How to Change Your YouTube Channel Name
Change your YouTube channel name or @handle in YouTube Studio or the app. Twice per 14 days each, and a new name removes the verification badge.
To change your YouTube channel name, sign in to YouTube Studio, select Customization, then Profile, enter the new name and click PUBLISH. On a phone, tap your profile picture, tap Edit, then edit your name and tap Save. You can do it "twice within a 14-day period," YouTube says, and the same goes for your @handle.
We read YouTube's help pages on channel profiles, handles and verification on October 24, 2026.
About 12,100 people search "how to change youtube channel name" each month, and another 12,100 search "change youtube channel name."
Name or handle: what's the difference?
| Channel name | Handle | |
|---|---|---|
| Looks like | Your display name | @yourname |
| Changes allowed | Twice in 14 days | Twice in 14 days |
| Must be unique | No | Yes |
| Verification badge | Removed when you change it | Kept |
| Where you change it | Customization, then Profile | Customization, then Profile, or youtube.com/handle |
YouTube Help, "Manage your YouTube channel's profile," "Learn about YouTube handles" and "Verification badges on channels," read October 24, 2026.
How do you change your channel name on a computer?
- Sign in to YouTube Studio.
- From the left menu, select Customization, then Profile.
- Enter your new channel name.
- Click PUBLISH.
Give it time. "After changing your name, it may take a few days for the new name to update and display across YouTube," YouTube says.
Older guides send you to a "Basic info" tab. YouTube's help page now calls it Profile, inside Customization.
How do you change it on your phone?
In the YouTube app, "Tap your profile picture. Tap Edit. Next to your name or description, tap Edit and enter your updated channel name, then tap Save," according to YouTube's Android help.
Will you lose your verification badge?
Yes, if you change the name. "If you change your channel name, the renamed channel won't be verified, and you'll need to reapply," YouTube says. Applying again needs "100,000 subscribers," 2-step verification on your Google account, and a complete profile.
Changing your handle is safer. "Changing your channel's handle will not remove your verification badge," YouTube says.
How do you change your YouTube handle?
Open Customization, then Profile in YouTube Studio, edit the field under Handle, and click PUBLISH. You can also go to youtube.com/handle.
A new handle has to follow YouTube's rules. It:
- "Is between 3-30 characters" in Latin script
- Can use letters, numbers, underscores, hyphens, periods and middle dots, but not at the start or end
- "Is not URL-like or phone number-like"
- "Is not already being used"
Handles "aren't case-sensitive," and you can't buy one from someone else. YouTube bans "The sale and transfer of handles." Any old custom URL you had "will continue to work."
Will changing your channel name change your Google Account?
No. "If you change your YouTube channel name and picture, it will only be visible on YouTube," YouTube says. Your Gmail and Google Account name stay as they are.
Why won't your new name save?
Check two things. You may have hit the two-changes-in-14-days limit. Or your channel has name translations: YouTube says "make sure any channel name translations are deleted before updating."
Frequently asked questions
How many times can you change your YouTube channel name?
Twice within any 14-day period. The same limit applies to your handle.
Will you lose your verification badge?
If you change your channel name, yes, and you'll need to reapply. Changing only your handle keeps the badge.
How do you change your YouTube handle?
In YouTube Studio, go to Customization, then Profile, and edit your handle. Or visit youtube.com/handle.
How do you change your YouTube name on your phone?
In the YouTube app, tap your profile picture, then Edit. Edit the name and tap Save.
Will changing your channel name change your Gmail name?
No. The new name shows only on YouTube.
Hclout doesn't sell YouTube services. For the rest of your channel, see the YouTube banner size, the YouTube thumbnail size and how to delete a YouTube channel.
Sources
- YouTube Help, "Manage your YouTube channel's profile" (computer and Android), "Learn about YouTube handles" and "Verification badges on channels," read October 24, 2026
- Reddit r/youtube (December 26, 2023), a YouTube tutorial (December 22, 2025), wikiHow (October 15, 2026) and YTtalk (July 27, 2017), as Google showed them on October 24, 2026
- Google results for "how to change youtube channel name," US, October 24, 2026 (our read)
- Google Ads Keyword Planner, worldwide, read October 24, 2026
Want the growth without the research?
Real accounts, 30-day refill, no password ever asked for.