YouTube has announced that all its users will soon have a new way of identifying themselves. The company explains that the @username handles will soon be used across the platform, which is what other platforms such as TikTok, Instagram and Twitter use, but is certainly different from what YouTube has been doing in the past.
Each user on the platform will have a unique handle that will be utilized across YouTube’s entire spectrum, from channel pages to YouTube Shorts. You will be able to use a handle to mention other people in comments, video descriptions, and titles among other things, making it easier and more intuitive for creators to reach audiences and increase visibility.
Moreover, YouTube says that for every existing channel, which the company claims are in the billions, they will create a matching URL. The new matching URL will look something similar to this; youtube.com/@username, which will direct visitors to the channel page.
In the past, custom URLs were only available to creators with 100 or more subscribers. The rest had to settle for a URL consisting of a hashed unique ID, made up of a random string of alphanumeric characters.
“We want to ensure creators can craft an identity as unique as their content while giving viewers the confidence that they are interacting with their favourite creators,” YouTube says in its blog. This is particularly important as malicious people impersonating creators have seen a rapid rise on the platform, which has resulted in unfortunate cases where unsuspecting fans have been scammed out of their money thinking they are interacting with legitimate accounts.
YouTube will start rolling out the unique handles in phases starting this week, informing their users when it is time to pick a handle. This essentially means some people will get it ahead of others. Those who had already created a personalized URL for their channel will have the URL default to be their unique handle, however, they will have the option to change it once their turn reaches.
The rollout will take into consideration factors such as the overall presence on the platform, subscriber count, and whether the channel is active. Once your turn comes, YouTube will notify you via email. If you do not pick a handle by November 14th, the platform will start assigning them based on the channel name. However, visiting youtube.com/handle will let you edit your handle.
