How to Personalize Your Facebook Username
If your Facebook username is currently an unrecognizable string of numerals and special characters, personalize it by changing your account’s username to something recognizable, such as your name. Here’s how:
Guidelines for New Usernames
Facebook usernames must follow certain guidelines, including:
The new username must be at least five characters long.Special characters are not allowed. Any mixture of the letters a through z, the numerals zero through 9, and periods is acceptable. Uppercase and lowercase letters are acceptable but can’t be used to differentiate two accounts in a URL. John.Smith and john.smith are considered the same username.Facebook notes that your username should include your authentic name.You’re only allowed one username for your personal account.
If you have a relatively common name, your preferred username may not be available because someone else is using it. In that case, modify it, typically by appending a short number following your name, such as YourName09.
Examples of Facebook Usernames
The default Facebook format for a profile looks like this:
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=123456789
A new profile with a Facebook username looks like this:
http://www.facebook.com/your.name
Why Use a Facebook Username?
It’s better to send a URL with a Facebook username in it. You can send emails and text your friends with your new Facebook URL. It also gives you a personal space on the web where you can send your friends. From there, you can text and make voice and video calls. Your Facebook URL is more likely to show up in search engines if it has a Facebook username in it (and if you allow it in your privacy settings).
