Help talk:Changing your username

=2011=

Can't
I WANT TO CHANGE MY USERNAME, BUT I CAN'T!!!!!!!-- An awesome user, who admits she's a fan of Togepi! 18:10, April 2, 2011 (UTC)
 * There are very clear instructions of what to do on the page its self. --Uberfuzzy 00:35, April 5, 2011 (UTC)

When you change your username...
...will you still keep your badges? Annoying Orange  andClassical Piano GABS 10:06, May 26, 2011 (UTC)
 * Yes, you will. Mark  ( talk ) 15:12, May 26, 2011 (UTC)
 * Sorry if the questions are getting irritating, but what if the renaming process took so long that your Wiki Love counter has to reset? Annoying  Orange  andClassical Piano GABS 13:58, May 27, 2011 (UTC)
 * Then it will, unfortunatly enough, reset. However, if you make an edit right before you get renamed, and edit right after it's done you should be fine. IIRC the rename process doesn't take 24 hours unless you've edited several thousand wikis. Mark  ( talk ) 15:00, May 27, 2011 (UTC)
 * Oh, god. =) Well, my counter is currently at 58/60, so I'll call in a couple of days before making a request. Thanks for the help! It has been greatly appreciated. Annoying  Orange  andClassical Piano GABS 09:38, May 28, 2011 (UTC)
 * BTW, I have contributed on like, (I don't really know) 50 wikis, maybe? But on one of my wikis, I have about 10,000 edits. Does this count for anything? Again, apologies if the questions are getting irritating. Annoying  Orange  andClassical Piano GABS 09:39, May 28, 2011 (UTC)
 * I don't know if the amount of edits on a wiki matter. They probably do, but not much. Also, don't hestitate to ask questions :), they're not annoying at all, and we're here to help! Mark  ( talk ) 19:58, May 28, 2011 (UTC)

Afterwards...
Hi, I'm Byzantium 3000 from Brickipedia.

After I got my username changed, I noticed that I was 1000th on the leaderboard, even though I was third previously. Usually, I would never have notice, as I normally edit in Monobook. But I was just trying the new wikia look for some duties, and that's when I noticed it. Is it a glitch?

Sincerely,

Byzantium 3000

Nevermind, it solved itself. =P

Byzantium 3000
 * Love when that happens :) --Sarah (help forum | blog) 20:33, July 5, 2011 (UTC)

im user: im not telling.
yes hi im wondering weare do i type the redercect thing??
 * I am not quite sure what you are referring to. Can you give some more details? Thanks, --Sarah (help forum | blog) 16:44, August 19, 2011 (UTC)

How do you change your username? My other Account is still active, but I want to change it. Thanks! --Kyuremmesprit10 20:46, September 15, 2011 (UTC)

What about our profiles?
If we change our username, everything that's writting on our profiles, will it be erased? Then would we have to re-write it?  Team   Cullen  14:48, October 25, 2011 (UTC)


 * Your talk pages gets moved to your new username. So you won't lose anything. If you do - please let us know at Special:Contact. Sarah (help forum | blog) 17:05, October 25, 2011 (UTC)

Specific
When is says name, do you enter your real name, or your username?

When you edit the top of your profile, it asks you "What's your name?" This is an opportunity to enter an additional name (your real name or a nickname) in addition to your username. It does not change your username. If you wish to be called by your username, you can leave this field blank. If you wish to change your username, you can contact staff at Special:Contact with the request. Hope this helps! --Dopp http://images2.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb32675/wikia/images/e/e9/WikiaStaff.png (help forum | blog) 18:09, November 14, 2011 (UTC)

=2012=

Uhh
So I have to actually email a admin/bureaucrat? Or can I just ask on a talk page. I don't really want anyone to know my email.--Only the faithless will perish, but those without cannot be punished. 07:17, January 5, 2012 (UTC)


 * You only have to send an Email in via Special:Contact, this means that the Wikia staff will get your Email address. But the system already knows that from your pereferences. No users will know it. Hope this helps :) Starfleet Academy "Live long and prosper." 05:38, January 11, 2012 (UTC)

Editcount
Will the editcount reset if my username is changed? Sorry if the question was already asked :) Ivystar the intelligent she-cat......  Chat with me!!  12:41, February 4, 2012 (UTC)
 * No, it won't. On Bandipedia, where I am a bureaucrat at, I've seen several users change their username and the number of edits they have does not reset. EpicWikipedian 12:46, February 4, 2012 (UTC)

