The fastest way to find your username right now

Your PC username is displayed in the bottom-left corner of your Windows lock screen, next to your profile picture. If your computer is already unlocked, open the Start menu, click your profile picture in the top-left corner, and your username appears in the dropdown. On Windows 11, you can also right-click the Start button, select "System", scroll down to "Device specifications", and look for "Device name" — though this is your computer's name, not your username. Your actual username is what you type to log in.

If you need to see it from the command line, press Windows key + R, type cmd, and press Enter. In the black window that opens, type whoami and press Enter. Your username will display as COMPUTERNAME\username. The part after the backslash is what you need.

For Windows 10, the process is nearly identical: lock screen shows it, Start menu profile picture shows it, and the whoami command works the same way.

Key Takeaways

  • Your username appears on the Windows lock screen next to your profile picture without you needing to type anything.
  • If your computer is unlocked, click your profile picture in the Start menu to see your username when ready.
  • The whoami command in Command Prompt displays your username in the format COMPUTERNAME\username.
  • Your username is different from your device name — the device name is what other computers see on the network.
  • Administrator accounts and standard user accounts both display their usernames the same way.

Finding your username through Settings

Open the Start menu and type Settings, then press Enter. In the Settings window, click Accounts on the left side. Your username appears at the top of the page under "Your info". This method works on both Windows 10 and Windows 11, though the layout looks slightly different between versions.

If you see "Signed in as" followed by an email address instead of a username, you are using a Microsoft account rather than a local account. The email is your sign-in name for that device. If you need your local username instead, it will appear below the email address as "Local account" or you can use the whoami command to confirm it.

Why you might need to know your username

Your username is required when you set up file sharing with other computers on your network, when you troubleshoot permission errors, and when a program asks you to identify yourself. It is also the name that appears in shared folders and on network drives when other people see who accessed a file.

If you are setting up a printer, connecting to a shared drive, or giving someone remote access to help you troubleshoot, they will often ask for your username. Knowing where to find it quickly saves time and prevents confusion with your device name or email address.

The difference between username, device name, and email

These three identifiers are often confused because they all appear in Windows settings. Your username is what you type to log in to your computer — it is stored locally on your device. Your device name is what your computer is called on a network, visible to other computers and printers. Your email address is your Microsoft account sign-in if you use one, but it is not the same as your username.

To find your device name, right-click the Start button, select "System", and look for "Device name" near the top. To find your email, go to Settings > Accounts > Your info and look for the account name at the top. The whoami command only shows your username, not the other two.

What to do if you forgot your password but remember your username

If you know your username but cannot remember your password, restart your computer and stay on the lock screen. Click "I forgot my password" below the password field. Windows will walk you through recovery steps using your security questions or a recovery email. You do not need to know your username for this process — Windows already knows it from the lock screen.

If you are locked out and cannot see the lock screen, or if you are using a local account with no recovery method set up, you will need to restart in Safe Mode or use a password reset disk if you created one before. These steps are more complex and depend on whether you have administrator rights on another account on the same computer.

Finding usernames on a shared computer

If multiple people use the same PC, each person has their own username and profile. When the computer starts, the lock screen shows all user accounts with their profile pictures. Click the account you want to log into, and that username is displayed. If you need to see all usernames at once without logging in, you can see them on the lock screen by looking at each profile picture and name.

To see a list of all usernames on the computer from within Windows, open Command Prompt (Windows key + R, type cmd, press Enter) and type net user. This displays every local account on the computer. If you need to know which account is currently active, use whoami instead.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is my username the same as my email address?

Not necessarily. If you sign into Windows with a Microsoft account, your email is your sign-in name, but your local username (the one that appears in file sharing and permissions) is usually different. Use the whoami command to see your actual username. If you see only an email address and no separate username listed, then your email is functioning as your username on that device.

Why does my username show as COMPUTERNAME\username in Command Prompt?

The whoami command displays your username in the format COMPUTERNAME\username to show both your device name and your user account name. The part before the backslash is your device name, and the part after is your actual username. You only need the part after the backslash when someone asks for your username.

Can I change my username?

Yes, but the process is different for Microsoft accounts and local accounts. For a local account, go to Settings > Accounts > Your info, click "Rename your account", and follow the prompts. For a Microsoft account, you would change your Microsoft account name through the Microsoft website, not through Windows Settings. Changing your username does not affect your files or programs.

What if I see multiple usernames on my computer?

Each person who has logged into the computer has their own username and profile. If you are the only person who uses the computer, you likely have one main account plus a built-in Administrator account that Windows creates automatically. You can see all usernames by typing net user in Command Prompt, but you only need to know your own username for most tasks.