How to create new screen names on AOL (America Online)?

I need to create a new screen name in AOL but am not sure how to do so. Can you help me out?

Dave's Answer:

First off, let me say that I don't help kids try to circumvent protections that their parents have put in place: if you're a minor and want to foil the protections your folks have created, then you'd be much, much better off just talking with them and asking for permission. There's a reason that they're watching out for you...

Having said that, let's go through the process of creating a new screen name on AOL, because if you have a parental controls screen name, you won't be able to do this anyway, and if you don't, well, then you're legit.

Log in to America Online (AOL) as usual, then choose Account Settings --> Screen Name. (I'm using a Mac for these examples, but the Windows version is almost exactly the same. On the Mac, the Account Settings option is found on the "AOL" menu).

Now you'll see something like this:

Click on the "CREATE a screen name" and you'll promptly be asked if you're creating an account for a child or not:

I'll choose "NO" here, and then get this:

As you can see, you can take one of their suggested screen names, based on pulling bits out of your profile, or you can enter one of your own. If you enter one, be warned that there are a lot of AOL users, so it's not easy to find a screen name that hasn't already been taken!

From this point, the process is pretty self-explanatory, so I won't step through any further. This should get you started in the right direction, though, and good luck to you!

Additional helpful AOL tutorials:

• Get rid of AOL popup ads!
• How to delete an AOL screen name
• How to change your AOL account password
• How to cancel your AOL account

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Categorized: Computer and Internet Basics (Article 4063, Written by Dave Taylor)
Tagged: america online, aol
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Reader Comments To Date: 449

aminagha said, on December 9, 2008 10:00 AM:

good thing

Gary said, on December 26, 2008 4:38 AM:

To get the screen names page up sign on to AOL hit Ctrl and K at the same time to get the keyword box up then just put in the word names and hit ok it's self explanitory from there.

rachel said, on January 15, 2009 11:23 AM:

hi,
I have an existing AOL Account. I in a rush I created an AIM Screen Name and now want to add that SN to my current AOL account. When I try to add it says that the name is already taken. When I go the other route to "use existing AIM SN" it asks for cc information like I am creating another account. HELP ME!!

KIAH said, on January 16, 2009 5:07 AM:

hey

Cookie said, on January 16, 2009 4:43 PM:

HOW DO I DELETE A SCREEN NAME from AOL 9.1 EWvery time I go to aol sdcreen names I get a pop up window that says OOPPSS can't find this page, WHT GIVES???

latesha cummings said, on January 22, 2009 1:23 PM:

I would and this screen name to my account.

Paul Helm said, on January 28, 2009 3:50 PM:

Hi...We have just changed ISP to ATT, so now use Internet Explorer to get our AOL Homepage..How do we switch between the two screen names (long established) without signing one out to sign the other in. There is no SIGN OUT option in the tool bar that we can find now..Previously, we had that feature. Thanks. Paul

dominick p. sinisi said, on February 3, 2009 5:04 PM:

How do i set up a screen name for my wife on the same computer?

Gary said, on February 7, 2009 7:27 PM:

I just bought a new computer. I already have an account with aol on my other computers in the house, I have a linksy wireless router. My new computer picks up enternet explore, but I cant get on to my aol accounts.What am i missing. It picks up my wireless printer ok?

Jessica said, on February 8, 2009 12:40 PM:

Hey Dave! My dad changed his password and has been telling me to make my own account, and i'm reading the directions but I don't have an "aol menu" and I can't find account settings anywhere! help!

ccody said, on February 11, 2009 1:19 PM:

I need help deleting a name aai made thais morn

harry worthington said, on February 13, 2009 9:04 AM:

all i want to do is add a new screen name and delet one and why is it so hard

pat said, on March 6, 2009 4:57 PM:

I have tried several times to add a screen name and all I get is an opportunity to add games. I am sick of this.

