In your profile settings, you’ll see the unique ID code under ‘Skype Name’ and your display name under ‘Name’. One of the most confusing things about Skype is that your username and ID are hard to differentiate, so you have to know what you’re looking for.

There’s no need to attach the “live:” prefix that everyone has on Skype, but you can if you think it makes it easier to read.

The Skype ID is the bunch of random letters and numbers all jumbled up, and you can copy and paste the code if you need to share it with others.

Under this part, you’ll see all of your basic information and how it’s displayed to other users. However, for those in the post-Microsoft version of Skype sign-ups, or anyone with a bad memory, you can find your Skype name by opening your profile.Ĭlick on your profile picture which should give you some options to choose from, and then select Skype Profile. If you were part of the early era of Skype, before Microsoft purchased it and took over, you might remember what you set as your username. If you had a common name, like John Smith, people would have to search through thousands of other users, but the random ID generated for you makes sure there’s only one. With this many users on Skype, simply having a first name and surname isn’t enough to identify most people. Rather than having to think of a username or finding that whatever you’d wanted to use was taken, the ID was a replacement that allowed people to be identified uniquely but still have the option to change their contact name as needed. When Microsoft implemented the random ID generator after it acquired Skype, it was done as a way to get rid of the username issue that people had. Unlike a surname, phone number, or primary email address that can change, this ID number never will, so no matter how your details get modified over the years, this one will stay the same. Having a Skype ID is important as it sets you apart from other users and is a unique identifier for each person using the application. The code always starts with the word ‘live’ and then the code, and if you’re looking for it in your settings or profile, it’s usually referred to as your Skype name only. The Skype ID that you’re given isn’t so much of a username as it is a random assortment of numbers and letters. When Skype was first released, users were able to make up their own ID with a unique username that was connected to their account, but since Microsoft purchased the platform, it’s now randomly generated for you when you sign up. A Skype ID is the unique identifier that’s given to you when you create an account with the telecommunications application.

How to find your skype name on phone