Zoom has taken over the world of video conferencing by storm. And rightly so. It’s easy to use, and setup. Getting started on Zoom has to be by far the easiest from any of the other apps. You can create an account using your email address, SSO id, Google account, or Facebook account, and all your information, like your name, associated email id, etc., will automatically be transferred.

But what if you don’t want to join a meeting with your displayed name, or you entered the wrong name during sign up? Will you have to stay stuck with a single name on Zoom? Absolutely not! Whether you want to change your name for a single meeting, or permanently, Zoom has provisions for both.

How to Change Name in a Zoom Meeting

Zoom uses the full name set in your account for all meetings that you create or join. And while it’s ideal to have your full name displayed in work-related meetings, you might want to use your nickname when on a group meeting with your friends or family. Or, just your first name when attending a webinar with many unknown participants.

In either case, it’s possible to change your name in an ongoing Zoom meeting. Click on the ‘Manage Participants’ button on the host controls bar at the bottom of the screen.

A ‘Participants’ panel will open on the right side of the meeting window. Hover the mouse cursor over your name in the participant list and click on the ‘More’ option.

Then, select the ‘Rename’ option from the expanded menu.

Now set a different name from the ‘Rename’ pop-up window. You can use your first name only, a nickname, or something entirely different and made-up if you don’t want people to recognize you at all in the meeting room. Click the ‘OK’ button after setting a new name.

Your new name will be instantly applied. But know that it’ll change only for this particular Zoom meeting. Other Zoom meetings that you host or join will continue to use your full name set in your Zoom account preferences.

Note: If the meeting host has disabled ‘Rename themselves’ option for attendees, then you won’t be able to change your name in the meeting.

How to Permanently Change your Name on Zoom

If you accidentally entered your name wrong while creating the account, or were afflicted by the plague of typos, or simply want to change your name for the heck of it, don’t worry. Zoom’s got your back. You can easily change your name on Zoom permanently, even if the name was part of the information imported from another account like Google, or Facebook while creating the account.

Go to Zoom settings from the desktop app and click on ‘Profile’ from the navigation menu on the left in the setting window.

Then, click on ‘Edit My Profile’ button.

The Zoom web portal will open. Sign in to your Zoom account if you are currently not logged in. You can also directly open the web portal by going to zoom.us, then go to ‘Profile’ to change your name.

The Profile information will open. Click on the ‘Edit’ button next to your name.

Your profile information will open. Enter the new name in the ‘First Name’ and ‘Last Name’ textboxes, and click on ‘Save changes’. Your name will change permanently on Zoom.

For those who use Zoom on the go, you can also change your name from Zoom mobile app. Open the Zoom meetings app on your phone, and tap on the ‘Settings’ icon from the menu options at the bottom of the screen.

Then, tap on your information card at the top.

Now, tap on the ‘Display Name’ option to open it.

Change the name, and click on the ‘Save’ button on the top right corner.

Now, you know how to change your name ephemerally, or for good. Whether you want to change your name for a single meeting when you’re just having fun with friends, or don’t want others to know your name, or permanently, there’s not an easier task in Zoom.