Mastodon Account Pronouns Field: How to Display in Bio

Many Mastodon users want to share their pronouns directly on their public profile, but the default account settings do not always make this obvious. The Pronouns field is a dedicated text box in your profile settings that appears prominently on your bio page when filled in. This article explains where to find the Pronouns field, how to add your pronouns, and what to do if the field does not show up for your instance or app.

What Is the Pronouns Field in Mastodon

The Pronouns field is a dedicated text input in your account settings that lets you specify your personal pronouns. When you fill in this field, your pronouns appear directly under your display name on your public profile page. This field was introduced in Mastodon version 4.0 as part of a broader effort to make profiles more inclusive and informative.

Before version 4.0, users had to manually type pronouns into their bio or display name, which often resulted in inconsistent formatting and made pronouns harder to spot. The dedicated Pronouns field solves this by giving pronouns a fixed, prominent location on the profile. The field accepts any text you enter, so you can use formats like she/her, they/them, he/him, or any other combination.

Prerequisites for Using the Pronouns Field

To use the Pronouns field, your Mastodon instance must be running version 4.0 or later. You can check your instance version by going to the about page of your server, typically at https://yourinstance.social/about. If your instance is older than 4.0, the Pronouns field will not appear in your settings. In that case, you can ask your instance administrator to upgrade the server software.

The Pronouns field is currently available only through the Mastodon web interface. Third-party mobile apps like Tusky, Fedilab, or the official Mastodon mobile app may not display the Pronouns field in their settings or profile views. If you primarily use a mobile app, you can still set your pronouns by logging into the web interface from your phone browser.

Steps to Add Pronouns to Your Mastodon Profile

Follow these steps to add your pronouns using the Mastodon web interface. The process takes less than two minutes.

1. Log in to your Mastodon instance
   Open a web browser and go to your Mastodon instance URL. Enter your email and password to log in.
2. Open Preferences
   Click the gear icon or the three-dot menu in the top right corner of the screen. Select Preferences from the dropdown menu.
3. Go to the Profile section
   In the left sidebar, click Profile. This opens your profile editing page with fields for display name, bio, avatar, and header image.
4. Find the Pronouns field
   Scroll down below the display name and bio fields. You will see a text box labeled Pronouns. If you do not see this field, your instance may be running a version older than 4.0.
5. Type your pronouns
   Click inside the Pronouns field and type your pronouns. Common formats include she/her, they/them, he/him, ze/zir, or any custom text. The field accepts up to 255 characters.
6. Save your changes
   Scroll to the bottom of the page and click the Save changes button. Your pronouns will now appear on your public profile under your display name.

After saving, visit your own profile page to confirm that the pronouns display correctly. The pronouns appear in a smaller font below your display name and above your bio text.

Common Issues When Displaying Pronouns on Mastodon

Pronouns field does not appear in settings

If you cannot see the Pronouns field in your Profile settings, your Mastodon instance likely runs a version older than 4.0. Contact your instance administrator and ask them to upgrade the server. You can also check the server version by navigating to the about page of your instance and looking for the version number in the footer.

Pronouns display in the wrong format or location

The Pronouns field accepts plain text only. Do not add HTML tags, emoji, or special formatting because the system will display them as raw characters. If you accidentally added formatting, edit the Pronouns field and remove any extra characters. The pronouns always appear directly under your display name and cannot be moved to another part of the profile.

Pronouns do not show up on mobile apps

As of 2025, the Mastodon web interface and a few third-party apps display the Pronouns field. Many mobile apps have not yet added support for this field. If you set your pronouns on the web but they do not appear in your mobile app, the issue is with the app, not with your profile. Check the app’s update history or contact the app developer for support.

Pronouns are visible to everyone

The Pronouns field is always public. There is no privacy setting to hide your pronouns from specific users or from unauthenticated visitors. If you do not want your pronouns visible on your profile, leave the Pronouns field blank.

Item	Web Interface	Mobile App (Tusky, Fedilab, etc.)
Pronouns field in settings	Available in Preferences > Profile	Not available in most apps
Pronouns display on profile	Shown under display name	May not be shown
Character limit	255 characters	Not applicable
Privacy control	Always public	Always public

You can now add and manage your pronouns directly through the Mastodon web interface using the dedicated Pronouns field. If your instance supports version 4.0 or later, the process is straightforward and takes only a few clicks. For users on older instances, request an upgrade from the server administrator to unlock this feature. As a final tip, keep your pronouns short and use a consistent format like she/her to ensure they display cleanly on all profiles that support the field.