How To Change Your iPhone Name: Complete Guide to All Methods

Changing your iPhone’s name is one of those small tweaks that actually feels pretty satisfying, especially if you’ve got multiple Apple devices and want to keep everything organized. If the default name isn’t doing it for you or just makes you scratch your head, it’s surprisingly easy to customize. But sometimes, it’s not so straightforward—like when the Settings app refuses to update the name or iTunes just won’t recognize your device properly. So, here’s a rundown that might help if you’re running into issues or just want some extra options.

How to Change Your iPhone Name — Step by Step

Change your iPhone name via Settings

This is the go-to method and usually the simplest, especially if your iPhone is behaving normally. It’s useful when you just want a quick fix without any fuss.

• Pull up the Settings app on your iPhone—yes, that grey gear icon.
• Scroll down and tap General. This is where most of the device info lives.
• Tap on About. You’ll see all sorts of info about your device here.
• Look for the Name entry at the top — that’s your current device name.
• Tap on the Name field. Now, just type in whatever new name you want. It’s as simple as that.
• Hit Done on the keyboard—and voilà, the device now has a new name.

This method is quick, and unless there’s a weird glitch, it should work without a hitch. Just save and go, and your iPhone is ready to be identified by your friends or in your network.

Change your iPhone name from iTunes (on Windows)

On some setups, especially if you’re still rocking Windows or prefer iTunes, this method feels a bit more old-school but still works. It’s handy if Settings isn’t updating the name for some reason or you need to do it from a PC.

• First, connect your iPhone to your Windows PC using a Lightning cable.
• Open iTunes. If you don’t have it installed, grab the latest version from the official Apple website.
• Once iTunes launches, click on the device icon—it looks like a tiny iPhone at the top left.
• In the summary page that opens, click on the name of your device, which should be editable.
• Type in the new name you want for your iPhone. It’s all just in the text box.
• Press Enter or click away to save. The change should stick.

On some setups, this might not update immediately or might need you to disconnect and reconnect, but usually it’s smooth sailing. Just be aware, iTunes can be a bit finicky sometimes, especially if you have multiple versions or hang onto old software.

Change your iPhone name on Mac with Finder

Apple’s moved away from iTunes on newer Macs, shifting everything into the Finder. If you prefer macOS and the Finder, here’s how to do it.

• Connect your iPhone to your Mac using a cable or via Wi-Fi if you’ve set that up.
• Open Finder. On macOS Catalina and later, this is your hub for device management.
• In the sidebar, select your connected iPhone.
• At the top of the window, click on the name of your device. It should turn into an editable text field.
• Type in your preferred new name and hit return or click away.

Here’s the thing — it’s kind of weird, but if your Mac isn’t recognizing the device correctly or it’s acting glitchy, disconnect and reconnect. Usually it updates after you change the name and sync again.

Changing your device’s name isn’t complicated, but depending on your setup or what’s acting buggy—like iTunes crashing or Settings not updating—these multiple options give some backup. Not sure why it works sometimes and not others, but these tips often fix the issue.