Every YouTube User Will Soon Have a Unique Handle
YouTube is adopting an old idea to offer a new way for users to easily and quickly communicate with each other on the video sharing platform.
Every YouTube user is going to be given a unique handle(Opens in a new window), which is described as "a new way for people to easily find and engage with creators and each other on YouTube." Those handles will be a name preceded by the @ symbol. If you've used Twitter, you know exactly how this works. A matching URL will also be created for the handle, so a handle can be @youtube and the matching URL is youtube.com/@youtube.
By using a handle, users can quickly mention someone in a comment or video description, but YouTube will also allow them to be used in video titles. So, for example, if a video is a collaboration then the other users can be @ mentioned directly in the title.
If a YouTube channel already has a personalized URL then the handle will default to the same name. However, it's possible for a user to change this, but YouTube says they are "truly unique" identifiers unlike channel names. This could lead to a lot of frustration if a handle somebody wants is already taken.
YouTube is set to make handles available gradually and a selection process is being used based on "overall YouTube presence, subscriber count and whether the channel is active or inactive." That sounds like the most popular and active channels will get first choice on picking a handle. And if you have any questions about how this will work, YouTube created a handles FAQ(Opens in a new window).
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