The differences and what you need to know
It’s not the same thing ; here is how they differ.
You might be wondering what the difference is between a Facebook profile name and a username. There are quite a few differences you should be aware of, especially if you are considering changing your name on Facebook.
By the time you finish reading this article, you will know the difference between a Facebook profile name and a username. You will also learn how to modify one of them.
Facebook profile name vs username: understand the difference
Unlike most social networks, Facebook doesn’t ask you to choose a username when you sign up. It only asks you to enter your name, which serves as the profile name, and then it automatically assigns you a username based on your name.
Multiple users can share the same profile name, but when it comes to the username, each user is assigned a unique name.
The username assigned to you is usually a mix of your profile name, time periods and numbers. The number of additional characters added to your username depends on the number of people with a similar name on Facebook.
That said, your profile name is the name that your friends and other Facebook users use to identify you, while your username is your Facebook ID. This is the name that is used to personalize your profile URL. For example, “facebook.com/zuck” leads to Mark Zuckerberg’s Facebook profile.
Facebook doesn’t automatically assign cool usernames like “Zuck” to users. Mark Zuckerberg’s username would look like “mark.zuckerberg”, if it had been assigned automatically. However, Facebook allows you to change your username.
You can change your username to remove the numbers and periods it contains or even update it entirely, provided it has not already been taken. And, you don’t even have to change your profile name to change it.
How to change your Facebook profile username or URL
If you want to customize your username, here’s how:
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Go to Facebook.com on your browser and log in.
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Click on drop-down icon at the top of the page.
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Click on Settings and privacy.
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Select on Settings.
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Click on Edit next to your username.
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Modify the username field to your preferred username.
Your Facebook profile name is different from your username
Now you know the difference between your Facebook profile name and your username. The best way to think about it is that your profile name is what other people see when they look at your timeline, while your username is what is used to personalize your profile URL.
Their only similarity is that they can both be edited.
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