How to Change WordPress Username
One of the first things you will create on your new, shiny WordPress site is your login username. Of course, at this point, you will have to choose your password as well. But, as the time passes and your website becomes more popular, you might find yourself needing to switch them. Changing a password in WordPress and choosing the strong one is crucial for protecting your website from all kinds of virtual threats. In a case you want to additionally secure your website, you will, as well, need a more secure username. In other words, if you initially went with the default admin choice, your name could be the perfect target for hackers, since it’s usually very easy to guess. Also, at some point, you may wish to organize the WordPress user roles on your website differently. For example, you may want to assign specific roles to different users and to hand over your WordPress admin account to another user. By changing your user name you will make sure that your website is not only safer, but more consistent when it comes to its branding and overall content. Unfortunately, WordPress doesn’t allow you to change your username by default. This doesn’t mean you can’t do it easily, in just a few simple steps. In this article, we will explain how to change WordPress username manually, with a plugin and via your phpMyAdmin. There are three simple ways to do this, and we will take you through each of them:
Although you can’t change your WordPress username just by entering the new one in the predefined field, you can do it manually very quickly. In short, the whole process includes creating a new admin account, transferring your website’s current content to it, and then, deleting the old account. To do this, first navigate to Users > Add New in your WordPress dashboard. Now enter your desired username, and insert the rest of the information. At this stage, you can, also, make a strong password. Choose your combination of characters or stick with one of WordPress’s automatically generated passwords. Also, don’t forget to set the account’s role to Administrator. Have in mind that your new username requires a new email address, different from the one you use for your current account. This is only temporary. You will be able to change it to your original email address once you finish the process. Once you create your username, you won’t be able to change it additionally. One of the options is to add new user in WordPress with desired username after you can delete the old one. Scroll down to see how.
First, log out of your WordPress site and log back in using your new account. Navigate to the Users tab again, and look for your old admin account. Click on Delete underneath the username for your old account.
Furthermore, you will have to manage the content owned by the user you want to delete. Select the option labeled Attribute all content to and choose your new username from the drop-down menu. By doing so, you’ll ensure that your existing posts will have a new username as author.
This last step will make sure that the ownership of all your pages is transferred from your old to the new account. Now you can click on Confirm Deletion and you have new username to login to your WordPress site. That’s all! It’s time to publish your stories under the new, updated username.
There is also, another great way for changing your WordPress username. Username Changer Plugin is specially designed for this purpose, so you won’t need to create a new account or to change your email address. This plugin is well-rewarded, simple to use and trusted by numerous users.
Install and activate the plugin, and navigate to Users and find the Username field.
Here you need to select the username you want to change. Now enter the new username, and save the changes. Simple as that!
This method may seem a bit tricky at first, but it’s easier than you think. It requires direct changes to your WordPress database which isn’t always the good idea. But, in some cases it may be your only option. For example, if you forget your username and email address, you will need to log into your web hosting account and go to your admin dashboard in order to change it.
For starters, login to your cPanel. Scroll down to the databases section and find phpMyAdmin field. Click on it.
Choose the database your blog is hosted in.
Next thing you need to do is to find your WordPress database. WordPress database tables usually have wp_ as prefix, but there can be some other prefix as well. Find the wp-users field on the left hand side and click on it.
Then click on the username that you want to edit. Change your username (user_login) to your new, desired name. In the end, click the Go button and you are all set.
Let’s Sum Up!
Knowing how to change WordPress username is can be practical on so many levels. You can either do it manually in a few steps or choose to install a plugin that allows you to do it with literary one click. On the other hand, you can as well use your phpMyAdmin in a case you have forgotten your username or email address. Choose the method that works the best for you, and enjoy every step of your WordPress journey.
We hope this article was helpful. If you liked it, feel free to check out some of these articles as well!