Faith said, on March 14, 2009 12:53 AM:

I've had the same screenname for like a thousand years, and want to update/graduallymove all my mail to the new screenname to a more professional, non-gender specific name I can use for resumes', work related issues, etc. but I when I search the names I want or like none are available. Please help. Thanks TNBrownEyes@aol.com

betty said, on March 21, 2009 5:12 AM:

this is crazy been on this site for years cant get to my screennames to either redo them or add them on what the heck

Cliff said, on March 27, 2009 5:37 PM:

System not responding when I try to create a new screen name. What's the problem, Dave?

Albert Benedetti said, on March 29, 2009 5:49 PM:

Have not been able to delete or makea new screen name while keeping my original screen name

lilly said, on March 30, 2009 9:49 AM:

wats up

Karen said, on April 10, 2009 11:06 AM:

once i get to AOL keyword: Screennames, i cant find "create a new screenname"

shahnawaz said, on May 6, 2009 6:30 AM:

i want to create aol mail and i want a new trick in command prompt for which i hack all the passwords please reply me on my emil address

Tony said, on May 9, 2009 4:14 AM:

Hi,
Apart from toally cancelling my AOL account, is there anyway of permanently deleting old screen names which havent been used for yrs.
AOL warn that when you delete temporarily you may not be able to use that name again but thats not true.
Cheers Tony

Terri said, on May 19, 2009 6:08 PM:

Dear Dave, My mother had her own aol account. Her screen name is Dcdee321@aol.com. However, she moved in with me and is currently using my computer. When trying to log on to AOL, she can only use the Guest to sign in. I have tried to add her screen name as an addition to mine, however I get the message that that screen name is in use! It is! with my mother! Why or how can I get her screen name in writing? Get what I mean?

Lauren said, on May 20, 2009 2:05 PM:

My husband and I have existing AOL screen names through separate accounts (neither of us are the primary screen name though). We would like to create a new account with the two of our screen names. One of us has to sign in as a "guest" since we aren't on the same account. Thanks!

Terri said, on May 31, 2009 6:27 PM:

Hello Dave, My monitor went bad and a friend gave me theirs. I can't get my screen names on the new monitor (on the sign in screen) and their screen names off, when I sign in to AOL. Can you please help?

SARAH said, on June 17, 2009 4:08 PM:

HEY I AM TRYING TO GET A NEW SCREEN NAME ON AOL BUT I DONT KNOW WHERE TO GO ON AOL. CAN YOU HELP?

THANKS
SARAH

kamrynn said, on June 24, 2009 6:42 PM:

how can i get a new screen name? i tried to go to aol main page and dont know how to make a screen name? could you give me a website to make one?

alan Mayer Goetschkes said, on June 29, 2009 9:53 PM:

No matter what I try I CANNOT get to a page to add an aol screen name. I've tried for days on my pc and also on my mac with NO success. Please help. Thanks,
alan

jeann said, on October 13, 2009 8:12 AM:

cant seem to set up account

anne said, on October 25, 2009 12:18 AM:

how do i add a new name

Sherrie said, on November 29, 2009 11:58 AM:

I dont have any screen names on my sign on except the primary...I have to type in my screen name and password each time how do I get them to appear on the sign in page??We have 3 aol accounts...

stephanie said, on January 1, 2010 10:10 PM:

dave why dont you update this site? it looks like you havent answered a question on here since 2005.

Dave Taylor said, on January 1, 2010 11:30 PM:

Stephanie, because I don't see that AOL has changed that radically in terms of screen names beyond what I have already written on this page. Are you seeing something completely different, which would mean that it is indeed time for an update??