FACEBOOK
I BADLY need my name to change and I used Facebook for Wikia. Can I change my name still? Zaid184 (talk)  (profile)  (blog) 12:10, February 25, 2012 (UTC)

How long......
Can your username be? If i decide to change mine, then it will be quite long...... There is a time for all things, and the end of a thing is better then the beginning. 17:58, February 27, 2012 (UTC)

Power, Badges, etc..
So, I'm an Admin on a wikia and I want to change my username. If I do it, will I keep my Admin powers, badges, edit count, profile page and such? And what happens if someone goes to my old page, like /User:"old username"?

Johnny: Musik Maniac. Need help? Sure! 14:46, August 5, 2012 (UTC)
 * Yes. You will retain everything. -- http://i151.photobucket.com/albums/s145/urbancowgurl777/UltimateSupreme2212-3.png  (Talk to me) 12:12, August 7, 2012 (UTC)

New accounts
Help:Changing_your_username suggests that making a new account is an alternative to using the rename function.

Is this pretty much the only alternative if someone wants to change their account name a second time since we're only limited to 1 change?

When it mentions that individual wikis have policies against sockpuppets, does that mean that this is only a localized taboo? Having it suggested here seems to imply to me that it's acceptable to do with Wikia as a whole?

Also does anyone know, when staff rename an account, if there is a limit to how many user (and user talk) pages that Wikia will automatically move when staff do this action? I noticed with some moves that these were automatically moved but in other cases it did not occur and the users had to manually redirect their pages themselves. Moving was only possible on wikis where the users were admins themselves. +Yc 09:07, September 19, 2012 (UTC)

Usurp?
Can accounts be usurped? --Tim4christ17 talk 00:52, November 16, 2012 (UTC)
 * Not on Wikia, no.
 * I think it would be good to allow this if it is possible to scan an account's activity across wikis to see if they have actually edited. Merely existing and logging in doesn't seem like reason enough to wall off a name entirely. Like has this guy ever edited? That's what I wanted. A lot of people who do renames had to pick second choices due to this policy. Even if someone had a minor amount of edits on a project or two, I'd just wipe it if it was spammers or something. +Yc 07:20, January 29, 2013 (UTC)

New username
I'll change my username to Derpy Hooves.

Yalo-Rhi (talk) 15:30, December 4, 2012 (UTC) 

=2013=

Once and only once
How would we move to appeal this process? I think even 'once per decade' or 'once per 4 years' would be fair. Would 1 per year even tax the system that much? Renaming consumes more resources the more edits someone has made, but presumably those who make more edits will want to rename less often anyway. +Yc 07:24, January 29, 2013 (UTC)

I read the article but it does not say what part of the wiki to go on to change it

I applied to change my username yesterday. I entered my name, checked off the two boxes, etc. But it said that while the process is taking place, I will be blocked from editing. However, I can still edit. Has the renaming process even started yet? Also, how long might the process take? I have only edited on about 5 wikias total, and the most edits I have made on one is about 650. Easter Egg (talk) 13:41, September 15, 2013 (UTC)
 * Staff don't work weekends. TK-999 (talk) 14:17, September 15, 2013 (UTC)

A and B
If I have two accounts, A and B. Can I change the username of A, then change the username of B to the old username of A? Basically, can I change the username of B to A if I change the name of A? Thanks in advance.


 * No. It is not possible to rename an account to an existing account. Rappy 01:14, October 14, 2013 (UTC)

Two questions
A) Can I rename my account on a single wiki (i.e. separate one of my accounts from the global one)?

B) Is this possible to erase all traces of my old name (i.e. no redirects from the old name's page, etc.), like the right to vanish in Wikipedia?

Thank you!

