Recover a Twitch Username After a Forced Change

Is this your situation?

Do this first

Which situation is yours?

• Locked out, name reset forced; account unable to be accessed until rename is complete
• Received email notification asking you to choose a new username and/or display name
• You do not believe your username violates the Community Guidelines and may appeal the reset
• You want your old username back after a successful appeal
• Appeal pending, still must complete username reset to regain access
• Account otherwise not suspended; rename forces a change but does not suspend it

How Twitch handles this

• A username reset forces a name change but does not result in the account being suspended.
• If a username is reset through enforcement, the user receives an email asking them to choose a new username and/or display name.
• A user is unable to access their account until they follow the steps to rename it after a reset.
• After renaming the account following a reset, the user can use Twitch as normal, and account history aside from the offending username is preserved.
• If a username reset appeal is successful, the user may revert to their old username.

Which recovery path is yours?

1. Can you still log in at all? If a username reset occurs, the account is locked and cannot be recovered until the account owner completes the username reset process.
2. Do you believe the username did not violate Community Guidelines? You may submit a suspension appeal through the appeals portal if you do not believe your username violates the Community Guidelines.
3. Did your appeal succeed? If a username reset appeal is successful, you may revert to your old username.
4. Is the account otherwise fine, only renamed? A username or display name reset forces a name change but does not result in the account being suspended.
5. Did the enforcement happen more than once for this account? Repeatedly renaming an account in violation of the username policy results in further enforcement, up to an indefinite suspension.

What not to do

• Waiting to rename before appealing To regain access while waiting for a username reset appeal, you must complete the username reset process.Why it happens: The account is locked and cannot be recovered until the rename step is completed.
• Assuming the account was suspended A username or display name reset forces a name change but does not result in the account being suspended.Why it happens: Confusing a forced rename with a suspension.
• Expecting all history to carry over unchanged After renaming the account, account history is preserved aside from the offending username.Why it happens: You expect nothing to change besides the name itself.
• Assuming any appeal restores the old username Only if the username reset appeal is successful may you revert to your old username.Why it happens: An appeal does not automatically mean the old name returns.

What to have ready

• Check your email for the reset notice. Twitch asks you to choose a new name. Check your inbox or spam folder.
• Confirm you cannot access the account. Access is blocked until renamed. Try logging in.
• Decide if the reset was a mistake. This determines whether to appeal. Review the reason given.
• Have your new username ready. You choose one during the reset. Prepare a name beforehand.
• Know that regaining access still requires the reset. You must still complete the reset. Check the rename step is done.
• Know a successful appeal lets you revert. You may revert to your old username. Check the appeals portal.

Stop this happening again

Quick reference

Keeping track of who has access