Social Media Username Rules & Character Limits
Complete reference for username requirements across 20+ social media platforms. Compare min/max length, allowed characters, and naming constraints.
| Platform | Min | Max | Periods | Underscores | Hyphens | Start w/ Letter |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 30 | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | |
| TikTok | 2 | 24 | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ |
| YouTube | 3 | 30 | ✗ | ✓ | ✗ | ✓ |
| X (Twitter) | 4 | 15 | ✗ | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ |
| Twitch | 4 | 25 | ✗ | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ |
| Discord | 2 | 32 | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ |
| 5 | 50 | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | |
| Kick | 4 | 24 | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ |
| Threads | 1 | 30 | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ |
| 3 | 30 | ✗ | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | |
| Snapchat | 3 | 15 | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ |
| 3 | 20 | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ | |
| 3 | 100 | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ | ✗ | |
| GitHub | 1 | 39 | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ | ✗ |
| Telegram | 5 | 32 | ✗ | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ |
| Medium | 3 | 40 | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ |
| Behance | 3 | 40 | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ |
| Dribbble | 2 | 30 | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ |
| Spotify | 3 | 40 | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ |
| SoundCloud | 3 | 35 | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ |
| Minecraft | 3 | 16 | ✗ | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ |
| Roblox | 3 | 20 | ✗ | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ |
| Steam | 2 | 32 | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ |
| Bluesky | 3 | 63 | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ | ✗ |
| Tumblr | 3 | 32 | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ | ✗ |
| Vimeo | 3 | 30 | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ |
| Patreon | 3 | 64 | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ |
| Substack | 3 | 30 | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ | ✗ |
| DeviantArt | 2 | 20 | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ | ✗ |
| Wattpad | 4 | 20 | ✗ | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ |
| Mastodon | 1 | 30 | ✗ | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ |
| 4 | 30 | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ | |
| Zhihu | 4 | 30 | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ |
| Bilibili | 2 | 20 | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ |
| Douyin | 2 | 24 | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ |
| Kuaishou | 3 | 20 | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ |
| Xiaohongshu | 3 | 20 | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ |
| Xbox | 1 | 15 | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ |
| PlayStation Network | 5 | 16 | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Universal Cross-Platform Rules
If you want a handle that works everywhere, follow these universal rules:
5-15 characters · a-z, 0-9
Lowercase letters and numbers only. No periods, underscores, or hyphens. Must start with a letter. This guarantees compatibility across every platform.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I change my username on most platforms?▼
Most platforms allow username changes but impose limits. Instagram allows 2 changes per 14 days. X/Twitter allows unlimited changes. TikTok allows 1 change per 30 days. YouTube allows 3 changes per 90 days.
What happens if I want the same username everywhere?▼
Use the universal rules above: 5-15 characters, letters and numbers only, start with a letter. This works on every platform.
Do platforms recycle old usernames?▼
Yes, but policies vary. Instagram may release inactive accounts after years. X/Twitter frees usernames from suspended accounts. TikTok rarely releases taken usernames.