How To Change Xbox One Gamertag For Free 2017

Xbox is no longer just a gaming console. It's an app and fix of services integrated into Windows 10. But Xbox still uses any sometime gamertag, or nickname, is associated with your Microsoft account. You may have set this name on an Xbox 360 a decade ago, or may take been provided by Microsoft's Games for Windows Alive service.

If you want to alter your gamertag, but don't accept an Xbox–or only desire an easier way to do it–you can modify it through the Windows 10 Xbox app.

At that place's one catch: Microsoft is stingy with name changes. In theory, you lot have ane free gamertag modify–although that didn't work for me. After that, you'll demand to spend $10 or add a dissimilar Microsoft account to the Xbox app.

Change Your Gamertag for Gratuitous

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To change your gamertag from Windows 10, open up the Xbox app from your Start menu. Click or tap your contour picture at the top-left corner of the app. Yous'll come across your Xbox profile information. Click "Customize" nether your picture the bottom of the profile pane.

Click "Change gamertag" under your gamertag proper noun.

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Anybody gets one gratuitous gamertag change, at to the lowest degree in theory. The Xbox app informs me that I've "already used my free gamertag modify," which isn't actually true in my case. I blame Microsoft'southward failed Games for Windows Alive service for messing this up somehow when it provided me with my this default gamertag many years ago.

If you're lucky–and perhaps if you recently created your Xbox profile–y'all may nonetheless take a gratis gamertag change available and the app will allow you enter a new gamertag. Comport in mind that this is your only free gamertag modify for this account, so brand it count!

Change Your Gamertag for $x

If you lot don't accept a gratuitous gamertag change, you'll be told to "Become to Xbox.com" from here. Y'all'll exist taken to the Alter gamertag page on Microsoft'southward website, which y'all can also open directly in your web browser to alter your gamertag from whatever device. Sign in with the same Microsoft business relationship yous use in Windows 10's Xbox app.

The website allows you lot to pick a new gamertag. Later y'all do, click "Claim it!" You'll be redirected to a folio that allows you lot to buy the "Gamertag Change" service. This costs $ix.99 in the USA, and volition cost dissimilar–but probable comparable–amounts of money in other currencies, depending on the country you live in.

Yes, there's no way around this. Y'all could try hassling Microsoft'south back up people into giving you a free proper name modify via the "Contact Support" app included with Windows 10, but they'll probably merely tell you to spend the $x. "At that place are no refunds," as the website notes.

Use a Different Microsoft Business relationship in the Xbox App

If yous don't want to pay to change your Xbox gamertag, you have one more option. You can sign into the Xbox awarding with a different Microsoft account. To do so, click the gear icon at the bottom-left corner of the Xbox app and select "Sign Out" under your user account.

When y'all try to sign in again, the Xbox app will attempt to sign you in with a the aforementioned Microsoft account y'all're using with Windows ten. Yet, you can click the "Sign In With a Unlike Microsoft Account" link nether Use Another Account.

The new business relationship tin be anything you lot like. You could even create a new Microsoft business relationship specifically for this purpose. After yous sign in with a Microsoft account that's never had an Xbox Alive profile before, you lot'll be able to choose a gamertag for information technology. That gamertag will appear in the Xbox app and in Xbox services in Windows 10's Shop apps. Your original Microsoft account will still be used for your Windows account, the Windows Store, and other services in Windows 10.

When you sign in with a new Microsoft account, you'll won't have whatever of the achievements, friends, and other data associated with the old Xbox profile. It's a fresh account. If you want to create a new gamertag without losing your achievements or friends, you'll need to pay $10 for the gamertag change service.

Microsoft has reasons for their stinginess, of course. Gamertags are supposed to uniquely identify y'all on Xbox Live, and Microsoft doesn't want people constantly irresolute them, peculiarly if someone's harassing you online. But, don't fret–even Xbox Live Gold users who pay $60 a year never get any costless name changes and have to shell out an extra $10 to Microsoft if they ever desire this service.

With Microsoft increasingly competing with Steam for PC gaming, it's worth noting that Steam allows every bit many gratuitous name changes as you want.