Understanding UUID v4
A completely random identifier generated using cryptographically strong random numbers.
Key Benefits of UUID v4
- Maximum randomness and unpredictability
- Extremely low collision probability
- Most widely used UUID version
- No hardware information leaked (privacy-friendly)
Technical Details
UUID v4 consists of 122 bits of randomness. The probability of a collision is 1 in 2^122, making it practically impossible in any real-world application.
Frequently Asked Questions
Statistically, yes. While not mathematically guaranteed to be unique across all time and space, the probability of generating two identical UUIDs is so small that it's practically impossible in any real-world scenario.
GUID (Globally Unique Identifier) is Microsoft's implementation of the UUID standard. For most practical purposes, they are identical and follow the same format.
Yes, especially v4 and v7, which are generated using cryptographically secure random numbers, making them suitable for session IDs and security-sensitive identifiers.