How to Change Your YouTube Channel Name in 2026 (PC, iPhone, Android)
To change your YouTube channel name on a computer, open YouTube Studio, click Customization, then Profile, type the new name, and click Publish. On a phone, open the YouTube app, tap your profile picture, tap View channel, tap Edit, then tap Edit next to your name and save. You can do this twice in any 14-day period, and the new name can take a few days to show everywhere on YouTube. Those rules come from YouTube's own Manage your channel's profile help page, which we checked on October 22, 2026.
Before you change anything, it helps to know that your channel has two separate names, and they follow slightly different rules.
Channel name vs handle
Your channel name is the display name people see on your channel page and under your videos. It can have spaces, capital letters, and almost anything else that fits YouTube's Community Guidelines.
Your handle is the short @name that YouTube uses in comments, mentions, Live Chat and Shorts, according to Learn about YouTube handles. It is also your channel's web address: youtube.com/@yourhandle. Each channel has exactly one handle, and no two channels can share one.
The two don't have to match. Plenty of channels use a full name like "Midnight Archive Stories" with a shorter handle like @midnightarchive. If you're renaming because you changed your niche or your brand, you'll usually want to change both, so the name on the page and the link you share line up.
How to change your YouTube channel name on a computer
- Sign in to YouTube Studio.
- In the left menu, click Customization, then the Profile tab.
- Type your new name in the Name field.
- Click Publish.
That's the whole process. If the name field won't save, YouTube's help page has one specific fix: delete any channel name translations you added (in the language settings for your channel's basic info), then try again.
How to change your YouTube channel name on iPhone or Android
The steps are the same on iPhone and Android, per the iPhone version of YouTube's help page.
In the YouTube app:
- Tap your profile picture, then tap View channel.
- Tap Edit (under your channel description).
- Tap Edit next to your name and type the new one.
- Tap Save.
In the YouTube Studio app:
- Tap your profile picture, then tap Edit.
- Tap Edit next to your name.
- Type the new name and tap Save.
How to change your YouTube handle
On a computer, go to the same place: YouTube Studio, Customization, Profile. Under Handle, type a new one, then click Publish. On a phone, follow the steps above and tap Edit next to your handle instead of your name. The Change, view, or hide your handle page covers both apps.
Handle rules from YouTube's handle page:
- 3 to 30 characters for Latin-script handles (some scripts, like Korean or Japanese, have different limits).
- Letters and numbers, plus underscores, hyphens, and periods. These can't go at the very start or end.
- Not case-sensitive, so @MidnightArchive and @midnightarchive are the same handle.
- It can't look like a URL or a phone number, and it can't be offensive or spammy.
- Handles can't be bought, sold, or transferred.
If the handle you want is taken, YouTube suggests a similar one. Adding a period, underscore, or a short word like "tv" or "stories" usually gets you something close.
The limits: twice in 14 days
YouTube lets you change your channel name twice within a 14-day period, and the same goes for your handle. Both limits are stated on the channel profile help page.
In practice, this gives you room for one change and one undo. If you rename, hate it the next morning, and switch back, you've used both changes and have to wait for the window to clear. So decide on the final name before you touch the settings.
If you'd rather make videos than read about it, VidPuff turns a title into a faceless video. No waitlist, cancel anytime.
When you change your handle, YouTube holds your old one for 14 days in case you want it back. During those 14 days, both your old handle URL and your new one work. After that, the old handle is released and someone else can take it (source). YouTube doesn't promise the old link will keep working after that window, so update the links in your video descriptions, your website, and your social bios soon after the change.
One exception: if your channel is old enough to have a legacy custom URL (like youtube.com/c/yourname), that URL keeps working, and YouTube says it now redirects to your handle URL. You can't create or edit custom URLs anymore (Custom URL overview).
What happens to your verification badge
If your channel has the gray check mark, changing the channel name removes it. YouTube's verification badge page says a renamed channel "won't be verified" and you'll need to reapply, and you still need 100,000 subscribers to qualify. Changing only your handle does not remove the badge.
For most small channels this doesn't matter, since they aren't verified yet. If you are, it's one more reason to rename once and get it right.
Will it change your Google Account name?
No. A name change made in YouTube only shows on YouTube. Your Gmail and Google Account name stay the same, and changing your Google Account name doesn't rename your channel either. This is stated on the same channel profile help page.
Your subscribers, videos, views, and comments all stay with the channel. Only the label changes.
Picking a name you won't want to change again
Since you only get a couple of changes at a time, a few minutes of thinking saves you a lot of link-updating later.
- Say what the channel is about. "Quiet History" tells a new viewer more than a random word does. If you plan to move between topics, keep it broad.
- Keep it short. Long names get cut off on phones and in search results.
- Make the handle match. Check the handle is free before you commit to the name.
- Search it first. Look it up on YouTube and Google to make sure a bigger channel isn't already using something close.
If you're stuck, our free YouTube name generator gives you name and handle ideas by niche. And if the rename is part of a bigger reset, such as switching your channel to a new topic, our lists of YouTube channel ideas and faceless YouTube channel ideas can help you pick the new direction first.
A new name is also a good moment to plan a steady upload schedule under it. If you're running a faceless channel, VidPuff can help with the production side: you type a title, and it writes the script, generates narration, creates a visual for each scene, adds music and captions, and renders a long-form 16:9 video that you review stage by stage before uploading to YouTube from the app. For the full setup from scratch, see how to start a YouTube channel.
FAQ
How many times can you change your YouTube channel name?
Twice within any 14-day period, according to YouTube Help. Once you've used both, wait until the 14 days pass. The handle has its own, separate limit of two changes in 14 days.
Why can't I change my YouTube channel name?
The common reasons are that you've already changed it twice in the last 14 days, or that the channel has name translations saved. YouTube's help page says to delete any channel name translations, then try again.
Does changing your YouTube name affect subscribers or monetization?
Your subscribers, videos, and view history stay on the channel, since the channel itself doesn't change, only its name. YouTube's help pages don't list any effect on Partner Program status from a rename. The one documented side effect is that a verified channel loses its badge and has to reapply.
How long does it take for a YouTube channel name change to show?
YouTube says it "may take a few days" for the new name to show across the site. After a handle change, your old handle URL and the new one both work for 14 days.
See how it works →