YouTube now introduces @username handles to identify channels

Video-sharing platform YouTube is now introducing channel handles, a new way for creators to identify their channel with an @username similar to a majority of social media platforms.

YouTube announced the new addition in a blogpost on Monday, terming the handles as a way for creators to interact with their viewers across YouTube Shorts, channel pages, video descriptions and comments, among others.

According to the Google-owned platform, the handles will be made available to everyone and one will not need to be a creator of a certain size or subscriber count to get their own unique username.

"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," the company said.

"Handles join channel names as another way to identify a YouTube channel, but unlike channel names, handles are truly unique to each channel so creators can further establish their distinct presence and brand on YouTube."

Handles will be rolled out in the next one month and YouTube says high profile channels will gain access to the feature first. This will be determined by the channels' overall YouTube presence, subscriber count and level of (in)activity.

To protect creators from username gambling, YouTube says channels that already have a personalized URL will see that becoming their default handle, unless they choose to change it.

"When a creator chooses their handle, we’ll also create a matching URL (ex: youtube.com/@handle) so creators can easily direct people to their content when they’re not on YouTube."

"If a channel already has a personalized URL, there’s no need to update links: they’ll automatically be redirected to the new, handle-based URL to create a better, more unified presence for creators on YouTube," read the post.

Although platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Telegram have the handles features, YouTube only offered limited support for the format.

Creators could only mention channels using @[full channel name] in video titles, when directly replying to a comment, or mentioning other users in YouTube Live chats.