A username is a public name for your account. Once set, people can find you by searching it, and you appear under global results. They can then message you without knowing your phone number.
Setting one
- Open Settings.
- Tap Edit profile, or the edit control next to your name.
- Choose Username.
- Type one and save. Telegram tells you immediately whether it is available.
Letters, digits and underscores are allowed, between five and thirty-two characters, starting with a letter. It is case-insensitive, so searching works whatever capitalisation somebody types.
What you gain
- A public link, t.me/yourname, that works anywhere a link works.
- Reachability without giving out your number.
- A unique name, which is the only part of a Telegram identity that cannot be copied.
The trade to be aware of
Being findable means strangers can message you. For most people that is the whole point. If you would rather nobody outside your contacts could start a conversation, do not set a username, or set one and restrict who may message you under Settings, Privacy and Security. Both are legitimate choices, and the decision is reversible at any time.
If you run anything public, claim the username matching your name or brand even if you barely use it. Usernames are first come, first served, and an impersonator holding the obvious one is far more convincing than one holding an awkward variant.
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