When you see the message “You are now interacting as your name on Facebook”, it means that you have successfully changed your name on your Facebook profile. This message appears right after you complete the steps to change your name, confirming that the name change has been processed.
Why Would You Change Your Name on Facebook?
There are a few common reasons why people change their name on Facebook:
- You got married or divorced and changed your last name
- You want to use a nickname or shortened version of your name instead of your full legal name
- You are transgender and have changed your name as part of your transition
- You simply want to freshen up your online identity with a new name
Facebook allows you to change your name up to 5 times within a 60 day period. After that, you may need to provide documentation to confirm your identity if you want to change it again. Their name policy aims to maintain authentic identities on the platform.
How to Change Your Name on Facebook
Here are the steps to change your name on Facebook:
- Go to your profile page and click on the “About” section
- Find the section for your name and click on the edit icon (shaped like a pencil) next to your name
- Enter your new name in the pop-up that appears
- Click “Review Change” to preview how your new name will appear
- Click “Save Changes” to confirm the new name
Once you click Save Changes, your name will be updated across Facebook. The “You are now interacting as your name on Facebook” message will appear at the top of your News Feed to confirm the change.
What Else Updates When You Change Your Name
Changing your name on Facebook updates it in these key places across the platform:
- Your profile name that appears at the top of your profile
- Your name on any posts or comments you make
- Your name that appears in friends’ News Feeds
- Your name in Facebook Messenger conversations
- Your name attached to any photos or videos you’ve been tagged in
In addition, any apps or websites you’ve logged into using Facebook Login will be updated to your new name. Your vanity URL (if you have one set up) will also automatically update to reflect your new name.
What Doesn’t Change When You Update Your Name
These parts of your Facebook presence remain unaffected when you change your name:
- Your login email or phone number
- Your user ID (the long string of numbers in your profile URL)
- Your privacy and tag review settings
- Your profile info like work, education, relationship status, etc.
- Your previous posts, photos, videos, and other published content
Essentially, anything core to your account and past activity will stay the same. Only your display name is updated.
Can You Change Your Name Back Afterwards?
If you change your mind after updating your name, you can easily change it back:
- Go to your profile and click “About”
- Click the edit icon next to your current name
- Enter your old name that you want to revert to
- Click “Review Change” and then “Save Changes”
Just like that, your old name will be restored across Facebook. You can continue flipping between names as long as it’s within Facebook’s name change limit policy.
Troubleshooting Name Change Issues
In most cases, changing your name on Facebook is quick and easy. But here are some fixes for common problems that come up:
Name change not showing up
It can take up to 24 hours for your new name to populate across Facebook. Try logging out and back in to refresh the cache. If it’s still not updated, report the issue in Facebook’s Help Center.
Unable to change name
If you get an error when trying to change your name, you’ve likely hit the 5 times per 60 day limit. You’ll have to wait until the 60 day window resets to change it again, unless you verify your identity with documentation.
Asked for ID to change name
If Facebook asks for a copy of your ID, send it to them so they can verify your identity. This generally happens after frequent name changes or significant name changes.
Old name still showing up
It can take up to a few days for your new name to fully propagate through Facebook’s systems. Try clearing your cache and logging out and back in. If you still see issues, report it to Facebook.
Vanity URL not updating
Your vanity URL should automatically update to match your new name. But if it’s not changing, go to your public profile and re-save your vanity URL. That often fixes any issues.
Conclusion
When you see the “You are now interacting as your name on Facebook” message, that means your name change on Facebook was successful. Your display name will be updated across your profile, posts, comments and anywhere else your name appears. While most parts of your account stay the same, your visible identity on Facebook will align with your new name.