Alex Ruben
How To Discover Your Facebook Username and User ID: Complete Guide
If you’re trying to link your Facebook profile to another app or just need to grab your username for some reason, figuring out your Facebook username and user ID can be a little confusing at first. Sometimes, the app doesn’t tell you where to look, or the interface changes without warning. It’s kind of annoying, but once you’ve done it a couple of times, it’s pretty quick. Below are some ways to find both without needing to dive into complicated developer tools or code. Fair warning, sometimes Facebook updates mess with the default paths, so what worked last time might need a tweak now.
How to Find Your Facebook Username and User ID
Accessing Your Profile Info on Mobile or Desktop
Generally, you’ll want to start on either your phone or computer. On mobile, open the Facebook app and make sure you’re logged in. On desktop, go to facebook.com. The goal is to get to your profile first. If you’re on your phone, your profile is usually accessible via your profile picture at the top or the menu bar.
Finding Your Profile Link and Username
- On mobile, go to your profile by tapping your profile picture or name. Then, tap on the three dots (…) usually next to your profile picture, and select Copy Profile Link. If that option isn’t obvious, sometimes you can find it under the menu options like Share Profile.
- On desktop, just navigate to your profile by clicking your name at the top. Then, copy the URL from the address bar. If the URL looks like
https://www.facebook.com/your.username, then “your.username” is your Facebook username. Sometimes, if you have a custom username, it’s visible right there. If not, it’s still something you can find later from account settings.
The last part of the link, after .com/, is your username. If it’s a string of random numbers, then you’re probably using your User ID instead.
Finding Your User ID — The Sneaky Part
This is where it gets weird. The Facebook app hides your user ID pretty well, and the easiest way is through the account settings or by using a third-party site. If the URL doesn’t contain your username, then:
- If you’ve previously connected apps or used Facebook login, check Settings > Security and Login > Apps and Websites. Sometimes, your user ID shows up here. But more reliably, you can use a free online tool like https://findmyfbid.com/. Just log in (preferably via Facebook if possible), and it’ll parse your account info.
- Another way? Use Chrome’s DevTools or inspect element, go to your profile page, and look for the facebook ID embedded somewhere in the source code. I won’t lie, that’s a bit nerdy, but it works if you’re stuck.
Note: On some setups, Facebook’s interface insists you get your ID through specific apps or have a certain privacy setting enabled. Sometimes, it’s just a matter of visiting your profile URL and appending ?v=info or similar tricks, but those are hit-and-miss.
What You Can Do With This Info
Once you’ve got your username or user ID, you can plug it into various apps or services that need Facebook login info. The username is straightforward; the user ID is more for troubleshooting or specific developer tools. Also, keep in mind, if you change your username later, that link will break, but your user ID stays the same forever.
Extra Tips & Common Pitfalls
Because Facebook sneaks around with privacy settings, sometimes your user ID isn’t visible unless you’re logged in or have certain permissions. Also, on some devices or accounts, the “Copy Profile Link” thing is hidden or renamed. It’s worth checking the desktop site if mobile gets weird. If you’re just trying to find your ID for manual linking or API work, a quick Google search like “Find my Facebook ID” and using tools like findmyfbid.com is usually the fastest fix.
Summary
- Use your profile link to get your username from the URL
- Check your account settings for connected apps if you want your ID
- Use online tools if the URL doesn’t show your user ID directly
- Remember, usernames are user-friendly, but IDs are more stable for developers
Wrap-up
This stuff isn’t always as straightforward as it should be — Facebook has a habit of hiding key info behind layered menus and settings. Once you get the hang of it, though, it’s not so bad. The hardest part is often just figuring out where Facebook hides these details these days. But hey, at least you now have a couple of different routes to grab your username and user ID, no matter the interface version.
Hopefully this shaves off a few hours for someone. Good luck, and don’t forget to double-check your privacy settings if you’re sharing IDs externally!