Where to find the name setting on your iPhone

Your iPhone stores your name in two places, and you may need to change both depending on what you want to update. The first is your device name — the label that appears when you connect to a computer or when other people search for your phone on Bluetooth. The second is your Apple ID name, which is the name associated with your account and appears in the App Store, iCloud, and when you send messages through Apple services.

Most people want to change one or the other, not both. If you want your phone to show a different name when someone tries to connect to it wirelessly, you change the device name. If you want your name to appear differently in the App Store or in your Apple ID settings, you change your Apple ID name instead.

Key Takeaways

  • Your iPhone has a device name (what shows up on Bluetooth and when connecting to computers) and an Apple ID name (what appears in the App Store and iCloud), and you change them in different places.
  • To change your device name, go to Settings > General > About > Name and type the new name you want.
  • To change your Apple ID name, go to Settings > [Your Name] > Name, Phone, Email and edit the name field directly.
  • Changes to your device name take effect immediately, but changes to your Apple ID name may take a few minutes to sync across Apple's servers.
  • You do not need a password to change your device name, but you do need to know your Apple ID password to change your Apple ID name.

How to change your device name

Your device name is the label your iPhone displays when you pair it with a car, a speaker, a computer, or another device over Bluetooth or Wi-Fi. It is also the name that appears in the Devices section of your iCloud account.

To change it, open Settings and tap General. Scroll down and tap About. At the top of the About screen, you will see a field labeled Name. Tap that field, delete the current name, and type the new name you want. Tap Done when you are finished. The change takes effect immediately, and the new name will appear the next time you try to connect to another device.

There is no character limit, but keep the name short and simple — very long names can be cut off on some devices, and special characters sometimes cause problems with older Bluetooth equipment.

How to change your Apple ID name

Your Apple ID name is different from your device name. It is the name tied to your account and shows up in the App Store, Apple Music, iCloud, and anywhere else you use your Apple ID. This is the name other people see when you share files, send messages through iCloud, or appear in shared albums.

To change it, open Settings and tap the name or photo at the very top of the screen. This takes you to your Apple ID settings. Tap Name, Phone, Email. You will see your current name displayed. Tap Edit in the top right corner. Now you can change your first name, last name, or both. When you are done, tap Done and then tap Save.

You may be asked to enter your Apple ID password to confirm the change. This is a security step to make sure someone else is not changing your account information. After you save, the change usually appears across all your Apple services within a few minutes, though it can occasionally take longer.

What happens after you change your name

If you changed your device name, the new name appears immediately on your iPhone and will show up the next time you connect to another device. Any devices already paired with your iPhone will still recognize it, even though the name has changed.

If you changed your Apple ID name, the change syncs to Apple's servers and then spreads to all the services connected to your account. Your new name will appear in the App Store, in shared folders, in Messages when you use iCloud features, and in any shared albums or documents. People you share files with will see your new name the next time they refresh their view.

Neither change affects your Apple ID email address, your password, or your payment information. Your account login details stay the same.

Changing your name on a family account

If you are part of a Family Sharing group, you can still change your own name without affecting anyone else's account. Go to Settings > [Your Name] > Name, Phone, Email and edit your name as described above. Your new name will appear to other family members in the Family Sharing settings, and they will see it when you share purchases or content with them.

If you are the family organizer and want to change the family group name itself (not your personal name), that is a different setting. Go to Settings > [Your Name] > Family Sharing, tap your name at the top, and then tap Edit to change the family organizer name. This is rarely necessary and does not change anyone's personal name.

Troubleshooting name changes that do not work

If you changed your device name but it is not showing up on other devices, restart your iPhone. Turn it off completely, wait a few seconds, and turn it back on. Then try connecting to the other device again. Sometimes the old name stays cached on the other device — if that happens, forget the connection on that device and pair again from scratch.

If you changed your Apple ID name and it is not showing up in the App Store or other services after several minutes, sign out of your Apple ID and sign back in. Go to Settings > [Your Name] > Sign Out, enter your password, and then sign back in with the same Apple ID. This forces your iPhone to refresh your account information.

If you cannot change your Apple ID name because you are getting an error message, make sure you are connected to Wi-Fi or cellular data. Name changes require an internet connection to sync with Apple's servers. If you are connected and still getting an error, try again in a few minutes — Apple's servers are occasionally slow to respond.

Changing your name in Messages and FaceTime

Your name in Messages and FaceTime is usually pulled from your Apple ID name or your contact card. If you want to appear differently in these apps, the easiest way is to change your Apple ID name as described above. The change will sync to Messages and FaceTime within a few minutes.

Alternatively, you can edit your contact card directly. Open the Contacts app, tap your own contact card (it usually appears at the top), tap Edit, and change your name there. This changes how you appear in your own contact information, but it does not change how you appear to others in Messages or FaceTime — those apps use your Apple ID name by default.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I change my iPhone name without changing my Apple ID name?

Yes. Your device name and Apple ID name are completely separate. You can change one without touching the other. Most people only need to change their device name if they want their phone to show a different label on Bluetooth connections.

Will changing my name affect my photos, messages, or data?

No. Changing your name does not delete or modify any of your data. Your photos, messages, contacts, and files all stay exactly as they are. Only the label that identifies you changes.

What if I forget what I changed my name to?

Go back to Settings > General > About to see your device name, or Settings > [Your Name] > Name, Phone, Email to see your Apple ID name. You can change it again at any time.

Do I need to restart my iPhone after changing my name?

No, you do not need to restart for a device name change — it takes effect immediately. For Apple ID name changes, a restart is not required, but if the new name is not showing up in apps after a few minutes, restarting can help force a refresh.

Can someone else change my iPhone name without my permission?

Anyone with physical access to your unlocked iPhone can change the device name. To protect your Apple ID name, you need your Apple ID password. If you are concerned about unauthorized changes, use a strong passcode to lock your iPhone.