How can i change my displayed name while i chat using yahoo messenger?

Yahoo never used to do that, but lately the names are coming up when chatting using a main ID and I haven't found out why yet. But try this ..... it works as they won't see your name, just a nickname from messenger .......messenger>>profiles>>create/edit and create a new "alias". You don't lose your main ID, just you have a choice on nicks to chat with. And hopefully, sometime soon, Yahoo will figure out this "new" feature and let us keep our last names private at least. Side note to Dave C -- myself and a few friends of mine are having our FIRST and LAST NAME show up on our main ID when chatting in IM. To get around that, we use "alias's" in rooms so that unwelcome pm's don't discover that part of us.

Quick profiles help What's a public profile? A public profile is your own easy-to-create Web page where you can post information about yourself. Fill out yours now - just click the EDIT button next to your Yahoo! ID. If you like, you can create additional profiles (up to 6) by clicking CREATE A NEW PUBLIC PROFILE. Then, when you use Yahoo! services like Chat or Messenger, you can use either your Yahoo! ID or any of the profiles you have created Go to my acount, then to public profiles, click on edit/create profile, click on create new public profile, type in the desired name u want to use, then when u go into a chat room you can log use the nickname instead of the real name and no one knows, so when u log in your still under your regular name, but you can use the drop down menu and click on the nickname and use it and it will show that name instead of regular id,

You can change how your name displays on your computer by choosing "My Contact Details" in the Messenger menu, then changing the First/Last name fields, or adding a nickname. Note that no matter what display name you choose, this will *only* be seen by *you* on your computer. Yahoo! Messenger does *not* send your display name with your messages, only your ID. Your name will appear on the other side as whatever that person chose to enter for you in their address book, or the name you entered in your profile page (http://manage.members.yahoo.com/index_listprofiles.html) or as just your ID if you're not in their address book and there is no display name in your profile. You can verify this yourself by right-clicking on any contact in your list, changing their name to whatever you want, and then seeing that name appear the next time you IM with them. I know it's a little confusing, since other programs like MSN Messenger do send display names; but not Yahoo!.

there should be a drop down window with your available names when you are logging into the chat session. Once you have logged in, the only way to change it is to log out, choose a different name and log in again.