Why Your Username Is a Privacy Decision
Usernames are public, searchable, and — unlike passwords — usually permanent. A handle like jsmith1989 hands strangers your surname and birth year, two of the three data points most identity-verification questions rely on. Worse, people reuse handles across platforms, which lets anyone connect your gaming profile, your marketplace reviews, and your forum posts into a single profile with one search.
A random handle severs those links. For accounts you'd rather keep unconnected — marketplaces, forums, dating apps — use a different random username on each, and store them in your password manager right beside the passwords.
Tips for Picking From the Batch
Choose one you can say out loud (you may need to share it in a game lobby or over the phone), avoid handles ending in your real birth year, and if the exact name is taken, changing the number is better than appending your real initials. Pair every new username with a unique password from our password generator.