diff --git a/apps/android/app/src/main/java/chat/simplex/app/model/SimpleXAPI.kt b/apps/android/app/src/main/java/chat/simplex/app/model/SimpleXAPI.kt
index 820c045cb..af9acf919 100644
--- a/apps/android/app/src/main/java/chat/simplex/app/model/SimpleXAPI.kt
+++ b/apps/android/app/src/main/java/chat/simplex/app/model/SimpleXAPI.kt
@@ -296,6 +296,7 @@ open class ChatController(var ctrl: ChatCtrl?, val ntfManager: NtfManager, val a
       changeActiveUser_(toUserId)
     } catch (e: Exception) {
       Log.e(TAG, "Unable to set active user: ${e.stackTraceToString()}")
+      AlertManager.shared.showAlertMsg(generalGetString(R.string.failed_to_active_user_title), e.stackTraceToString())
     }
   }
 
@@ -379,11 +380,16 @@ open class ChatController(var ctrl: ChatCtrl?, val ntfManager: NtfManager, val a
     return null
   }
 
-  suspend fun apiCreateActiveUser(p: Profile): User {
+  suspend fun apiCreateActiveUser(p: Profile): User? {
     val r = sendCmd(CC.CreateActiveUser(p))
     if (r is CR.ActiveUser) return r.user
+    else if (r is CR.ChatCmdError && r.chatError is ChatError.ChatErrorStore && r.chatError.storeError is StoreError.DuplicateName) {
+      AlertManager.shared.showAlertMsg(generalGetString(R.string.failed_to_create_user_title), generalGetString(R.string.failed_to_create_user_duplicate_desc))
+    } else {
+      AlertManager.shared.showAlertMsg(generalGetString(R.string.failed_to_create_user_title), r.details)
+    }
     Log.d(TAG, "apiCreateActiveUser: ${r.responseType} ${r.details}")
-    throw Error("user not created ${r.responseType} ${r.details}")
+    return null
   }
 
   suspend fun listUsers(): List<UserInfo> {
@@ -3241,9 +3247,11 @@ sealed class StoreError {
   val string: String get() = when (this) {
     is UserContactLinkNotFound -> "userContactLinkNotFound"
     is GroupNotFound -> "groupNotFound"
+    is DuplicateName -> "duplicateName"
   }
   @Serializable @SerialName("userContactLinkNotFound") class UserContactLinkNotFound: StoreError()
   @Serializable @SerialName("groupNotFound") class GroupNotFound: StoreError()
+  @Serializable @SerialName("duplicateName") class DuplicateName: StoreError()
 }
 
 @Serializable
diff --git a/apps/android/app/src/main/java/chat/simplex/app/views/WelcomeView.kt b/apps/android/app/src/main/java/chat/simplex/app/views/WelcomeView.kt
index a82ee0272..ec2c159a6 100644
--- a/apps/android/app/src/main/java/chat/simplex/app/views/WelcomeView.kt
+++ b/apps/android/app/src/main/java/chat/simplex/app/views/WelcomeView.kt
@@ -111,7 +111,7 @@ fun createProfile(chatModel: ChatModel, displayName: String, fullName: String, c
   withApi {
     val user = chatModel.controller.apiCreateActiveUser(
       Profile(displayName, fullName, null)
-    )
+    ) ?: return@withApi
     chatModel.currentUser.value = user
     if (chatModel.users.isEmpty()) {
       chatModel.controller.startChat(user)
diff --git a/apps/android/app/src/main/res/values/strings.xml b/apps/android/app/src/main/res/values/strings.xml
index 881bd76ce..758fe3cec 100644
--- a/apps/android/app/src/main/res/values/strings.xml
+++ b/apps/android/app/src/main/res/values/strings.xml
@@ -63,6 +63,9 @@
   <string name="failed_to_parse_chat_title">Failed to load chat</string>
   <string name="failed_to_parse_chats_title">Failed to load chats</string>
   <string name="contact_developers">Please update the app and contact developers.</string>
+  <string name="failed_to_create_user_title">Duplicate display name!</string>
+  <string name="failed_to_create_user_duplicate_desc">You already have a chat profile with the same display name. Please choose another name.</string>
+  <string name="failed_to_active_user_title">Error switching profile!</string>
 
   <!-- API Error Responses - SimpleXAPI.kt -->
   <string name="connection_timeout">Connection timeout</string>