you can choose a gamertag of up to 15 characters, but you can’t use the revised (2019) gamertag scheme.
Turn on your Xbox 360 and sign in as normal. Scroll right (or use the bumpers) to access the Settings tab, then select Profile. From here select Edit Profile > Gamertag followed by the “Enter New Gamertag” option.
Type your gamertag of choice into the space, followed by Done. Wait for the system to check if your chosen username is available, and pick another if it’s not. When you’re happy with your choice, use the “Yes, use this gamertag” to finalize your choice.
How to Change Xbox Gamertag on Windows 10 or 11
You can also change your gamertag using Windows 10 or 11 using the Xbox app. If you don’t already have the app, download Xbox on the Microsoft Store, run it, and sign in.
From here, click on your profile picture in the top-left corner then click the “Customize” button.
Underneath your gamertag click “Change gamertag” and enter your chosen handle followed by “Check availability” to see if it’s available. Preview your chosen gamertag and then use the “Change gamertag” button to finalize your choice.
If you’ve already used up your free gamertag change, the Xbox app will redirect you to Xbox.com to complete the process, where you’ll be billed $9.99 (plus tax) for the privilege.
Can You Change Gamertag on the Xbox App for Smartphones?
The Xbox smartphone app for iPhone and Android is a handy tool for chatting with friends, accessing media, or pre-loading games from the Microsoft Store. Unfortunately, you can’t use it to change your Xbox gamertag. The next-best alternative is to use your smartphone browser to access Microsoft’s Choose your new gamertag page.
Sign in as you would on a desktop computer and use the web form to pick and finalize your chosen gamertag.
Getting the Most Out of Your Xbox Console
Modern Xbox Series consoles are highly capable machines with a large number of features that can improve the overall gaming experience. This includes backward compatibility, the ability to improve older games with Auto HDR and FPS Boost, support for variable refresh rate gaming, and more.
Just got a new console and wondering where to start? Here are some tips for new Xbox Series X and S owners.
