Your YouTube handle is not just a string of characters; it’s your channel’s main identifier, a digital signature that sets you apart in the vast realm of YouTube. Unlike your channel name, handles are unique and serve as a quick confirmation that you’re interacting with the right creator.
Contents
Why the Introduction of Handles?
YouTube is always evolving to enhance user experience. Introducing handles is another stride toward channel individuality. Your YouTube handle will be visible on your channel pages and YouTube Shorts, streamlining interactions such as mentions in comments, community posts, video descriptions, and more.
Handles, being unique to each channel, present creators with a golden opportunity to establish a distinct presence and brand on YouTube. They join channel names as an additional way to identify a YouTube channel.
READ ALSO: Free tips to manage successful YouTube channels
Can You Get a YouTube Handle?
Absolutely! The rollout of handles is inclusive, reaching every YouTube channel. This update is a game-changer, especially for anyone who may not have had a substantial following on YouTube before. Your handle doubles as a unique channel URL, eliminating the previous subscriber threshold for a custom URL. With this update, every channel will have a unique URL based on its handle, making it a breeze for people to find and tag you across YouTube, similar to other platforms like Instagram.
YouTube will notify creators in the upcoming month, informing them when they can choose a handle for their channel. For those with personalized URLs, worry not; it will be reserved and automatically become your default handle. When the notification arrives in YouTube Studio, you’ll have the option to change your channel’s handle. Keep in mind that handles must be unique, so it might take a bit of time for YouTube to roll them out to all channels.
Your handle creation timing depends on various factors, including your overall YouTube presence, subscriber count, and channel activity. When you do get access, YouTube will also generate a matching URL for your channel, streamlining external access to your content. If your channel already boasts a personalized URL, there’s no need to update your links. YouTube will seamlessly redirect them to the new, handle-based URL, creating a unified presence for creators on the platform.
How to Obtain Your YouTube Handle
Getting a YouTube handle is a straightforward thing, to know or change your YouTube handle, follow the steps below:
- Claim your handle here https://www.youtube.com/handle
- Click on Change handle.
- Under the Choose your handle page, click the Handle box and change the default name to your preferred handle name. In certain cases, your preferred handle may not be available.
- Click Confirm to complete the process.
Ensuring Your Verification Badge
Concerned about your hard-earned verification badge? Fear not! Choosing or changing your handle won’t affect your verification status. However, if you opt for a channel name change, be aware that it necessitates a reapplication for your verification badge.
In essence, this YouTube handle update is a thrilling opportunity for everyone to elevate their discoverability and connect with fellow creators. So, embrace this chance to claim your handle and fortify your identity in the vibrant YouTube community.