What a Facebook username is and why you might need it

A Facebook username is a custom web address that points to your profile — something like facebook.com/sarah.martinez or facebook.com/jsmith47. It is different from your display name, which is what appears on your posts and comments. Many people never set a username, so not every profile has one.

You might need someone's username to send them a direct message, share their profile with someone else, or straightforward to find them again later. If you only have their display name, a username makes the search much faster and more certain, because display names can be identical across thousands of accounts.

Key Takeaways

  • A Facebook username is a custom web address (facebook.com/username) that is different from a display name, and not all profiles have one.
  • The fastest way to find someone's username is to visit their profile and look at the URL in your browser's address bar.
  • If the URL shows only numbers, that person has not set a custom username and you will need to use their display name instead.
  • You can search for someone by their display name, email address, or phone number if you do not have their username.
  • A person's username does not change when they change their display name, but they can change their username once every 30 days.

Finding a username from someone's profile

The simplest way to find a username is to go directly to the person's profile. Once you are on their profile page, look at the web address in your browser's address bar at the top of the screen. If the address reads something like facebook.com/sarah.martinez, then sarah.martinez is their username.

If the address shows only numbers — like facebook.com/100087654321 — that person has not created a custom username. In that case, you will need to use their display name (the name shown at the top of their profile) to search for them or contact them instead. You can still message them or add them as a friend, but you cannot share a clean web link to their profile.

Searching by display name when you do not have a username

If you do not have direct access to someone's profile, you can search Facebook by their display name. Open Facebook, click the search bar at the top, and type their name. Facebook will show you a list of people with that name, sorted by how many mutual friends you have and how recently they were active.

If the name is common, you may see dozens of results. Look for other details that match — their profile picture, where they live, their workplace, or mutual friends — to confirm you have found the right person. Once you find them, visit their profile and check the URL to see if they have a username.

Other ways to search when a name is not enough

If searching by name returns too many results, try searching by email address or phone number instead. Type their email or phone into the Facebook search bar the same way you would type a name. This works only if they have added that contact information to their profile and set it to be searchable.

You can also ask a mutual friend for their username directly, or ask them to send you a link to their profile. This is often faster than searching, especially if the person has a common name or a private profile that limits what you can see in search results.

Understanding the difference between username and display name

Your display name is what people see on your posts, comments, and profile header. You can change it as often as you want. Your username is the web address — facebook.com/yourname — and it changes much less frequently. Facebook allows you to change your username once every 30 days, but most people set it once and leave it alone.

Because of this, a username is more stable than a display name. If someone changes their display name from "Sarah Martinez" to "Sarah M.", their username stays the same. This is why usernames are useful for finding people again later — the display name might change, but the username usually does not.

What to do if someone's profile is private or hard to find

If someone's profile is set to private, you may not be able to see their username in the URL even if you visit their profile. Facebook may show you only a numeric ID instead. In this case, you cannot determine their username without sending them a message or asking a mutual friend.

If you cannot find someone at all, they may have deactivated their account, changed their name significantly, or set their profile to be completely hidden from search. You can try searching with variations of their name, or ask someone who is already connected to them to share their profile link directly with you.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I change my Facebook username whenever I want?

No. Facebook allows you to change your username once every 30 days. After you change it, you must wait a full month before changing it again. Your old username becomes available for someone else to use after you change yours.

Is a Facebook username the same as a Facebook ID?

No. Your Facebook ID is a long string of numbers that Facebook assigns to you automatically. Your username is a custom web address you create. Every profile has an ID, but not every profile has a username.

What if the person I am looking for has a very common name?

Look for additional details in the search results — their profile picture, location, workplace, or mutual friends. You can also try searching with their middle name or initial if you know it. If you have their email or phone number, search with that instead.

Can someone hide their username from other people?

No. If someone has set a custom username, it is visible to anyone who visits their profile. However, if their profile is private, you may only see their numeric ID instead of their username in the URL.

What happens to my old username if I change it?

Your old username becomes available for anyone else on Facebook to use. If you want to keep using the same username, do not change it. You cannot reserve or reclaim a username you have already given up.