Your Facebook username is a custom web address that points to your profile

A Facebook username is a short, unique name you choose that becomes part of your profile's web address. Instead of sharing a long string of numbers (your Facebook ID), you can give people a straightforward link like facebook.com/yourname. When someone visits that link, they land on your profile.

Facebook assigns you a numeric ID automatically when you create an account — this number never changes. Your username is different: it's optional, customizable, and it's what makes your profile straightforward to find and share. You can change your username, but only once every 60 days, and only if you haven't already set one.

Not every profile has a username. If you've never created one, people can still find you by searching your name, but they can't use a straightforward web link to reach you directly. Your username lives at the top level of Facebook's domain, so it's a visible part of how you present yourself on the platform.

Key Takeaways

  • Your username becomes your profile's web address (facebook.com/yourname) and is different from your numeric Facebook ID.
  • You can set a username once, and then change it once every 60 days after that.
  • A username must be between 5 and 50 characters, contain only letters, numbers, periods, and underscores, and cannot be a number by itself.
  • If someone else already has the username you want, you cannot use it — Facebook does not hold usernames for inactive accounts.
  • Your username is public and visible in your profile URL, so anyone can see it whether or not they are your friend.

How a username differs from your name and ID

Your Facebook name is what appears on your posts, comments, and profile header — the display name your friends see. Your username is a technical identifier that lives in your web address. You can change your name as often as you want (with a few restrictions), but your username has a 60-day waiting period between changes.

Your Facebook ID is a permanent number assigned to your account at signup. It never changes and is tied to every piece of data Facebook stores about you. Your username is human-readable and meant for sharing; your ID is what Facebook's systems use behind the scenes. Most people never need to know their ID, but your username is something you'll share with others.

Rules for creating a username

Facebook enforces specific rules about what characters and length are allowed. Your username must be between 5 and 50 characters long. You can use letters (a–z, A–Z), numbers (0–9), periods (.), and underscores (_). You cannot use spaces, hyphens, or special characters like @ or #.

Your username cannot be a number by itself — it must include at least one letter. It also cannot be a URL or web address, and it cannot contain words that Facebook considers offensive or that impersonate a public figure or brand. If you try to create a username that violates these rules, Facebook will reject it and ask you to choose something else.

Usernames are case-insensitive, meaning facebook.com/JohnSmith and facebook.com/johnsmith point to the same profile. Facebook treats them as identical, so you don't need to worry about capitalization when sharing your username.

When you can set or change your username

You can set a username once when you first create your account, or later from your settings. If you've never created one, you can do so at any time. Once you set it, you must wait 60 days before you can change it to something else. After that first change, the 60-day rule applies every time you want a new username.

If you change your username, your old username becomes available for someone else to claim. Facebook does not hold old usernames in reserve, even if you plan to change back later. If you want to reclaim an old username, you'll have to wait until the 60-day period passes and hope no one else has taken it in the meantime.

You cannot delete a username once it's set — you can only change it. If you want your profile to have no username, you would need to contact Facebook support, though this is rarely done and Facebook may not honor the request.

How to find your own username

The easiest way to find your username is to look at your profile URL. Open your profile, look at the address bar at the top of your browser, and read what comes after facebook.com/. If the URL shows a long number instead of a word, you don't have a username set yet.

You can also find your username in your settings. Go to Settings and Privacy, then Settings. Look for the "Username" field under the Personal Information section. If it's blank, you haven't created one. If it shows a name, that's your username.

What happens if someone takes the username you want

Usernames are first-come, first-served. If someone else has already claimed the username you want, you cannot use it. Facebook does not reserve usernames for people who might want them later, and it does not remove usernames from inactive accounts. Even if an account hasn't been used in years, if it has a username, that username is still taken.

If a username is taken, your only option is to choose a different one. You might try variations — adding a number, a period, or an underscore — to create something similar that is still available. Some people use their middle initial, birth year, or a short descriptor to make their username unique.

Privacy and visibility of your username

Your username is public information. Anyone on Facebook or the internet can see it by visiting your profile or looking at your profile URL. You cannot hide your username from other users, and it appears the same way to friends and strangers alike.

Because your username is public, be thoughtful about what you choose. Avoid usernames that reveal personal information like your birth date, address, or phone number. Also avoid usernames that could be embarrassing or that you might regret later, since changing it requires waiting 60 days and hoping no one else claims it in the meantime.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use my email address as my Facebook username?

No. Your username cannot contain the @ symbol or be formatted as an email address. You can use letters, numbers, periods, and underscores only. If you want something similar to your email, you could use the part before the @ sign, as long as it meets Facebook's other rules.

What if I forget my username?

You can find it by visiting your profile and checking the URL in your browser's address bar. You can also go to Settings and Privacy, then Settings, and look under Personal Information for the Username field. If you still can't find it, you can search for your own name on Facebook and click your profile to see the URL.

Can I have the same username on Facebook and Instagram?

Yes. Facebook and Instagram are separate platforms with separate username systems. You can use the same username on both, but you have to set it separately on each one. They don't automatically sync, and one platform won't prevent you from using a username the other platform already has.

Is my username the same as my Facebook ID?

No. Your ID is a permanent number assigned to your account. Your username is a custom name you choose. They serve different purposes — your ID is what Facebook uses internally, and your username is what you share with other people.

Can someone else see my Facebook ID if I don't have a username?

Your ID is always associated with your account, but most people cannot see it unless they inspect your profile's code or use a tool designed to find IDs. Without a username, people can still find you by searching your name, but they cannot use a straightforward web link to reach your profile.