Ever tried to find a friend on Discord and ended up staring at a screen of "No Results Found" because you forgot a period or an underscore? It's the worst. Honestly, usernames are great for chatting, but they’re kinda flimsy. They change. People swap their display names every five minutes to match a meme or a seasonal aesthetic.
But there’s this 18-digit string of numbers behind every account that never changes. That is your Discord ID.
If you’re a moderator, a bot developer, or just someone trying to keep track of a specific person across different servers, knowing how to convert a Discord username to ID is basically a superpower. It’s the "snowflake" that stays the same even if a user changes their name to something completely unreadable.
The Difference Between a Username and an ID
A lot of people get these mixed up. Back in the day, Discord used "discriminators"—those four little numbers like #1234. Now, we have unique @usernames, similar to what you see on X (formerly Twitter) or Instagram. These are fine for adding friends, but they aren't permanent.
A Discord ID, on the other hand, is a fixed numerical identifier. It’s generated the second an account is created. It doesn't matter if "CoolGamer2024" changes their name to "InvisibleSpirit"—their ID remains exactly the same. This is why Discord Support and server bots rely on IDs. They don't care about your display name; they care about the "snowflake" assigned to your account in the database.
How to Get a Discord User ID (The Official Way)
You don't need fancy hacking tools or shady websites to do this. Discord actually builds this feature right into the app, but they hide it under "Developer Mode." It's one of those things where once you turn it on, you’ll wonder how you lived without it.
Enabling Developer Mode
- Open your User Settings (the little gear icon by your name).
- Scroll down to the App Settings section on the left sidebar.
- Click on Advanced.
- Toggle the switch for Developer Mode to ON.
That’s it. You’re now a "developer" in Discord's eyes.
Copying the ID
Now that the mode is on, getting an ID is a breeze.
- On Desktop: Right-click any user’s profile picture or name in a server or your DM list. At the bottom of the menu, you’ll see a new option: Copy User ID. Click it, and the numbers are on your clipboard.
- On Mobile: Long-press a user's avatar to pull up their profile. Tap the three dots (...) in the top right corner and select Copy User ID.
Why Would You Even Need This?
You might think, "Why go through the trouble?" Well, if you’ve ever had to report someone for harassment, Discord Support literally requires the ID. Screenshots can be faked with a little Inspect Element magic, but an ID is hard evidence linked to the actual account.
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Moderators use IDs for "pre-banning." If a known troublemaker is jumping between servers, a mod can use a bot command like !ban 449710278012174346 to ban them before they even join the server. It’s the only way to ensure the ban sticks even if the user changes their username.
Also, if you're into OSINT (Open Source Intelligence) or just curious about when an account was made, that ID is a timestamp. Because Discord IDs are "snowflakes," the first few bits of the number actually encode the exact millisecond the account was registered. Tools like discord.id or lookup.guru can take that 18-digit number and tell you: "This account was created on March 12, 2017." It’s a great way to spot "alt" accounts or scammers who just joined five minutes ago.
Can You Find an ID Without Developer Mode?
Sorta. But it’s a hassle. You could use a bot command in a server if the server has something like MEE6 or Dyno set up. Typing something like /user-info usually spits out the ID.
There are also web-based "Discord Username to ID" lookup tools. Be careful with these. Some are totally fine and just query public data, while others are just bait for your login info. Never, ever give your Discord token or password to a site promising to "find" someone for you. If you have the user in a shared server or a DM, the Developer Mode method is always the safest and fastest way to go.
Dealing with the 2023-2024 Username Migration
Remember when everyone had to pick a new @username? That transition was a mess. A lot of old "lookup" databases broke because they were indexed by the old Name#0000 format.
If you’re trying to find an old friend and all you have is a defunct username with a hashtag, you might be out of luck unless you can find them in an old server's message history. However, if you had their ID saved in a spreadsheet or a bot log, you can still find them today. The ID is the bridge between the "old Discord" and the "new Discord."
Privacy and Safety Concerns
One thing I hear a lot is, "Is it dangerous if someone has my ID?"
Honestly? No.
Your Discord ID is public information. Anyone who can see your profile in a server can copy your ID. It’s not like a "token" (which is like your password) or your email address. Having your ID just means someone can identify your account—they can't log into it, see your private DMs, or find your IP address.
The only "risk" is that someone could use your ID to track your activity across different public servers using various bot databases. If you're a private person, just keep your "Friend Requests" and "Direct Messages" settings restricted to "Friends Only."
Summary of Actionable Steps
If you need to manage a community or just want to be a Discord power user, here is what you should do right now:
- Turn on Developer Mode. Even if you don't need it today, you'll need it eventually.
- Save IDs for important contacts. If you’re running a business or a high-stakes gaming group, keep a list of IDs, not usernames.
- Use a Lookup Tool for verification. When a new user joins your server, pop their ID into a snowflake calculator to see if they’re a day-old account (a common red flag for bots).
- Verify before you report. If you’re sending a ticket to Discord, always right-click and "Copy User ID" to ensure the right person is investigated.
Usernames are for humans; IDs are for the system. Using both correctly makes your life on Discord way smoother and a whole lot safer.