How to Change Your Username in Discord, and How It Differs From Your Other Two Names

Discord gives you three names at once: a unique username, a display name and a per-server nickname. They're changed in different places under different rules, and mixing them up is the main reason people conclude that "the name won't change".

The short answer

Open User Settings → My Account, click Edit next to the username field, type the new one and confirm with your password. The username has to be unused and written in lowercase Latin characters.

If all you want is to change the name people actually see in chats, edit the display name instead — it's in the same section and doesn't have to be unique.

The three names and what each one does

• Username. The unique identifier for your account across the whole platform. It's what people use to add you as a friend. Lowercase letters, digits, periods and underscores only.
• Display name. What appears in chats and member lists. It can have capitals, spaces and symbols, can be identical to someone else's, and can be changed as often as you like.
• Server nickname. Your name inside one specific community. It doesn't affect your profile overall or any other server.

Put simply: the username is an address, the display name is a sign above the door, and the server nickname is a badge for one room.

Changing your username on desktop

1. Click the gear icon next to your name in the bottom-left corner to open user settings.
2. Go to the "My Account" section.
3. Find the username row and click Edit.
4. Type the new name. Discord flags it immediately if it's taken or contains characters that aren't allowed.
5. Confirm with your password, and with a code if two-factor authentication is enabled.

The new name applies instantly — there's no need to sign out and back in.

Changing it in the mobile app

1. Tap your avatar in the bottom-right corner.
2. Open "My Account" under the account settings.
3. Select the username field and enter the new one.
4. Save and confirm with your password.

Discord rearranges its mobile screens more often than the desktop ones, so look for the account settings section rather than a fixed position in the menu.

Display name and server nickname

The display name is edited in the same "My Account" screen, in the field beside the username. It doesn't need to be unique, doesn't ask for your password, and updates across every chat right away.

A nickname for one server is set separately:

1. Open the server in question.
2. Click the server name at the top and choose to edit your server profile, or right-click yourself in the member list and pick the nickname option.
3. Enter the nickname and save.

Permission to change nicknames is granted by the community's staff: if the option is greyed out, your role doesn't include it.

Username requirements

• 2 to 32 characters;
• lowercase Latin letters, digits, periods and underscores only;
• no spaces, no capitals and none of the usual special characters;
• no two periods in a row, and no period at the start or end;
• some words are reserved by the platform — those tied to Discord itself and to system mentions, for instance.

Non-Latin scripts aren't supported in usernames; they're only allowed in display names and server nicknames. Discord refines these rules from time to time, so the input field itself remains the best test — it rejects an invalid name before you save.

How to check whether a name is free

Discord has no separate availability checker, and it doesn't need one: the rename form tells you the name is taken as you type, and nothing changes until you confirm with your password. Trying several options right there in settings is perfectly safe.

Third-party "free username checkers" aren't worth trusting — nobody hands them access to Discord's name database, and what those sites usually collect is logins and passwords. While you're at it, check whether your chosen handle is free on other platforms if you want it consistent everywhere.

When the name won't save

• "Username taken." Unique handles went fast. A short prefix, a period or an underscore helps, though a different word is usually better — a name with digits tacked on the end reads as temporary.
• A request to wait. Discord limits how often you can rename. If you hit the limit, try again later; there's no way around it.
• Unverified email. Some account actions stay locked until the address is confirmed. Look for the message from Discord, spam folder included.
• Wrong password. The confirmation field wants your account password, not your two-factor code — that's requested as a separate step.
• Rejected by the filter. Discord blocks offensive and misleading names. The error text is generic, so just try another option.

What changes after a rename

• friends, servers, messages and roles all stay as they were — only the label changes;
• your old username is released and someone else can claim it;
• mentions in old messages keep working: they're bound to the account, not to the text of the name;
• friend requests sent to your previous handle stop working — share the new one;
• "Log in with Discord" connections on third-party sites aren't broken.

Discord sends no notification about a rename, so in active communities it's worth announcing it yourself — otherwise people keep looking for the old name.

Choosing a name you won't have to change again

• Keep the username and display name close to each other. That way people recognise you both in mentions and in the member list.
• Avoid anything temporary. A handle built around your current game or project ages faster than you'd like.
• Check that it reads clearly. A name built from lookalike characters such as l, I and 1 is convenient for scammers copying profiles and inconvenient for everyone else.
• Separate personal from public. When one profile handles both private conversation and community moderation, renames start pulling in opposite directions: the community needs one identity, your friends another. Splitting them across two profiles is simpler — take Discord accounts from Fire Accs for the public-facing side and keep your personal account as it is.

Common mistakes

• Changing the username when the display name would do. You spend a unique handle for nothing, and the old one is gone if someone claims it.
• Looking for the four-digit discriminator. Discord dropped the "name#0000" format in favour of unique usernames, and it isn't used in current versions.
• Assuming a rename hides your history. Messages, roles and activity stay attached to the account.
• Buying a handle from a middleman. There's no built-in way to transfer a username between accounts; a released one simply goes to whoever claims it first.
• Renaming to dodge a server ban. Bans apply to the account, not the label, so it changes nothing.

FAQ

How many times can I change my username?

There's no cap on the total, but there is protection against renaming repeatedly in a short window. Hit the limit and the app asks you to wait.

Can I get my old username back?

Only if nobody has taken it. The previous holder gets no priority, so it isn't always possible.

Do I need Nitro to change my name?

No. Both the username and the display name can be changed on a free account.

Why do some people still have a name with a hash and digits?

That's a remnant of the old system — some accounts kept the previous format through the move to unique usernames.

Can server members see my real username?

Yes, it's shown on your profile card even when you use a different nickname on that server.

What happens to my server nickname when I change my display name?

Nothing. The server nickname takes precedence and keeps showing in that community until you clear it by hand.

Where do I find my current username?

In your account settings and on your own profile card — click your avatar in the bottom-left corner. It's easy to copy from there when someone needs it to add you.

Can I use emoji in my name?

Not in the username — the allowed character set is limited. In the display name and server nickname, generally yes.

The takeaway

The username is changed under My Account and needs to be an unused handle made of lowercase Latin letters, digits, periods and underscores. If the goal is just a different label in chats, the display name is enough; for a single community, the server nickname does it. Friends, servers and message history survive all three changes untouched.