Edgar Cervantes / Android Authority
TL;DR
- YouTube is bringing account handles to all users starting this week.
- YouTube hopes that the handles will increase audience reach and visibility.
- Some users will get to choose their handles before everyone else.
YouTube users are in store for a big change coming to the platform. Soon, you will be able to create your own unique account handle to use across the website.
Taking a cue from the likes of TikTok, Twitter, and other places around the internet, YouTube is introducing “@name” handles. In a blog post, the company states that handles will appear on channel pages and shorts for all users. The handles won’t be replacing channel names, but will join them as an additional way to identify a channel.
YouTube claims that the aim of this rollout is to make it simpler and faster to mention creators in comments, community posts, video descriptions, and more. It also believes that handles will help creators build a distinct presence and brand on YouTube while also increasing audience reach and visibility.
As for when users can start creating their own handles, YouTube says that it will be notifying people over the next month for when they’ll be allowed to create their handles. If the creator already has a personalized URL — which normally requires at least 100 subscribers — it will automatically become that user’s default handle and they’ll have the option to change it as soon as they receive the notification in YouTube Studio.
Since YouTube is gradually rolling this update out starting this week, this suggests that some users will be able to create their handles before others will. To that effect, YouTube states:
The timing of when a creator will get access to the handles selection process depends on a number of factors, including overall YouTube presence, subscriber count and whether the channel is active or inactive.
In addition to creating your new handle, YouTube says that a matching URL (ex: youtube.com/@handle) will be created that will let you direct people to your content when not on YouTube. Although you’ll have a new handle-based URL, the company says if you already had a personalized URL, that old URL will automatically redirect to the new URL, so there’s no need to update your links.
While this is sure to create some initial confusion — and potentially ire if you’re unable to get the handle you want — this move should help users unify their presence on the website.
