Your Xbox account controls your gamertag, profile picture, friends, privacy, security and console settings. This guide collects the most common Xbox account tasks in one place: how to change your Xbox gamertag, set a custom Xbox profile picture (pfp), change your email or password, enable two-factor authentication, delete your account, appear offline, fix your NAT type, and more.
How to change your Xbox gamertag
Your first gamertag change is free; after that, each change costs $9.99 in the US (or local equivalent). Gamertags can be up to 12 characters, and if someone else already uses your chosen name, Xbox adds a number suffix such as #1234.
On Xbox Series X|S or Xbox One
- Press the Xbox button and go to Profile & system, then select your gamertag.
- Choose My profile > Customize profile.
- Select your gamertag, then Change gamertag.
- Type a new name, check availability and confirm.
How to change your gamertag on the Xbox app
- Open the Xbox app on Windows or your phone and select your profile picture.
- Choose Edit profile or go to the gamertag change page at social.xbox.com/changegamertag.
- Enter the new name and confirm.
Your gamertag history, achievements and friends stay with you after a name change. An Xbox name change takes effect immediately on console, but may take a while to update in some games.
Xbox gamertag ideas and generators
An Xbox gamertag generator or Xbox name generator simply combines random words, numbers and styles. They can spark ideas, but you will get a better name by combining something you like (a favorite animal, color, game character or hobby) with a short twist. Keep it under 12 characters, avoid personal information like your real name, birth year or town, and check that it is not offensive, since Xbox enforcement can force a reset of inappropriate gamertags.
How to change your Xbox profile picture
Xbox lets you upload a custom gamerpic. Searches for Xbox pfp, Xbox pfps, cool Xbox profile pictures and Xbox 360 profile pictures all lead here.
- On console, go to Profile & system > your profile > My profile > Customize profile.
- Select Change gamerpic.
- Choose one of Microsoft’s gamerpics, or select Upload a custom image to use a screenshot or a picture from a USB drive or OneDrive.
- Crop and confirm. Custom images are reviewed and may take a few minutes to appear.
On the Xbox app for phone, tap your profile, then the pencil icon on your gamerpic, and choose a photo from your gallery. Custom images must follow the Xbox Community Standards; inappropriate images are removed. Nostalgic Xbox 360 pfp art from the 2000s is still available as classic gamerpics on modern consoles in the gamerpic picker. Accounts for younger kids may need a parent to allow custom images.
Xbox avatar and background
The Xbox avatar editor lets you create a 3D avatar that appears on your profile; open the Xbox Avatar Editor app on console or PC. To change your Xbox background, go to Settings > General > Personalization > My background. You can pick a solid color, a dynamic theme, an achievement art background or a screenshot you captured.
How to change your email on an Xbox account
Your Xbox account is a Microsoft account, so you change the email through Microsoft, not the console.
- Go to account.microsoft.com and sign in.
- Open Your info > Edit account info (or Account aliases).
- Add a new email address as an alias, verify it, then make it the primary alias.
- Remove the old email if you want.
That is how to change your Xbox email. Your gamertag, games and Game Pass stay the same.
How to change your Xbox password
Go to account.microsoft.com/security, choose Change password, verify your identity and enter a new password. Then sign back in on your console. If you cannot remember the old password, use the “Forgot password” link on the Microsoft sign-in page.
How to enable 2FA on Xbox
- Go to account.microsoft.com/security and choose Advanced security options.
- Turn on Two-step verification and follow the prompts.
- Install the Microsoft Authenticator app for the easiest sign-in, or use SMS or email codes.
- Create app passwords if older devices ask for one.
Two-step verification is the best protection against stolen gamertags and unauthorized purchases. Also add a passkey for purchases on your console in Settings > Account > Sign-in, security & passkey.
How to delete an Xbox account
To fully delete an Xbox account, you close the Microsoft account. Go to account.microsoft.com, choose Your info > How to close your account, and follow the steps. Microsoft waits 30 or 60 days before permanent deletion, so you can change your mind. Closing the account deletes your gamertag, games, Game Pass time and email if it is an Outlook address. To simply remove an account from a console, go to Settings > Account > Remove accounts instead.
