Every account on Mastodon and the wider Fediverse has two names: a username and a display name. An account’s username is a short name used as part of an account’s account address, while the display name is much longer and more prominently displayed on profiles and posts. Display names are generally easier for humans to read, and can include spaces as well as emoji and special characters.
How do I choose a username? How do I choose a display name?
You can choose a username for your account in two situations:
- When you sign up on a server
- When you transfer your account
It’s relatively difficult to change a username outside these two situations, so it’s a good idea to choose a good one. If you do need to change your username, see the section below marked “If I’m not happy with my username, what do I do?” for your options.
You can choose and change a display name much more easily, at any time you want and as often as you want. Just go to edit your profile page and change your display name there.
What is the difference between a username and a display name?
Usernames:
- Part of your account address and used to mention accounts
- Usually displayed in a smaller font on your profile and posts below the display name
- Can be up to 30 characters long
- Can only contain letters and numbers without any spaces
- Usernames can only be chosen when you sign up or transfer to a different account
Display names:
- A more human-readable name
- Usually shown in a larger font at the top of your profile page and at the top of posts you’ve published
- Can be up to 40 characters long
- A lot more flexible and can contain letters, numbers, spaces, special characters and emoji
- You can change your display name whenever you want and as often as you want
Can you provide a more familiar analogy to explain the difference between usernames and display names?
Your username (and the account address it is part of) is a bit like your email address, your display name is a bit like the name that appears at the top of your emails.
How do usernames and account addresses work on Mastodon and the wider Fediverse?
Fediverse account addresses (also known as “handles”) have two parts, the username and the server name. The full address looks something like this:
@ username @ server name
However, by default Mastodon and most other Fedi server types hide the server part of the address within posts so that they are easier to read. When you are viewing a published post or thread, all you will see within the post itself is this:
@ username
This is similar to how real life conversations work, you usually just use someone’s first name.
Good usernames work well on their own
Because the contents of a post usually just shows usernames and not display names or full account addresses, it’s a good idea to choose something memorable and distinctive for a username that works when seen totally on its own.
I’m not sure what you mean. Could you give some examples?
For example, imagine you had an account with a Fediverse address like this:
@MarvellousWidgets@example.com
In actual posts and threads this account would usually just look like this:
@MarvellousWidgets
This is a good username because people can refer to it in discussions and it’s still clear who is being talked about, even if it’s just the username that is visible:
“Have you seen the latest release from @MarvellousWidgets?”
If the account had a more generic username such as @software@example.com, all that people would see of its address in posts would be @software, and it wouldn’t be clear who was being talked about.
I have my own server with a custom domain. That makes my address distinctive, right?
Yes and no. The full address with a custom domain is indeed very distinctive, but because the domain is usually hidden by default in discussions, it is still important to choose a distinctive username, as this is what most people see most of the time.
In the example given above, the “MarvellousWidgets” username is better than the “software” username, because in conversations people would find @MarvellousWidgets more memorable than @software.
Don’t use dots / full stops / periods in usernames
Some Fediverse server types allow you to use . in usernames while others currently don’t allow it. Some people may not be able to follow you if you use a . in your username, so it’s safest just to avoid using . in usernames.
Don’t use really short usernames
If your username is very short, it is physically more difficult for people to click on it or tap it. Trying to click on @ab on a phone screen is much harder than @abcdef
Try to use at least four or five letters, preferably more.
What happens if two accounts with the same username are mentioned in the same post?
Mastodon and other Fedi platforms will usually show an account’s full Fediverse addresses if two accounts with the same username are mentioned in the same post.
This is also similar to real life conversations: if you were talking about two people called John in the same conversation, you might mention their surnames so that people know which John you’re referring to.
Why doesn’t Mastodon just show everyone’s full account addresses within posts?
Some Fediverse platforms and servers do this, but it’s really difficult to read such conversations, especially as some account addresses can be very long. Just showing the username makes posts a lot more readable for most people.
How do I find out the full account address of a username?
Just click on the username, that will take you to the user’s profile page which includes their full and unique account address at the top. You may also see their full address at the top of their posts underneath their username, in a slightly less visible font colour.
What is a “handle”?
“Handle” means the full account address or Fediverse address. These are all different terms for the same thing.
If I’m not happy with my username, what do I do?
On most Fediverse platforms there’s no direct way to change your username once you’ve signed up on a server. You can change your display name (the name shown at the very top of your profile and posts) but the username stays the same. Your options are:
- Stick with your current username
- Sign up with a different username on the same server and transfer your account to it
- Sign up with a different username on a different server and transfer your account to it
If you’re transferring to a different username on the same server, sign in with your new username when you do the instructions labelled “new server”, and sign in with your old username when you do instructions labelled “old server”.
The reason there’s no direct way to change it is because other servers use your full Fediverse address to know where to send your messages or replies. It would be like changing your email address, the messages wouldn’t get through.
My admin says they can change my username in the database?
There are some niche situations where an admin may change a username directly, but they usually aren’t officially supported by the software their server runs on. There may be unexpected problems with communicating with other servers if it’s done this way.