Fo01 (talk) 11:08, December 22, 2013 (UTC)


 * Unfortunately, the answer to both is no. If you have further questions or concerns on this matter, please send them to us. Rappy 19:52, December 23, 2013 (UTC)

Edits
While requesting for my username to change, if I edit, will all those edits done within the timeframe after I requested a change be lost? Melody6 (talk) 21:16, January 21, 2014 (UTC)


 * No. You are blocked during the rename so that you cannot edit during the rename. This means that all edits before will be under your new rename after. Rappy 22:16, January 21, 2014 (UTC)

=2014=

Inactive names
Is it possible to request the name of an inactive user who has less then X edits on any wiki? — Temujin96 (talk) 04:58, January 26, 2014 (UTC)
 * No. It is not possible to request the name of any inactive user regardless of edit count. Rappy 06:28, January 27, 2014 (UTC)

TwilightReaderFan

Hoping to change my name to FictionReaderFan

I want to change my username to Captainfalcon07! Call me... ObjectionMaster2001!

When will the change occur?
I changed my username and it said they'd get back to me in 2-3 days. Does this mean my username will be changed then? Will I get an e-mail alert when it happens? I'm a bit confused.

00:54, March 15, 2014 (UTC)


 * That email you got was an automated response letting you know we received your email. It still needs to be addressed by a staff member to start the process. I have done that now. You should receive an email shortly that tells you I have started the process. You should also receive another one once it is complete. Rappy 00:59, March 15, 2014 (UTC)

Error message?
Hello! I tried to submit a request to change my username but after a few submissions I continued to get a message that said "Oops, your username can only contain letters and numbers." I only typed a name using regular letters and a green checkmark appeared next to the field once I was done typing. Is this an error that I can get help with and is there some other way to change my username if there's no way to remedy this? Thanks! WarriorLoverInc (talk) 00:32, May 9, 2014 (UTC)


 * What username are you submitting to the form? Rappy 19:58, May 10, 2014 (UTC)


 * I was attempting to submit the username pingnova. WarriorLoverInc (talk) 23:46, May 15, 2014 (UTC)

Edit count
I currently have 7,000 or so edits on a Wikia. If I apply for this username change, will my edit count be reset to 0 on that Wikia? A Season 5 Fan 01:18, July 26, 2014 (UTC)

= 2015 =

Does making a new account take away blocks made by the administrators and allow us to start over? please say yes.
Does changing your username and replacing your account with a new one cancel out a block made by the adminsitrator? Are you able to edit afterwards (Ngh93 (talk) 23:32, March 8, 2015 (UTC))?
 * You should NOT do that on ANY wiki. That is called sockpupetting which can get you in even more trouble. [ VSTF  ] 23:34, March 8, 2015 (UTC)
 * But can we start over just from scratch without having to change our account? We wouldn't do any sockpuppeting that way. Can we start over? (Ngh93 (talk) 02:11, March 9, 2015 (UTC))
 * No, that IS sockpuppeting. [ VSTF  ] 02:43, March 9, 2015 (UTC)
 * To answer the original question: no. Existing blocks on a username are carried over in the rename. You are the one blocked, so that makes sense. Rappy 16:03, March 10, 2015 (UTC)

Why only one time?
Why can you change your user name only one time? Why not two times? Or never? I never changed my user name on Wikia, but I'm thinking about it... --Christian140 (talk) 12:49, June 26, 2015 (UTC)


 * I've never seen staff explicitly state why, but if I were to guess, I'd say a) technical limitations, b) to prevent the creation of hundreds and hundreds of double redirects across Wikia, and c) to prevent people to change their name as often as their avatar and swamp the back-office team with work. Of course, if you want a specific answer, use Special:Contact/general. -- Tupka 217 13:54, June 26, 2015 (UTC)

The page sure does say "you" a lot. I know that this wikia is very official, so I know they probably wouldn't do that as a mistake. If that's so, then why is that there? I'm just really curious, because I am a zealous editor on another wikia and I just announced that we probably shouldn't use the word "you". I know that they know not to do that as well, but it's easy to forget about. I don't think that this wikia would though, right?

Crystal286 (talk) 01:49, November 16, 2015 (UTC)

= 2016 =

Petition for a second username change
I know this has been asked before, but it would be so much appreciated if the staff allowed a second change of the username. I would bet that in a petitition hundreds, if not thousands of people would sign. So many people would be very very thankful. One is just not enough in my opinion. On YouTube for example, you can change your username as often as you want. Why can't this be realised here aswell? I have always been hoping that this would happen one day.

