How to find your PSN ID

Your PSN ID is how PlayStation and other players recognize your account. Most of the time when someone asks for it, they mean your online ID, the username people see. But "PSN ID" gets used for two different things, so let us clear that up first, then find whichever one you need.

To look up someone else's public profile instead, use the PSN profile search.

Online ID versus account ID

Two things get called a PSN ID, and mixing them up wastes a lot of time:

• Online ID is your username, the visible name friends see and add. This is what people mean almost every time.
• Account ID is a hidden identifier tied to your account, used by apps and tools like remote play setups (Chiaki is the common one). Most people never need it, and it is not something you type to add a friend.

For nearly every purpose, the online ID is the answer. Only chase the account ID if a specific app explicitly asks for it.

Find your online ID on PS5

1. Go to Settings, then Users and Accounts.
2. Select Account, then Profile, then Online ID.
3. Your current online ID is shown there, and it also sits at the top of your profile card on the home screen.

Find it on PS4

1. Go to Settings, then Account Management, then Account Information.
2. Open Profile, then Online ID.

Find it in the PlayStation App

1. Open the PlayStation App and tap your profile picture.
2. Your online ID appears at the top of your profile.

Find it on the web

1. Sign in on the PlayStation website.
2. Open your profile or account settings, and your online ID is listed with your account details.

If you have lost access to the account

Searching "recover PSN ID" usually means you cannot get into your account, not that you forgot the name. In that case the answer is not a lookup tool, it is account recovery through Sony:

• Use the sign-in help on the PlayStation website to recover your sign-in email and reset your password.
• Set up or use two-step verification and your backup codes if you have them.
• If you no longer have the email, or the account was compromised, contact PlayStation Support directly. Only they can verify ownership and restore access.

No third-party tool can recover a PlayStation account for you, and any site claiming it can is best treated as a scam and avoided.

Common problems

I know my email but not my online ID. Sign in on the web or the app and your online ID is right there in your profile.

An app is asking for my account ID. That is the hidden identifier, not your username. It can be retrieved through some remote-play tools, but double-check the app actually needs it, since most only want your online ID.

My online ID has an old name I hate. You can change it. Our guide to changing your PSN name covers the steps, the fee, and the one real catch.