YouTube has announced handles which will allow creators and their fans to easily find channels and engage with each other on the platform. Handles are essentially identifiers for creators, in addition to their channel name. However, unlike channel names, handles will be unique to each creator.
YouTube will notify creators when they can choose a handle for their channel. If a creator already has a personalized URL, it will automatically become their handle. Others can opt to change the handle for their channel name via YouTube Studio as well.
Both the channel pages and Shorts will have handles to make them instantly recognizable. It will also enable people to mention and tag other creators in comments, community posts, video descriptions, collabs, and more.
This is primarily done to ensure that the audience is in fact viewing their desired creator and not a fake one with the same channel name. Creators who are active on YouTube, have a good subscriber count, and have a good presence overall will get their handles earlier than others.