How to change Skype Display name and Username?

Best Tricks For Skype

If you are reading this, you might be familiar with Skype. Skype is a very popular app used worldwide. It is really a nice way to get connected with friends as it is providing good quality audio and video for communication. Used for personal and professional communication, Skype was first launched in 2003. It was created by Niklas Zennstrom and Janus Friis with the cooperation of Ahti Heinla, Priit Kasesalu, and Jaan Tallinn. Skype was first acquired by eBay and later in 2011, software giant Microsoft bought Skype.

The name “Skype” was taken from “Sky peer-to-peer” in abbreviated form.

With using Skype one can communicate with other Skype users through the Internet. Skype allows voice calling, video calling, texting, sharing images and audio-video files. For communicating through Skype, one needs a data plan of the Internet and no other charges are applied. That means one can use Skype for free. No payment is required for the service.

Skype can be used on different operating systems and on various platforms. Skype is available for Windows, iOS, Android, Mac and Linux and can be used on mobile devices, tablets, computers, smartwatches, and the Xbox One console.

Skype is servicing in many different languages across the world. Skype is widely used for video conference calls.

How to Change Skype Username

How you search for people or get searched by people on

Skype depends upon the username. Many times people get confused because of the username and display name. Take into account that these two are different things.

You had created an account on Skype just for having fun. If you have signed up using a funny name that is quite popular among your friends and family and now got a job interview call. They want to get connected with you on the platform for your interview. Chances are that you will be judged on the basis of your Skype account. Are you going to provide that funny name for the job interview?

Take another example of moving on in life after a sad incident, the memories of which you want to erase. So you want to leave behind the name and forget your old identity. You need a new name for Skype communication.

The reason may be any other than these. But you want to change the name used on Skype. So, what is the procedure?

The name you see in your contact list of Skype is the display name. The username is the email address that you have used to create a Microsoft account. Since Microsoft has acquired Skype it uses outlook email ids as your username. So, if you want to change it you have to change the email address you have associated with your Microsoft account.

If your account is created before Microsoft acquired Skype, then your username can not be changed and you will be left with the only option of creating a new Skype account with a new email address. But note that you will not be able to get your contacts from the previous account back.

Changing Skype Display Name

Follow the steps for changing it in the mobile app :

• Launch the Skype app.
• Click on the profile photo or display name. They are at the top left corner of the screen.
• Click on Skype profile.
• Click the pencil icon to edit the name.
• Type a new name. Press Enter or click the checkmark on the right side of the box.

Follow the steps for changing it in the web browser :

• Open your web browser and go to Skype.com.
• Log in to your account.
• On the left corner of the screen, you will see your display name.
• You will see a drop-down menu after clicking on the display name.
• Click on ‘My Account’ and then on ‘Edit Profile’ which will be seen in the left corner at the bottom.
• After clicking on the ‘Edit Profile’, enter your new display name. Enter your surname.
• Save it and it’s done.

If you don’t wish to enter it you can use a special character (? @,! etc.) instead. This name is seen by anyone after they add you to their Skype contact list. However, they can still give a different name to you when they add you to their contact list.

Changing Skype Username

This means you have to change your email ID. In case you have a new email address now and want to replace the old one with the new or the old id was so unprofessional that you can’t share it with your new place of work, the option is to replace it with the new one.

Follow the steps to change your username :

• Open the browser and go to Skype.com.
• Log in with your credentials.
• On the top right corner, click on your name.
• Select ‘My Account’ from the drop-down menu.
• You will see the contact details then you have to select the ‘Edit Profile’ option.
• Enter your new email ID to replace the older one. This is going to be your username.
• Go to the top right corner and save it.
• Click ‘OK’ and the changes will be saved.

Again, you have to remember here that this procedure is for those who have created their Skype accounts after Microsoft’s acquisition of Skype in 2011. As Microsoft has linked its services with Skype accounts, it is easy for new users to change their Display names and Usernames.

But the old users may have a username that is not based on email IDs. As this username can not be changed ever, the only option the old users have is to create a whole new account on Skype using a new email ID.

I hope this will provide you the info about changing Display name as well as Username on Skype. Get connected and enjoy the fantastic features of Skype.