Username generator

Instagram handles and gamertags follow different rules

An Instagram username is an address. It becomes the link to your profile, so it accepts very little: regular letters, numbers, periods and underscores. The generator strips accents and spaces from what you type. "José Luis" becomes "joseluis" before anything gets added to it.

In a game, your name is a label on the screen. Many games accept styled letters and decorations, and standing out is the whole point. Each game filters characters its own way, though, so the games list may include options one of them rejects.

What makes a good username

• You can say it out loud: if you have to spell it three times, people will get it wrong.
• Light on punctuation: "ana.clark" is easy, while "_a.n.a_" is impossible to type from memory.
• No random numbers: if the name is taken, try adding a word before reaching for digits.
• Matches your other accounts: the same @ everywhere makes you easier to find.

Name taken? Three ways out

Put a word in front, like "its", "im" or "hey". Add what you do, like "ana.bakes". Or add your city or country at the end. The generator tries several of these, but it doesn't query Instagram or any game, so it can't know what's already in use. The final test is typing it into the app.

Watch out for brand names

Avoid words like "official" next to someone else's name, and stay away from trademarks that aren't yours. Besides confusing people, it can get you reported and cost you the account. For your profile text, try the bio generator. To try the same word in more styles, use the fancy text generator, and pick decorations from the symbol grid.