YouTube is finally moving in line with the majority of all social media platforms by adding user handles for all channels, making it easier for users to share and promote their YouTube presence.
As explained by YouTube:
“For many creators, YouTube isn’t just a place to upload and comment on videos, it’s a community and home base. That’s why today we’re introducing handles, a new way for people to easily find and engage with creators and each other on YouTube. Every channel will have a unique handle, making it easier for fans to discover content and interact with creators they love.”
The YouTube handles will more or less function the same way that they do on Instagram, Twitter, TikTok etc. It will be unique to your channel and will connect people straight to your content.
In the announcement, Youtube also discusses how handles will make it easier for creators to collaborate and shout each other out, as users will be able to mention each other in comments that will link directly to their channel.
“Handles will appear on channel pages and Shorts, so they'll be instantly and consistently recognizable. It’ll soon be simpler and faster to mention each other in comments, community posts, video descriptions and more. For example, creators can be shouted out in a mention in comments or tagged in the title of a recent collab, helping them increase visibility and reach with new audiences.”
So what now? Well, we suggest claiming your YouTube handle as soon as you can! As we mentioned they are all going to be unique, meaning if the handle you want is gone, it's GONE.
YouTube has also noted that if you don’t claim your handle fast enough, they will automatically assign you one, but you won’t be stuck with it.
“Over the next few weeks, we’ll slowly open access for all YouTube channels to choose a unique @handle. If you don’t choose one by November 14th, we will begin assigning handles automatically based on your channel name (which you can change!).”
So eyes up on this one creators - check your YouTube regularly and as soon as you have access, claim that name!