How to appear offline on Xbox
Press the Xbox button, go to Profile & system, select your profile and choose Appear offline. Friends will see you as offline, but you can still play online games. On the Xbox app, tap your profile picture and set your status to Appear offline. Your status resets to Online the next time you sign in unless you change it in Privacy settings.
Xbox friends and privacy
To add Xbox friends, press the Xbox button, go to People, then Find someone and type a gamertag. Under Settings > Account > Privacy & online safety, you can choose who can see your online status, send you messages, invite you to parties and see your game clips. Child accounts have stricter defaults that parents manage in the Xbox Family Settings app.
How to set your home Xbox
Go to Settings > General > Personalization > My home Xbox and select Make this my home Xbox. Your home console lets anyone who uses it play your digital games and use your Game Pass, and lets your games work offline. You can change it five times a year. This is also how Xbox game share works.
How to change NAT type on Xbox
An Open NAT gives you the best multiplayer and party chat. To check yours, go to Settings > General > Network settings. If it says Moderate or Strict:
- Restart your router and console.
- Enable UPnP in your router’s settings.
- On Xbox, open Advanced settings > Alternate port selection and switch between Automatic and Manual, testing NAT each time.
- If you use two routers (for example an ISP modem-router and your own router), put the ISP device in bridge mode.
- As a last resort, set up port forwarding for the Xbox (UDP 88 and 500, UDP 3544, UDP 4500, TCP and UDP 3074) to the console’s IP address.
More network fixes are in our troubleshooting guide.
How to turn off Quick Resume on Xbox
Quick Resume keeps several games suspended so you can jump back in instantly on Series X|S. You cannot turn the feature off globally, but you can remove a game from it: press the Xbox button, open the Quick Resume list in My games & apps, highlight the game, press the Menu button and choose Remove from Quick Resume. Some online games disable Quick Resume themselves. Removing a game fixes most bugs where a game will not reconnect after resuming.
Xbox game clips and screenshots
Press the Share button on the controller to take a screenshot, or hold it to record a clip of the last 30 seconds (or longer, set in Settings > Preferences > Capture & share). Xbox game clips are stored on the console and can be uploaded automatically to your Xbox network or OneDrive, then viewed in the Xbox app on your phone.
How to disable the Xbox Game Bar on Windows
On Windows 11, go to Settings > Gaming > Xbox Game Bar and turn off “Allow your controller to open Game Bar”. To remove it fully, open Settings > Apps > Installed apps, find Xbox Game Bar, select Advanced options and use Terminate and the background permissions setting, or uninstall it with PowerShell if you are comfortable doing so. Many players prefer to keep it for screenshots and performance overlays.
How to get easy gamerscore on Xbox
Gamerscore is the total of your achievement points. Easy wins come from short indie games with simple achievement lists (often called “easy 1000G” games), Game Pass titles you can finish in an evening, kids’ licensed games, and achievement-friendly games like Lego titles. Use sites such as TrueAchievements to find games sorted by estimated completion time, play several in Game Pass, and focus on the achievement list from the start so you do not need a second playthrough.
Xbox dev kit and Dev Mode
Any retail Xbox Series X|S or Xbox One can become a development kit through Xbox Dev Mode. Developers pay a one-time $19 fee for a Microsoft Partner Center account, install the Dev Mode Activation app from the store, and switch the console into Dev Mode, which can run UWP apps and homebrew-style projects. In Dev Mode you cannot play retail games, so you switch back to Retail Mode for normal use. Official full Xbox dev kits for publishing retail games are available only to approved studios through the ID@Xbox program.
What is the “Xbox app Braze dummy message”?
Some players have seen a notification in the Xbox app titled with words like “Braze dummy message”. Braze is a customer messaging platform that many apps use to send in-app notifications, and “dummy” messages are internal tests. One that reaches real users is a mistake on the sender’s side, not a virus or hack. You can dismiss it safely. If you are worried about your account, change your password and check recent sign-in activity at account.microsoft.com/security.
PlayStation avatars
On PlayStation, the equivalent of a gamerpic is your avatar. On PS5 go to your profile > Edit Profile > Avatar to choose from the free set, or buy themed PlayStation avatars from the PlayStation Store. You can also upload a custom profile picture through the PlayStation App on your phone.