Neighbourly has been designed to help create stronger, safer communities, and we believe a big part of this is knowing who lives next door or down the road from you. For us, that starts with sharing your real/legal first and last name on your Neighbourly profile - just as you'd introduce yourself in person.
Neighbourly’s full name policy is part of the Member Agreement and sets Neighbourly apart from other social media platforms through encouraging authentic connections between real people (your neighbours!). As getting to know others in your community is a big part of Neighbourly, we discourage members from hiding behind a username, abbreviation, alias or business name, and we therefore moderate names of this nature.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Where will my name show on Neighbourly?
Your full name displays on your profile and is visible to your neighbours living in the same neighbourhood as you — both in the Neighbours Directory and when you post messages. Your posts, replies and private messages show your name so your neighbours know who they’re chatting to. If you’re not comfortable with Neighbourly members beyond your area seeing your name, you can choose to interact with just local posts and avoid commenting on posts that are public or shared by/with your Nearby Neighbours.
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Everyone knows me as something else. Can I use a shortened name?
Absolutely! We encourage you to use the name you regularly go by, so if you’re a ‘Sameet’ known as ‘Sam’, a ‘Stephanie’ known as ‘Steph’, or a ‘Tamati’ known as ‘Tama’, you’re welcome to use this on your profile. If you’re a ‘Tom Jones’ but known as ‘Jonesy’, we suggest displaying your name as 'Jonesy (Tom) Jones'. If we need to verify anything, we may ask for some proof of address or ID to confirm your name.
Please note that Driver Licence Verification requires your full name (as displayed on your driver licence), so if you have yet to verify your account, it’s best to avoid using a shortened name.
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What if my name has changed or I need to make a correction?
No worries! You can update your name in your profile settings. All name changes are moderated, so we may need to pause your account and get in touch with you to check we have your correct details. You can also send us a message to confirm your details have changed and we’ll happily take care of this for you.
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I don’t feel comfortable with my name being visible to others. Can you hide part of it?
All members are required to provide their full names on their profiles, however if you simply want to read public content but have no intention of posting, replying or private messaging you can head to the Neighbourly Public Notices page and enter your suburb.