How do you change your Xbox Gamertag? – Guide

Your Xbox Gamertag is a unique name you choose for your console, by which, your friends can find you online. Friends you choose to add can see your Xbox activity and achievements as well as play with you online in a party.

Usually, your Gamertag is something you create when you first make a Microsoft account on Xbox and is some kind of nickname that you use or a word you made up for gaming. It protects your identity from the online world.

How to change your Xbox Gamertag – Full Guide

You are able to change your Gamertag once on Xbox for free, so this should be done with care, possibly if you have been hacked rather than just because you are bored of it. After changing it once, if you want to change it a second time there will be a fee, subject to your region and currency of your country.

So how do you change your Xbox Gamertag when you need to? Below are some ways in which you can do just that.

What about if my new Gamertag is in use?

Before you commit to your new Gamertag, you have to choose one. When you choose a Gamertag you might find that it is already in use by someone in the Xbox community. To get around this you can add a variety of numbers, letters or symbols to keep the desired Gamertag you have chose.

For example: If I wanted my GamerTag to be ‘WeirdW0lf’ but it is unavailable because it is already in use, I can add suffixes to try to get availability without changing the actual name too much.

For example, I could change it to ‘WeirdW0lf2908’, or I could add some special characters ‘Weird_W0lf!’.

Microsoft can issue a notice to you if your Gamertag is inappropriate so be careful with what you choose, this will include if you use any offensive language or slurs that can be flagged as unsuitable.

Changing your Gamertag on Xbox

The most commonly known way of changing your Gamertag is through your console, this is because it is the most obvious way to try to change your tag.

Once you have changed your Gamertag to your new one, you don’t need to inform people you are already friends with as it will update them automatically.

You will only need to tell new people you wish to add. To change your Gamertag on your console is pretty simple:

1. Click the Xbox button on your pad.
2. Go to ‘Profile and System.’
3. Choose ‘My Profile’
4. Go to ‘Customisable profile.’
5. Enter your new Gamertag.
6. Select ‘Check Availability.’
7. Once you are happy with your new tag click ‘Change Gamertag.’

Changing your Xbox Gamertag online

Next, you can go online to change your Gamertag using your browser if you aren’t near your console because it is not a console-specific option. To do it through your browser there is a slightly different set-up that I have walked you through below:

Go to the following link: https://sisu.xboxlive.com/client/v22/default/view/index.html

1. Sign in with your Microsoft account details for your current Gamertag.
2. Enter your new Gamertag in the text box.
3. Check availability.
4. Go to the next page.
5. If the new Gamertag is already in use you can still use it by adding a suffix of some kind, a number or a symbol.
6. 6Once you are happy with your Gamertag, go to ‘Claim it.’

Change my Gamertag on Windows 10

You can use the Windows 10 Companion app to change your Gamertag, you don’t have to use your Xbox to do it at all as previously mentioned.

So you have your companion app open and you have decided to change your Gamertag, you should follow the guidelines laid out below:

1. Open the Xbox app.
2. Go to ‘Menu.’
3. Click next on your Gamerpic.
4. Choose ‘Customise.’
5. Click on ‘Change Gamertag.’
6. Choose your Gamertag.
7. Confirm changes when you are happy with your tag.

Xbox Gamertag change on mobile

Again, you can change your Gamertag through the mobile/tablet apps available for console too (although sometimes the Xbox app may not open). All of the rules mentioned in this article still apply when changing your Gamertag on a phone or device, you should not use offensive language or any kind of slur because Microsoft will flag your new Gamertag.

You can still add suffixes to gain the availability of your name before you claim it if it is already in use. This way again is a slightly different process to actually change your Gamertag so you can follow the steps below.

1. Press the Xbox button on your pad.
2. Go to ‘System.’
3. Then go to ‘Settings.’
4. Choose ‘Personalisation.’
5. Go to ‘My Profile.’
6. Choose Customise Profile.
7. Change your Gamertag.
8. Confirm changes.

Conclusion

In conclusion, changing your Gamertag is a relatively faff-free process all in all. You may hit walls with the actual name choice but we have shown you how to get around that with the use of different combinations to free up your new name so you can claim it.

Make sure if you want to change it again after the first time, you check how much it will cost you in your country because you don’t want to get hit with an unexpected charge on a whim. You only get one free Gamertag change, so think about your desired Gamertag carefully.