How to change your Discord username

You can change your Discord username directly in the app or on the Discord website. The process takes about two minutes and does not require you to create a new account. Your old username becomes available for others to use when ready after you change it.

Discord lets you change your username once per hour. If you change it and then want to change it again, you will need to wait 60 minutes before making another change. This limit exists to prevent spam and abuse on the platform.

Key Takeaways

  • You can change your Discord username through the User Settings menu on desktop, mobile, or the web version.
  • Your new username takes effect when ready across all servers and direct messages you are part of.
  • You can change your username once per hour, and the old name becomes available for others to use right away.
  • Changing your username does not affect your account number (called a discriminator), which stays the same so friends can still find you.
  • If you want to change your display name on a specific server only, you can do that separately in server settings.

Change your username on desktop or web

Open Discord and look for your username and avatar in the bottom left corner of the screen (desktop) or tap the hamburger menu icon (web). Click or tap on your profile picture or username to open your account menu.

Select User Settings from the menu that appears. On the left side, find and click Profiles. In the main panel, you will see a field labeled Username with your current name. Click in that field and type your new username.

Discord usernames can be 2 to 32 characters long and can include letters, numbers, underscores, and hyphens. Spaces are not allowed. Once you have typed your new username, click the Save Changes button. Your new username is now active.

Change your username on mobile

Open the Discord app and tap the hamburger menu icon (three horizontal lines) in the bottom right corner. Tap your profile picture or username at the top of the menu.

Scroll down and tap User Settings. Tap Profiles from the list of options. Find the Username field and tap it to edit. Type your new username and tap Save Changes at the bottom of the screen.

What happens when you change your username

Your new username appears when ready in all servers, group chats, and direct messages. People who have you as a friend will see the name change in their friends list. Your account number (the four digits after your username) stays the same, so anyone who has added you by your full username and number can still find you.

If you were mentioned in old messages using your old username, those mentions do not update. The old username will still appear in the message history, but it will not be linked to your account anymore. This is normal and does not cause any problems.

Change your display name on a single server

If you want a different name on just one server (while keeping your main username everywhere else), you can set a server-specific nickname. Right-click your own username in any chat or member list and select Edit Server Profile. Type the name you want to use only on that server and click Save.

This server nickname appears only to people in that server. Your main Discord username remains unchanged everywhere else. You can have a different server nickname on each server you are in.

Troubleshooting username changes

If you see an error message saying you cannot change your username, you likely hit the one-per-hour limit. Wait 60 minutes from your last change and try again. The timer resets one hour after each successful change.

If the name you want is already taken, Discord will tell you. Try adding a number, underscore, or hyphen to make it unique. If you see a message that your username contains invalid characters, remember that only letters, numbers, underscores, and hyphens are allowed — no spaces or special symbols.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will my friends still be able to find me after I change my username?

Yes. Your account number (the four digits after your name) stays the same, so anyone who added you by your full username and number can still find you. People in your friends list will see your new name automatically.

Can I change my username back to what it was before?

Yes, you can change your username to anything you want as long as you wait one hour between changes. There is no restriction on changing back to an old username, though someone else may have taken it in the meantime.

Does changing my username affect my Discord account or password?

No. Your password, email, and all account settings remain exactly the same. Only your display name changes. You do not need to log in again or do anything else to your account.

What is the difference between a username and a display name?

Your username is your account name across all of Discord. Your display name (or server nickname) is what you appear as on a single server. You can have one username but many different display names on different servers.

Can I use special characters or emojis in my username?

No. Discord usernames can only contain letters (a–z, A–Z), numbers (0–9), underscores (_), and hyphens (-). Emojis, spaces, and other special characters are not allowed in usernames, though you can use them in server nicknames.