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"We came to the conclusion that if we were going to ask a lot of our users to make a change, we needed a more comprehensive and robust long-term solution - one that gives people the power to have a Display Name they can change anytime with very relaxed rate limits. Think of them like a global nickname."

—Stanislav Vishnevskiy[src]

The Pomelo system, or Pomelo update was an update that included a new username system with unique usernames. In early 2023, it was announced that they will be replacing the Discriminator, and is soon to do so to all usernames. This system will make all usernames have the "@username" format. The username rollout was completed on June 23, 2023 for all of Discord.

On March 4, 2024, Discord updated the remaining accounts to a unique username. The process took around another two weeks to complete, ensuring that all non-bot users will have a unique username. Users can still add other users as friends using their old usernames.

Information[]

Usernameprocess

Username change process at the time of introduction

Username update prompt

Prompt that shows up occasionally when starting the app from circa November 2023. The user is only one click away from completing the update. This suggested username (and similar ones of this form) appears if all other suggested usernames were taken; initially it was four digits, but during the last week before assignment day, it was extended to six digits.

Username update prompt M

Mobile version of above.

Username update assign

Prompt displayed to remaining users during the final three weeks for Discord tags when the user refuses to update their username from the prompt.

Username update assign M

Mobile version of above.

Username update email

Email sent to all remaining users during the final three weeks before Discord starts assigning usernames.

Over the coming weeks, every user would become eligible to change their username from their old username with the Discord tag/discriminators (#0000) to a new username without discriminators. All users eventually were required to pick a new username to use Discord. New usernames are lowercase, alphanumeric, limited to certain special characters, and do not have discriminators.

Permitted characters for new usernames[]

  • Latin characters (a-z)
  • Numbers (0-9)
  • Certain special characters
  • Underscore ( _ )
  • Period ( . )

Restrictions for new usernames[]

  • Usernames must be at least 2 characters and at most 32 characters long
  • Usernames are case insensitive and forced lowercase
  • Usernames cannot use any other special characters besides underscore ( _ ) and period ( . )
  • Usernames cannot use 2 consecutive period characters ( . )
    • (.a.b. is allowed, a..b. is not allowed)
  • Usernames are unique to each user, thus different users wouldn't be able to have the same username.
  • Usernames cannot be "everyone", "all", or "here"

Usernames (and Display Names) must adhere to the Community Guidelines.[]

Some examples of Usernames that are not permitted include:

  • Usernames used to impersonate Discord, Discord staff, or Discord system messages
  • Usernames used to impersonate an individual, group, or organization
  • Usernames that attack other people or promote hate
  • Usernames that contain sexually explicit language

Update availability[]

All users became eligible to update their usernames over the coming months. Owners of partner and verified servers became eligible first, followed by all users based on the age of their account, starting with 2015. Current Nitro subscribers paying for the ability to customize their discriminator that were registered on or before March 1, 2023 were also be given early access. This includes users that were on a Nitro or Nitro Classic plan before March 1, 2023, and remained active on either of those plans throughout the months leading to the new username rollout.

Change to the new username[]

Users eligible to change their username were notified in the app by a full-screen notification titled “Please update your username.” Users could always change their username in the settings.

Circa November 2023, Discord updated its prompt such that it pre-fills the new username with a *suggested username*. The user will complete the update in only one click. This notification would come up each time a user signed in into a new client, and once a week thereafter for that same client. This applied on both mobile and desktop.

On February 12, 2024, Discord officially announced that it would start *assigning* unique usernames to the remaining usernames. Additionally, the functionality of the prompt asking remaining users to update their usernames had changed so it shows up each time a user starts Discord or switched the user to the remaining account. This dialogue had showed up instead of exiting if the user clicked the back button when prompted to update their username.

Rollout pattern[]

Final_moment_of_Operation_Hashling_-Raw_footage,_Day_1-

Final moment of Operation Hashling -Raw footage, Day 1-

Footage of Discord assigning a unique username to a remaining user

DiscordHashedsQ

Discord system message delivered to remaining users at the exact time they were assigned a username on Day 1

Hashwhimsical

Discord system message delivered to remaining users at the exact time they were assigned a username on another day

"During the transition, all Discord users will be asked to choose a new username, and access will roll out slowly over the course of several months. We want to be particularly considerate of longtime Discord users who have had their usernames for quite awhile, so we will be assigning priority to choose your new username based on when you registered for Discord. In terms of rollout, we’re starting with access to owners of partner and verified servers, then to all users based on the age of their account in the coming months, starting with 2015. Current Nitro subscribers paying for the ability to customize their discriminator that registered for Nitro on or before March 1, 2023 will also be given early access."

—Jason[src]

  • On the middle of May, Discord Staff, Partners, Verified Server Owners and some server owners received the update, making them the first users who gets use of the update.
  • To the public, the rollout began on June 5, 2023. with February 2016 (Nitro) and August 2015 (Non-Nitro).
    • As of June 10, 2023, the update has been rolled out to all of the Nitro users.
    • As of June 23, 2023, the update has been rolled out to all of the Non-Nitro users.
    • As of August 1, 2023, new accounts can no longer be signed up with the Discriminators
  • On March 4, 2023, Discord rolled out unique username assignments to the remaining users.
    • As of March 4, 2024, Discord will start assigning unique usernames to the remaining users who have not updated their usernames from Discriminators themselves. It appears to be based on most recent activity.
    • As of March 11, 2024, users assigned a unique username since that date will not be granted the Legacy Username badge.

Legacy Username Badge[]

See at Legacy Username Badge.

Bots and apps[]

General[]

Existing apps and bots are unaffected by this change at this time. In the near future, bots would get the update. No ETA. Developers can expect their apps to receive a couple of updates during migration to the new username system.

  • All apps will have a bot user.
  • App names and bot usernames are limited to 32 characters.
  • Developers may need to update their code to support the new username system.

Bot users added to all apps[]

All new apps will now have a bot user added during creation, and apps currently without bot users will be assigned one during migration. Please note, that if an app does not require a bot user, then the bot scope can simply be omitted when installing.

App name character limit[]

The names of newly created apps and bots will be limited to 32 characters, and attempting to change an existing unverified app or bot’s name will also result in a 32 character limit.

Why isn't Discord making this change for apps?[]

Although bots are users under the hood, they still interact differently with Discord. Our username changes are all about making it easier to find and add your friends on Discord. Bots don’t have friends—they get a little lonely sometimes—so we’re keeping them as-is. In the future, we may consider changing how apps are represented on Discord to make them more distinct from normal users so that you can show off the awesome things you build in a way that makes them feel distinct.

Frequently Asked Questions[]

Q. Why was the username system changed?

A. Discord was updating its username system to make it easier for users to connect with their friends and to give users more control over their identity.

Q. Can I use special characters or non-Latin characters, including characters from other languages, for my new username?

A. No. New usernames are restricted to only Latin, alphanumeric characters and select special characters ( _ and . )

Reception[]

  • The update received negative critics and opinions from the majority of users, since discriminators are what made Discord's username system unique.
    • Many users did not want this update.
    • Some users started "protesting" to Discord regarding this update.

References[]

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