It’s now possible for YouTube creators to change the name of their channel without changing the name on their Google account.
Creators can change both their channel name and photo and the changes will only be applied on YouTube.
Previously, in order for a YouTube creator to change the name of their channel, they would have to change the name that’s displayed across all Google services.
This update allows creators to use one name for their YouTube channel and another name for messages sent from their Gmail account, for example.
Here’s how to easily change the name of a channel on YouTube.
How to Change the Name of a YouTube Channel
YouTube creators with both personal accounts and brand accounts can change the name of their channel without changing their Google account name.
These changes can be made from either YouTube Studio on desktop or the YouTube mobile app.
Changing a YouTube channel’s name on desktop:
- Sign in to YouTube Studio.
- From the left-hand menu, select Customization and then Basic info.
- Click Edit to update your channel name.
- Enter your new channel description.
- Click Publish.
Changing a YouTube channel’s name on mobile:
- Open the YouTube mobile app.
- Tap your profile picture.
- Tap Your Channel.
- In the right-hand corner of your channel page, tap Settings.
- Next to your name, tap Edit.
- Update your channel name and tap the tick in the corner.
Curiously, YouTube’s help page about managing a channel’s basic info has not yet been updated to indicate the name can be changed without changing the name on the Google account.
On the help page it states a channel’s name can be changed three times every 90 days. Presumably that still applies, so creators need to keep that in mind if they’re experimenting with different channel names.
An Important Note For Verified YouTube Channels
Creators with verified YouTube channels should be aware that they’ll lose their checkmark if they change the name of their channel.
This is likely done to prevent YouTube channels from impersonating other channels.
It would be easy to put out a fake news report, for example, and make it look legit if a channel could change their name to “CNN” and maintain their verified checkmark.
However, it’s possible for creators to change their channel’s name and get their checkmark back by applying for it again. That may take a while, so consider the risks before going ahead with a name change.
How to Change a YouTube Channel’s URL
Changing the name of a YouTube channel does not change the channel’s URL. That has to be done by following a separate set of steps.
YouTube lets users set a “custom” URL for their channel, which can be changed up to three times per year.
It’s custom in the sense that YouTube will allow creators to choose from a selection of recommended URLs. The recommendations are closely based on the channel’s name, as YouTube wants to prevent creators from having potentially misleading URLs.
Here’s a set of step-by-step instructions on how to change a YouTube URL.
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