Taking the example of social media like Instagram, Tiktok, Twitter, YouTube has introduced a new feature called Handles. The feature will now appear on channel pages and shorts, the company said. Users can easily find their favorite channels through a specially created username. Comments, community posts, video descriptions, and other sections of YouTube that allow user interaction can also be tagged with the same ID. The new ID will be something like @channelname.
Channel names were traditionally the only way to identify a YouTube channel or user. In addition to this, the new report says that the handles feature will also be available. However, unlike channel names, handles can be used across platforms. There can be multiple YouTube channels with the same name, but only one handle. Google claims that this will allow creators to establish a greater presence and brand on YouTube.
“Creators can carve out an identity as unique as their content, while viewers can instantly interact with their favorite creators,” said YouTube’s official blog post. This will reduce impersonation accounts. Changing YouTube handles may not affect the channel verification badge. But changing the channel name may result in losing the verified badge. Rivals TikTok and Instagram already support usernames.
The handles will be available to users starting this week, according to a company blog post. YouTube said everyone who is eligible to use the Hansel feature will be notified. Eligibility for the handle feature will be determined by factors including overall presence on the platform, number of subscribers, and whether the channel is active.