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Imagine you’re playing Words With Friends, having fun and meeting new people. One of the players goes by the username “Zyngawf123.” You think nothing of it, play your game and move on to the next one. The next person, oddly enough, has the username “Zyngawf456.” What is Zyngawf? Have you been playing one person with multiple accounts? It turns out that the mysterious origin of Zyngawf isn’t actually much of a secret.
The Truth Behind the Name
The reason why some people choose Zyngawf as their username is pretty simple: They didn’t choose it.
“Zyngawf” is a placeholder name that Words With Friends assigns to players who didn’t create a name for themselves.
Words With Friends also uses the name when it cannot display someone’s username properly for any reason, such as when there’s a software glitch.
Zyngawf is simply a condensed version of “Zynga Words (With) Friends.” Zynga is the company that created and owns Words With Friends. This stand-in is meant to make it clear to players that the person in question does not have a proper username.
Not a Misnomer, But Still Misleading
The issue is that since “Zyngawf” looks as weird as it does, and it’s easy to forget that Zynga is the company’s name, the username comes off as a bit random. Considering the odd names that people come up with sometimes, it should come as little surprise that some players wouldn’t recognize what they’re looking at.
The lack of clarity also makes it clear why most questions about Zyngawf center on what Zyngawf means (which is probably why you are reading this article now).
The fact that the name seems to appear when it shouldn’t has also led many Words With Friends fans to question the legitimacy of players bearing the Zyngawf name. The most common concern is that they are either a collection of computer players or Words With Friends scammers.
Fixing the Name When It Spells Problems
The placeholder username is usually harmless and not a sign that the person you’re playing is fake or has dubious intentions. The only real issue it can cause is one of inconvenience and annoyance.
Sometimes, if Words With Friends has a bug or glitch for whatever reason, or if a player changes something about their account or how they play, the app might not be able to display their information correctly. When that happens, the app will use a Zyngawf name as a replacement. There are a couple of things you can do to fix this if it happens.
Close the App
If the names are changed by some unknowable issue on Zynga’s side of things, your first and best option is to simply close the Words With Friends app completely and open it again. This trick often fixes most issues with the game.
Create a New Game With the Same Player
Closing the app might not do anything if you already started a game with someone. If that is the case, and neither of you has actually made a move in the game yet, try creating a new game together. If you see that the names are back to normal, resign from the first game.
Make Sure Both Players Are Logged In
You and your friends might know each other, but that doesn’t always mean the app does. If either of you plays without logging into your main account, the game won’t be able to recognize who you are. Check your settings and make sure that you are actually logged in.
As an example, say that you typically sign into the app on your phone to play. But, one time, you decide to play on your computer using your Facebook account. If you never connected your Facebook account to your Words With Friends account, you might end up appearing as a guest player. That can earn you a Zyngawf name.
Answers for Every Words With Friends Issue
Now that you know what Zyngawf is and what it stands for, you can enjoy your matches free of confusion about your opponents. (Well, at least when it comes to the repeated username.) Do you have any other questions or concerns about the app? You’re aren’t alone. With a game as large as Words With Friends, everyone is bound to run into some issues. If you have any other burning questions, see WordFinder's information on common Words With Friends complaints to find the answers.
Zac Pricener has been a content creator for the past eight years. He’s a bit of an all-around nerd, and he has a bad habit of working movie and TV show references into conversations whenever possible.
