Over the coming weeks, Discord will be asking its users to change their usernames. Here’s everything you need to know.
Discord usernames to change
The VoIP and instant messaging social platform has over 150 million monthly users across the world. Previously, the users were identified with a name followed by a hash and four numbers. However, the new system will require people to create a unique username, bringing it in like with other social media platforms. Now, users must create a username following the “@” symbol.
“After hearing from many users about the challenges associated with connecting with friends on our platform, we’ve made changes to our username system to make Discord more accessible and user-friendly for both new and existing users,” stated a Discord representative. “We value user feedback and are committed to improving the overall Discord experience,” they added. The order of chance to pick usernames will be determined by the age of the users’ accounts. The new usernames must be alphanumeric. While it can contain full stops and underscores, it cannot contain capital letters.
Discord: Reaction to the new move
Discord’s new move has been heavily criticized online. One user compared the move to a telephone network changing the users’ phone numbers to their full names. Aura, a popular illustrator said people will now “run the risk” of being impersonated if they fail at securing their username. “the reason they’re doing this is alleged bc ppl keep typing numbers wrong or whatever. But like my discord is private for a reason! it’s my personal chat space! so now I either take my username and ppl can Find Me or I run the risk of someone impersonating me,” raged the user.
First launched in 2015, Discord is loved by users to play games and arrange group activities since the platform allows users to split conversations into “channels”. However now, the public server is being used for much more than just gaming. The platform received mainstream coverage after a user used it to allegedly leak sensitive information.