YouTube Handles: What Are They & How Do They Work?

In a recent announcement, YouTube has revealed the launch of YouTube Handles, a new way for creators to connect with their subscribers.

Much like @ handles on Instagram and Twitter, YouTube handles are a way for creators to personalize their channel even further.

Handles all begin with the @ symbol, and are a separate identifier from channel names.

While they will be released gradually over the coming weeks, users have until November 14th, 2022 to choose their personalized handle, at which point one will be assigned to them. However, the handle can be changed at any point.

According to a statement released by YouTube:

“In the majority of instances, if you already have a personalized URL, the unique part of the URL will become your handle. If you don’t have a personalized URL, or you want to choose something different, you can select a new handle or use the automatically generated handle.”

Users will be able to use their handle for comments, mentions, and in Shorts, with additional features planned for the future. You can also use your handle outside of YouTube to promote your channel, as it does not require a YouTube account to view.

YouTube Handle Guidelines

Your handle must follow these guidelines:

Is between 3-30 characters
Is made up of alphanumeric characters (A–Z, a–z, 0–9)

Your handle can also include: underscores (_), hyphens (-), periods (.)

Is not URL-like or phone number-like
Is not already being used
Follows YouTube's Community Guidelines

How can I view or change my YouTube handle?

You’ll be notified in YouTube Studio and by email when you can choose your handle.

Go to youtube.com/handle on a computer or on a mobile device with the YouTube app.

If you don’t have the YouTube app installed, you’ll be prompted to download it.

Select Choose handle or Change handle.

You may already have a reserved handle based on your custom URL.

Type in the handle field to check the availability of your preferred handle.

You can also choose one of the suggested handles, or the pre-filled handle based on your channel name.

Once you’ve found an available handle, click Confirm selection.

If your preferred handle isn’t available, it’s usually because:

Another channel already selected that handle.

It didn’t meet YouTube's handle naming guidelines.

Learn More About YouTube Handles

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