Your Jellyfin username is stored in the server settings, not in your browser or on your device

When you first set up Jellyfin, you created an admin account with a username and password. That username lives inside Jellyfin itself — on the machine running the server — not anywhere else. If you have forgotten it, you can reset it by accessing the server's configuration files directly, but the fastest route is to log in with any account you remember and check the user list in settings.

The confusion usually comes from mixing up three different things: your Jellyfin username (what you type to log in), your device username (your computer or phone login), and your network address (the URL you use to reach Jellyfin). This guide walks you through finding each one and what to do if you have forgotten your Jellyfin login.

Key Takeaways

  • Your Jellyfin username is stored on the server machine itself, visible in the admin settings under Users if you can log in with any account.
  • If you cannot log in at all, you can reset the admin password by editing the configuration file on the server machine directly.
  • The server address (the URL you type into your browser) is separate from your username and is usually something like http://192.168.1.100:8096 or http://yourservername:8096.
  • Jellyfin usernames are case-sensitive, so "Admin" and "admin" are two different accounts.
  • If you set up Jellyfin on a shared machine, the admin account username may not match your personal device login.

Finding your username if you can still log in

Open Jellyfin in your browser and log in with any account you remember. Once you are logged in, look for a menu icon — usually three horizontal lines or a gear symbol — in the top right corner of the screen. Click it and select Administration or Settings.

In the administration panel, find the section labeled Users or Manage Users. This page lists every account on your server, including the admin account. The username appears next to each account name. Write down the exact spelling and capitalization — Jellyfin usernames are case-sensitive, meaning "Admin" and "admin" will not work interchangeably.

Resetting your password if you forgot it but remember the username

If you know your username but have forgotten the password, you can reset it from the Users page in administration. Click on the account name, then look for a Reset Password or Change Password button. Jellyfin will either let you set a new password directly or will generate a temporary one you can use to log in and change it yourself.

Some versions of Jellyfin require you to know the current password to change it. If that is the case, you will need to reset it through the configuration file instead (see the next section).

Resetting the admin account when you cannot log in at all

If you cannot remember any username or password, you will need to access the server machine directly. Jellyfin stores its configuration in a folder on your computer or server. The location depends on your operating system:

  • Windows: Look in C:\Users\[YourUsername]\AppData\Roaming\Jellyfin\Jellyfin-Server\ for a file called users.json
  • Linux: Look in /var/lib/jellyfin/ or ~/.local/share/jellyfin/ for users.json
  • macOS: Look in ~/.local/share/jellyfin/ for users.json

Open the users.json file in a text editor (Notepad on Windows, any plain-text editor on Linux or Mac). You will see a list of accounts with usernames and encrypted passwords. The usernames are visible in plain text — look for the "Name" field. Write down the exact spelling. Do not edit the password field yourself; instead, stop the Jellyfin service, delete the entire user entry, restart Jellyfin, and it will prompt you to create a new admin account on first login.

Finding your server address if you do not know the URL

Your Jellyfin server address is different from your username. It is the web address you type into your browser to reach Jellyfin. If you have forgotten it, you can find it by checking your server machine's network settings.

On the machine running Jellyfin, open a terminal or command prompt and type ipconfig (Windows) or ifconfig (Linux and Mac). Look for the line labeled IPv4 Address or inet — it will look something like 192.168.1.100. Your Jellyfin address is usually that number followed by :8096, so http://192.168.1.100:8096. If Jellyfin is running on a different port, check the server settings in Jellyfin itself under Networking.

If your server has a hostname (a name instead of numbers), you can also use that. For example, if your server is named "mediaserver", you might reach Jellyfin at http://mediaserver:8096. Ask whoever set up the server or check your router's device list to find the hostname.

Understanding the difference between admin and other user accounts

Jellyfin distinguishes between the admin account (which can change settings and manage users) and regular user accounts (which can only watch content). When you first set up Jellyfin, you created an admin account. That is the username you need if you want to access administration settings.

If you have created other user accounts for family members or friends, those usernames are also stored in the Users list, but they will not have access to the administration panel. If someone else set up your Jellyfin server, the admin account might belong to them, and you may only have a regular user account. In that case, you will need to ask the admin to reset your password or create a new account for you.

What to do if you see a username but cannot log in with it

Double-check the capitalization — Jellyfin is strict about uppercase and lowercase letters. If "Admin" is the username, typing "admin" will not work. Also make sure there are no extra spaces before or after the username. If you are still stuck, try resetting the password through the administration panel (if you can log in with another account) or through the users.json file (if you cannot log in at all).

If you are trying to log in from a different device or network, make sure you are using the correct server address. A common mistake is typing the wrong IP address or port number, which makes it look like the username does not work when the problem is actually that you are not reaching the server.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I change my Jellyfin username after I create it?

Yes. Log in to the admin panel, go to Users, click on the account, and look for a field labeled Name or Username. Edit it and save. The change takes effect when ready, and you will need to use the new username to log in next time.

What if I see multiple usernames in the Users list and do not know which one is mine?

If you can log in with any of them, use that one. If you cannot log in at all, the admin account is usually the first one created and often has a name like "Admin" or matches the name of whoever set up the server. Check the users.json file to see which account has admin privileges (look for "IsAdministrator": true).

Is my Jellyfin username the same as my computer login?

Not necessarily. Your Jellyfin username is separate from your Windows, Mac, or Linux login. You can name your Jellyfin account anything you want, even if it does not match your device username. They are completely independent.

Can I log in to Jellyfin from outside my home network using my username?

Yes, if your server is set up to allow remote access. You will need to use the external address (usually a domain name or public IP address) instead of your local network address. The username stays the same. Check your Jellyfin networking settings to see if remote access is turned on.

What if the users.json file is empty or does not exist?

If the file does not exist, Jellyfin has not been fully set up yet. Start the Jellyfin service and it will prompt you to create an admin account. If the file exists but is empty, something went wrong during setup. Delete the file, restart Jellyfin, and it will create a new one with a fresh admin account.