At a tradeshow last month, I sat in on a conversation between a writer and a content producer. Social media, discrimination and Instagram came up.
First, for like the eight millionth time, let me say that I hate Instagram and all mainstream social media — not because they’re inherently bad, no. Because they are inherently uneven and discriminatory towards the adult industry community. Why give your energy to a space that only wants to exploit you and treat you like shit?
That said, mainstream social media continues to be a viable way to market one’s brand and one’s work, even by proxy (eg drawing attention to SFW aspects of your universe to generate interest, then bleeding said interest over to your adult work). As such, I will continue to report on these jokers’ goings on — but I don’t have to like it!
…back to the conversation.
The discussion was about Insta’s sustained penchant for suddenly and unceremoniously shuttering accounts it deems to be inappropriate due to perceived adult-orientation. This has happened time and again. Some people are fighting with Insta (thanks, Alana!). Some people just walk away and cut their losses. Others try to start new accounts… only to have them shut down before they even get their first post up.
According to the content producer, this is because your phone itself is being tagged, not just your account. As such, if you do want to start over with Insta, you will have to do so with an entirely different/new phone!
smdh
So, FYI, this name change thing I am about to go over here will not help you much if your account has already befallen the eyes of Instagram. This is useful, however, if your account is still in good standing and you want to maybe make your existing handle more PG. Like, you’re currently @SoandSoXXX, and you want to become @SoanSo123. Or, perhaps you rebranded with a new name or didn’t make all your social media accounts match when you started them. This is helpful in those cases, and more.
How to Change Your Username on Instagram
Apparently it’s less difficult to change your name on Instagram than it is to change your name on comparable platforms. Thus, for example, if you gotta change either your Twitter or your Insta, change your Insta to match your Twitter rather than vice versa.
Two other important points:
1. Username vs display name — Your display name is on your profile below your avatar. It doesn’t need to be unique to you, can contain emoji and special characters and can be changed whenever you want.
Your username appears at the top of your profile and at the end of your profile’s URL. It needs to be unique to you, can’t be longer than 30 characters and can only contain letters, numbers, periods and underscores.
2. Some social platforms limit the number of times you can change your username. Others don’t let you do it at all. Instagram, however, lets you change your handle whenever you want, as many times as you want, as long as the name remains unique to you.
Make the Change
According to The Verge, here’s how to change your username on Instagram.
Change Your Username via App
If you want to change your username via app, first you need to log in to your account on the iOS or Android app. If you have more than one account, make sure you’re logged in to the one want to change.
- Tap your avatar icon in the bottom-right corner to go to your profile
- Tap “Edit Profile” under your bio
- Tap the Username field and type in your new handle
- Click “Done”
Change Your Username on a Computer
You can also change your username via the desktop version of Instagram.
- In a web browser, go to Instagram.com
- If you’re already logged in, you’ll be prompted to continue with your account. If you’re not already logged in, enter your username and password. Click your profile icon on the right side of the homepage.
- Click “Edit Profile” next to your username
If the new username you want is already taken, meh. You can’t have the same username as someone else, and Insta will let you know if this is the case after you press “Done” on mobile or “Submit” via computer.
If the name you want isn’t available, you can always try to add numbers or underscores or something else clever to make it unique. Or, you can just wait — keep checking back because your desired username may become available in the future, perhaps due to cancellation or some other Insta-purge.
Check out this perfect share. Get ’em, Alana!
I just feel like sharing this https://t.co/P5Hzl8jJ6y
— Alana Evans (@alanaevansxxx) February 3, 2020
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Erika is a sex positive people watcher (and writer). Email her at erika@ynotcam.com.
Image by Gerd Altmann via Pixabay.
