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Changing Your Profile

Your profile is made up of four fields -- your photo, callsign, display name, and username. Each one shows up in more than one place across Hamtrax, so editing it has effects beyond the Settings screen. This page explains exactly what changes when you edit each field, so there are no surprises.

You can edit all four fields under Settings → Account → Profile. Changes save automatically as you type -- there is no separate "Save" button for the photo, callsign, or name. The username has its own confirm step because it must be unique.

Your Photo​

Your profile photo is your visual identity in Hamtrax.

Where it appears:

  • Your showcase header, next to your callsign.
  • Operator search results, when other operators look you up.
  • The status bar and other in-app surfaces that show "you."

What happens when you change it:

  1. The moment you pick a new image, Hamtrax shows it everywhere immediately -- the status bar, your showcase, and any other surface that displays your photo update right away, before the upload even finishes.
  2. The file uploads to secure storage in the background.
  3. If the upload fails, your previous photo is automatically restored and you'll see an error message. You never end up with a broken or missing photo.

Accepted formats: JPG, PNG, or WebP, up to 5 MB.

Your Callsign​

Your callsign is the backbone of your operating identity, and Hamtrax uses it for more than just display.

Where it appears:

  • Your showcase, shown prominently at the top.
  • Operator search, so others can find you.
  • Throughout the app wherever your contacts and activations are attributed to you.

What happens when you change it:

  1. The new callsign is validated as you type. It must be at least 3 characters, and the field cannot be left blank.
  2. Hamtrax looks the callsign up against the QRZ / HamQTH databases to fetch the operator's license class and location (for example, "Matthew, MO"). You'll see a green check once the lookup succeeds.
  3. If your location is set to Callsign mode (Settings → Preferences → Station → Location), your operating location updates to match the new callsign's registered location.
  4. The change saves automatically a moment after you stop typing. A "Saving…" then "Saved" indicator confirms it.
info

Your regulatory agency and license class were auto-detected from your callsign when you first set up your account. If you change to a callsign from a different country or license class, review Settings → Preferences → Station → Band Plan to make sure your frequency allocations are still correct.

Your Display Name​

Your display name is the human-friendly name shown alongside your callsign.

Where it appears:

  • Your showcase, under your callsign.
  • Anywhere in the app that pairs your name with your callsign.

What happens when you change it:

  1. The new name saves automatically a moment after you stop typing, with a "Saving…" then "Saved" indicator.
  2. It updates everywhere your display name is shown.

Your display name is purely cosmetic -- it does not affect search, lookups, or how your contacts are stored.

Your Username​

Your username is your unique @handle -- the thing other operators type to find you.

Where it appears:

  • Operator search -- others find you by searching your username.
  • Your showcase, shown as @username.

What happens when you change it:

  1. As you type, Hamtrax checks availability in real time. You'll see one of: Checking…, Available, Already taken, or an invalid message if the format isn't allowed.
  2. Usernames are automatically normalized to lowercase, and only certain characters are permitted.
  3. Because a username must be unique, the change only takes effect when you press Change Username -- it does not auto-save like the other fields.
  4. Once changed, your old username is released and becomes available for anyone else to claim. Operators who search for your old handle will no longer find you, so let your contacts know if you change it.
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Your username is different from your callsign. People can find you by either, but only the username is a freely chosen, changeable handle.

  • Preferences -- the full tour of the Settings page
  • Your Showcase -- your public operator profile, where these fields appear