Discord is changing its username system, breaking ties with its hard-to-remember format that combines lowercase and uppercase letters plus a unique four-digit suffix called a "discriminator."

Instead, the platform is switching to a more standard format, similar to other social media platforms. As a result of the changes, Discord is asking everyone to update their username. If you're wondering why the company is doing so, you've come to the right place.

Discord Is Changing the Way Usernames Work

Discord has announced a new username system to replace the existing one starting in May 2023. In a Discord blog post, Stanislav Vishnevskiy, the Chief Technology Officer (CTO) and co-founder of Discord, broke the news of the platform's new username system.

According to the post, Discord is switching to a more standard format (similar to other online platforms like Facebook and Twitter). The new system only allows a unique combination of lowercase letters, numbers, and two special characters (underscore and period). This is unlike the old format, which allowed both lowercase and uppercase letters with a discriminator.

Following the news, Discord wants to ensure the new username system is adopted by every user on the platform. Because of this, the company is forcing everyone to change their username. Hopefully, you can finally create a safe and private username for your Discord account.

Why Does Discord Want Everyone to Change Their Username?

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Image Credit: Discord

Forcing everyone to change their username is an enormous undertaking, especially for a platform of Discord's size with tens of millions of users. The key reason for the change is to ensure that, like other online platforms, Discord users can easily remember usernames.

According to numbers shared in the blog post, over 40% of Discord users either don't remember their discriminator or don't know what it is.

Add that to Discord's case-sensitive usernames, and it's no surprise that "almost half of all friend requests fail to connect the user with the person they wanted to match with," according to the platform.

Switching to the simple @username without discriminators makes Discord usernames easier to remember, like your Twitter or Instagram username. The ultimate goal is to make connecting with friends on Discord easier, according to Vishnevskiy.

How Discord Is Changing Its Usernames

Discord plans to roll out its new username system gradually over the course of 2023. The platform will be sending notifications to users to update their accounts, starting with those who joined earlier.

Cutting ties with its old format where different users could share the same username, Discord's new system allows everyone to have a unique alphanumeric username on the platform.

The username can include a combination of lowercase characters (a-z), numbers, and two special characters (an underscore or a period). No uppercase letters are allowed. The company also has several restrictions in place for its new usernames.

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Image Credit: Discord

For instance, they must be at least two and at most 32 characters, and they cannot use two consecutive period characters. Additionally, usernames must adhere to the company's community guidelines, like not impersonating Discord, its staff, or its system messages, which should help curb some Discord scams.

Alongside the new unique username system, Discord will include a non-unique Display Name that will be more prominent and act as the primary identity. You can liken this to Twitter, where your display name prominently identifies you, but the username differentiates your account from other users with identical names.

Change Your Discord Username When Prompted

To ensure you don't miss out on your favorite username when it's your turn, be on the lookout for the notification and change it when you have the chance. Hopefully, the new system will make remembering usernames much easier on the platform.