What Is an Instagram Handle?

An Instagram handle is your unique @username, the name that comes after the @ symbol on your profile. It is how people find you, tag you, and link to you, and no two accounts can share the same one. When someone says "what's your Insta," the handle is what they are asking for. For example, in @sam.bakes, the handle is sam.bakes.

These two sit next to each other at the top of your profile and are easy to mix up. The handle is your unique @username, shown in smaller text, and it cannot contain spaces. The display name is the larger, bold label, and it can include spaces, emoji, and repeat other people's names freely. You might have the handle sam.bakes and the display name "Sam | Home Baking." The handle is what makes you findable; the display name just describes you. If you want the fuller picture, see what a username is.

Handles can use lowercase letters, numbers, periods, and underscores, up to 30 characters. They cannot contain spaces, other symbols, or emoji, and they are not case sensitive, so Sam.Bakes and sam.bakes point to the same account. A period cannot sit at the very start or end, and you cannot take a handle another active account already holds.

Because your handle is what people type and tag, keep it short, easy to spell, and tied to what you post. Avoid long runs of numbers and underscores, which make you harder to find. Try to claim the same handle on your other platforms so people can find you everywhere. When your first choice is taken, one short, meaningful word reads better than random digits.

Ready to build one? Try the Instagram username generator for handles or the Instagram name generator for a matching display name. Already have an account and want to switch? See how to change your Instagram username.