How to Change Your YouTube Handle
Quick answer
Go to youtube.com/handle while signed in, click Change handle, type an available handle, and confirm. You can also do it in YouTube Studio under Customization. The new handle updates your @name and youtube.com/@handle URL immediately. Handles can be changed twice per 14 days, subject to availability.
Step by step
- 1
Open youtube.com/handle
Sign in with the account that owns the channel. The page shows your current handle and a Change handle button. Studio > Customization offers the same field.
- 2
Enter the new handle
Handles are 3 to 30 characters of letters, numbers, underscores, hyphens, and periods. The field checks availability as you type.
- 3
Confirm the change
The update is immediate. Your channel's @name in comments, Shorts, and search switches over right away.
- 4
Update inbound links
Your youtube.com/@newhandle URL is live, so refresh the link in bios, websites, and email footers. Any legacy custom URL tied to the old handle stops working.
Worth knowing
- You can change your handle up to two times in a 14-day window, so avoid burning attempts on experiments.
- The old handle can become available to other channels after you drop it.
- Your channel name and handle are separate things; changing one does not change the other.
Doing this for a brand, not just an account?
Your handle appears in every mention, Short, and channel URL, so aligning it with your brand name once and leaving it alone is worth a few minutes of setup.
Common questions
What is the difference between a channel name and a handle?
The channel name is the display name shown on your channel page, and the handle is the unique @name used for mentions and your youtube.com/@handle URL. They are edited separately and do not have to match.
Will changing my handle affect my subscribers or videos?
No. Subscribers, videos, playlists, and watch history stay untouched. Only the @name and the handle URL change.
Why is the handle I want unavailable?
Someone else holds it, or it violates YouTube's handle rules. There is no way to reserve or purchase a taken handle through YouTube, so pick a close variant or wait to see if it frees up.
Does the old handle URL redirect to my new one?
No. Links to youtube.com/@oldhandle stop resolving to your channel and could point to whoever claims the handle next, so update inbound links promptly.