KJM said, on January 6, 2010 9:38 AM:

I am wondering if this is a glitch or a new "feature" of AOL. In any event the last few days I have noticed within AOL mail, when you are reading an email if you press the up or down arrows instead of scrolling down the message like it has always done since 1995, it now toggles through messages!!!! Why the hell did they mess with this? You can still toggle messages going left or right arrows, so I don't see why they would need to have the up down arrows do the same thing, when they had a separate function all this time. Now I have to either drag the scroll bar with my pointer and drag down which takes more effort, or use a mouse which is cumbersome on my laptop. I sent them (AOL) a "feedback" but don't expect them to return my comment with actual information to help me. Hoping there was a workaround for this. Thanks.

ps. I thought that since AOL became a free service you couldn't add 5 extra screen names to your primary account like they offered when it was a pay site. That would explain why I am only using my primary account now as they closed the others.

sierra said, on February 27, 2010 2:36 PM:

i think that you should make a new screen for AOL because this one is boring! $sierra marko$ dave

Frank said, on March 12, 2010 5:00 AM:

Hi, please i am experiencing some difficulties creating a screen name with my new AOL 9.5 version. Anyone with useful information on how i can create a user name should please help me with such information.

Mary Brouwers said, on June 22, 2010 12:06 PM:

Trying to set up multiple users and when I create the user name and finalize process I get an error msg - Site cannot be found. Currently using Internet Explorer 8, AOL version 9. I spent over an hour on the line with tech 6/21 and still unable to create users. Instead of finalizing setup it boots me out to user name and password. Why am I not able to create users. PS. account information was updates with the tech. Please help.

Anonymous said, on August 9, 2010 4:56 PM:

I want to delete a screen name I no longer use. When I click on preference and screen names it tells me that names.aol.com can not be found. How do I delete screen names I no longer use.

Summer said, on May 7, 2011 1:59 PM:

This is cool

Eve said, on August 18, 2011 5:42 PM:

Please tell me how to create a s/n. on my account

Betty said, on September 3, 2011 9:22 PM:

Hi.....I would like to know if I can set up another email address in AOL and have the emails come into my present email account?

Also can an email be like: bc@totallyacceptable.com
rather than having the aol.com at the end of it?

I can not seem to find the answer in the AOL Help..so sure hope you will give me some guidance.

thanks..

Dave Taylor said, on September 3, 2011 11:07 PM:

Betty, as far as I know, you cannot do either in AOL. Might be time to move to a new mail platform...

Lisa Wellington said, on September 21, 2011 9:46 PM:

I CANT GET ON MY EMAIL FOR CLASSES OR CHECK MY TEACHER SEND ME

Marci said, on September 28, 2011 7:09 AM:

How do I ADD A NEW SCREEN NAME?

Thanks, Marci

Marci said, on September 28, 2011 7:16 AM:

I cannot believe how difficult it is to connect with a live person at aol tech support. I haven't had to call in many many years and yet it has been over an hour trying to find one simple answer. HOW DO I ADD an additional EMAIL ADDRESS to my account?

WickedWitchMidWest said, on November 23, 2011 4:59 AM:

I changed a screen name now three days ago. I tried to add a new one the next day and suddenly AOL is asking me for a security question.... I'm confused. I never set up a security question and to get answers from them you have to "upgrade" your free account to a paid account. What silliness is that? I keep getting the Message "ASQ answer is not long enough, Please enter a valid ASQ Answer." Any thoughts on how to fix this so I can return to normal and set up this other account I wish without making a whole new account?
Thanks

Dan Petrin said, on January 28, 2012 12:24 PM:

I need to be TaylorSwiftFanDan@aol.com please no lower case t or s like that

John said, on April 10, 2012 1:50 PM:

Totally illiterate on computer Where do I locate Account Settings?

ruth said, on August 13, 2012 3:35 PM:

how can i get a new screen name

juergen said, on January 18, 2013 3:23 AM:

Hello, I cant get to my e-mail account (cause somebody broke in and sent e-mails to any address there). My e-amil account was closes by AOL and its not possible to reopen cause I'm from germany and even the link to my alternate e-mail address can't be used. How can I read my e-mails and at least change my password?

I do have a lot to say, and questions of my own for that matter, but first I'd like to say thank you, Dave, for all your helpful information by buying you a cup of coffee!

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How to create new screen names on AOL (America Online)?

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