Thank you.RAPTORZILLA22 (talk) 21:53, February 8, 2016 (UTC)
 * Hey there RAPTOR - the best way for your feedback to be heard on this is to send it to Staff using Special:Contact/feedback. :)


 * The difference between YouTube and Wikia is that here, things work with MediaWiki software. Having more than one name change creates a ton of double redirects across Wikia, and makes a mess of Message Walls. -- Tupka 217 22:32, February 8, 2016 (UTC)


 * Thanks for the quick reply! I will do that. RAPTORZILLA22 (talk) 11:49, February 9, 2016 (UTC)

Me too! I hope I can also change my username again. Enzon19 (talk) 19:39, June 16, 2019 (UTC)

Only capital starting letters??
What kind of username is "Gamtos"? A rubbish one, that's what it is. Why is there a rule that my beautiful, lowercase name, as I wrote it when I signed up, has to be violently disfigured into this awful, awful Capital Name™? Gamtos (talk) 16:17, June 8, 2016 (UTC)

Multi accounts
The page says we can create another account and redirect to the page, but wikia admins says you can't create more than one account.

Who's right?


 * Where did the admins tell you you can't create more than one account?-- Annabeth and Percy 🎵I hear the bells, they're ringing loud and clear. You can't help but love this time of year. It's Christmas time, there's something in the air. There's a little bit of Heaven everywhere.🎵  15:31, December 31, 2016 (UTC)

= 2017 =

Abandoned names
I was wondering - if someone changes their username to something else - let's say someone changes their name from UserA to UserB - is their old name locked into a redirect, or does it become freed up? So in this example, would UserA just redirect to UserB forever, or could some other user make a new account (or rename an existing account) with the name of UserA? JordanTH (talk) 23:03, March 20, 2017 (UTC)
 * When renamed, a user's old account gets disabled and the new one gets created to which all contributions of the old account get transferred. So the answer is no, you can't create a new account over the old one because it's a disabled account. -- Cube - shaped   garbage can  23:06, March 20, 2017 (UTC)

Interwiki redlink.
There's an interwiki redlink at the bottom of the page. Please remove it.

~Signed JustLeafy ( ͡| ͜' ͡| ) USER  WALL  15:09, October 13, 2017 (UTC)
 * It is planned to be removed during the weekend. You can remove it yourself manually though. There are about 40 of them left, though, and I don't advise manually removing all of those. -- Cube - shaped   garbage can  15:12, October 13, 2017 (UTC)

=2018=

"Similar"?
I tried to change my username, I got an error that said there was already a username that was "similar", when I checked there no one by that username, what happened? Data


 * Well there doesn't have to be a user with that exact name, just a similar name, hence why the username you tried was "similar". It's interesting that the renaming policy is less lenient than first registering. Now You Know! (talk) 01:14, November 19, 2018 (UTC)


 * I believe the renaming and the registering username checks are the same. But, it may be 'less lenient' because between the time you created the account and the time you changed your name, many more users have joined. no replyz 22:23, November 19, 2018 (UTC)

I need help
I tried to change my username to '.Sorrel', but it said the following once I clicked the confirming button;

"AntiSpoof warning - there is already a username similar to ".Sorrel"."

Is that a glitch or something? Because I'm pretty sure that there is no registered user named '.Sorrel'.

06:21, October 7, 2018 (UTC)

=2019=

Heading

 * Hey there, User:Sorrel has been taken since 2009, and it is a registered account. AntiSpoof prevents users from creating spoof accounts. no replyz 08:19, October 8, 2018 (UTC)
 * I wish that was true. talk2ty 18:26, July 31, 2019 (UTC)

Turkish language
Add  language. --BaRaN6161TURK (Discussion) 15:57, November 29, 2019 (UTC)

=2020=

wtf lol
doing this should redirect your message wall

User's edit token did not match
I can't change my username. Whenever I try, it says "User's Edit Token did not match". No explanation is provided anywhere for what this means or how to fix it. Wikiamanisverycool (talk) 00:22, August 27, 2020 (UTC)

Question
Is there an certain amount of times you can change a username? IndigoSorioty (talk) 01:54, November 15, 2020 (UTC)


 * Just once. TheDivineHost (talk) 08:07, 17 July 2021 (UTC)

=2021=

Changing usernames only once
I don't see the point in this rule, what if users want to change their user names again but they cannot? Maybe make it twice or even thrice.
 * This will cause confusion, leave a lot of problematic redirects, and i will be hard for new users to find unused usernames. 20:37, 22 March 2021 (UTC)