Launched in 2005, YouTube has steadily grown particularly in the last three years after the covid-19 pandemic-induced lockdowns forced people to stay at home. YouTube became a go-to site for entertainment and information and is currently the most popular search engine platform, second only to Google search.
It has also become a major source of income for creators and to help further popularise their channels, YouTube is introducing short handles similar to how Twitter offers on its social media platforms.
"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," YouTube
YouTube says that starting in November, it will start creators on when they can choose a handle for their channel.
If the channel already has a personalised URL, it will automatically become their default handle. And, those long-time creators, can opt to change the handle for their channel as soon as the notification in YouTube Studio comes through.
YouTube will try to ensure new and older channels have unique handle names and there is no duplication of names.
"The timing of when a creator will get access to the handles selection process depends on a number of factors, including overall YouTube presence, subscriber count and whether the channel is active or inactive," YouTube Team noted.
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