Real ID and BattleTag are two separate friendship options on Battle.net, and they expose different amounts of name information. Real ID can share account-associated real names by mutual choice, while BattleTag is the option for keeping that name hidden. If you disable Real ID, your Real ID friends are converted to BattleTag friends rather than deleted, and enabling Real ID again can resume name sharing. Friend-of-friend suggestions sit under a separate privacy control, so review that setting on its own rather than assuming the Real ID toggle covers it.
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Two friendship options, two levels of name sharing
The central distinction is that Real ID and BattleTag are not the same connection wearing different labels. Real ID is the voluntary option that can share the account-associated real name between two people who both choose it, while BattleTag friendship is the separate route that keeps that real name hidden. That means accepting one kind of friend request is not automatically the same as agreeing to the other, and a BattleTag relationship should not be read as consent to display a real name. Treat the choice as yours to make per relationship, not as a setting you must mirror for everyone you play with. [Blizzard Support: voluntary Real ID sharing]
What toggling Real ID actually changes
Turning Real ID off does not erase the people you added. According to the support documentation, disabling Real ID converts those friendships into BattleTag friendships rather than deleting them, and re-enabling Real ID can resume the name sharing. This is the point where people most often confuse two separate actions: converting a friendship and deleting a contact. Converting keeps the connection and changes what name information is shown; deleting removes the contact entirely and is usually not what the toggle does for you. Before you flip the switch, decide which outcome you actually want, because the toggle alone is not a deletion tool. [Blizzard Support: voluntary Real ID sharing]
| observation | limit | next step |
|---|---|---|
| Real ID is switched off | Friends are converted to BattleTag friendships, not removed | Confirm you wanted conversion, not deletion, before relying on the toggle |
| Real ID is switched back on | Name sharing can resume with existing Real ID friends | Re-check who is on your Real ID list before re-enabling |
Friend-of-friend suggestions are a separate control
Friend-of-friend suggestions have their own privacy control, and it should be reviewed independently of the Real ID switch. Someone who has turned Real ID off may still have suggestion visibility configured in a way they have not looked at recently, so the two settings need separate attention. When you review suggestions, look only at your own account choices and the categories the platform presents to you. Do not set out to map another player's friend list, and do not treat a suggestion as proof of how two people know each other. A suggestion is an algorithmic hint about possible connections, not a verified relationship record. [Blizzard Support: voluntary Real ID sharing]
Reading a visible name for what it is
A displayed Real ID name is a piece of account information shared by mutual choice. It is not evidence of a romantic relationship, a private-chat identity guarantee, or a person's intentions. If you are deciding whether to share more with someone, weigh that against your own comfort and the context of your interaction rather than against what a profile name implies. Likewise, if a name appears in a friends list or suggestion, that is not an invitation to collect contacts or reconstruct someone else's social circle. Stay with what the owner has voluntarily shared and what the platform presents directly to you. [Blizzard Support: voluntary Real ID sharing]
A private review you can run yourself
Before changing anything, write down which friendships you want to keep as BattleTag-only and which, if any, you are comfortable sharing a real name with. Then check the Real ID toggle and note that the expected result is conversion, not deletion. Separately, open the friend-of-friend suggestions privacy control and record its current state. If the control you expect is not visible or the interface does not match the documentation, record it as unavailable and stop at that boundary rather than experimenting on someone else's profile.
- List the people you would keep as BattleTag-only friends before touching any toggle
- Decide in advance whether you want conversion or deletion, since the Real ID toggle converts
- Review the friend-of-friend suggestions privacy control as its own step
- If a control is missing, note it as unavailable and use the official current help page instead
What not to do when reviewing these settings
Reviewing your own sharing choices does not extend to inspecting anyone else's. Do not ask a friend to reveal their friend list, do not build a picture of who knows whom from suggestions, and do not treat a Real ID name as a way to confirm someone's identity. The support documentation notes that the visible account name is not a romantic relationship or private-chat identity guarantee, and it explicitly warns against harvesting contacts or friend-of-friend lists. If a request to share or unshare feels pressured, pause: consent to name sharing should be voluntary and reversible on your side. [Blizzard Support: voluntary Real ID sharing]
A couple more questions
If I turn off Real ID, will my friends be removed from Battle.net?
No. Disabling Real ID converts those friendships into BattleTag friendships rather than deleting them, and turning Real ID back on can resume name sharing. Deleting a contact is a different action from converting the friendship.
Does turning off Real ID also turn off friend-of-friend suggestions?
Treat them as separate. Friend-of-friend suggestions have their own privacy control, so review that setting independently of the Real ID toggle rather than assuming one covers the other.
Can I use a Real ID name to confirm who someone really is?
No. A displayed account name is voluntarily shared information, not an identity guarantee or proof of a relationship. Use it only as far as the context supports, and do not try to collect contacts or friend-of-friend lists.
What should I do if the setting I want is not visible?
Record it as unavailable and stop at the access boundary. Do not experiment on another account or ask someone to share their friend list; check the official current help for that interface instead.
Sources & editorial notes
Official references checked on October 23, 2026. Checklists, comparison tables and example wording are DateClues editorial tools, not official tests or validated risk scores.
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