How to Change Your YouTube Channel Name (Step by Step)

Published 2026-09-26 · 6 min read · YTDetective

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TL;DR

On a computer, open YouTube Studio, choose Customization, then Profile, type the new name and click Publish. YouTube Help says the new name may take a few days to show across YouTube.
You can change the channel name twice within a 14-day period. The handle has its own limit of twice in 14 days.
Changing the name removes a verification badge, and you have to reapply. Changing only the handle does not remove it.
A name change can be blocked if the channel has name translations. Delete them first, YouTube Help says.

Changing a channel name takes a minute. What people search for is what happens next: whether it changes the web address, whether they can undo it, and what it costs a verified channel. This guide takes the steps from YouTube Help, then the limits and the exceptions, and points out which of those pages we read and which questions they leave open.

The steps

YouTube Help gives these steps for a computer.

01
Sign in to YouTube Studio
Use the account that owns the channel.
02
Open Customization, then Profile
Both are in the left menu.
03
Enter the new channel name
The name has to follow YouTube's Community Guidelines.
04
Click Publish
It may take a few days for the new name to display across YouTube.

The Help page has versions for computer, Android and iPhone & iPad. The steps above are the computer ones.

Limits to know first

YouTube Help says you can change your channel name twice within a 14-day period. The handle has the same limit, counted separately: twice in 14 days. If you are testing names, make the second change count.

A channel name and a Google Account name are separate. YouTube Help says a change to the channel name and picture is visible only on YouTube, and that you change the Google Account name and picture in a different place, leaving the channel name alone.

If the change does not go through

YouTube Help gives one specific cause: if you cannot update the channel name, delete any channel name translations first, then update the name. Translations are added in Customization, under Profile, with the Add language option.

Two other things can stop a change. The name has to follow the Community Guidelines, and the impersonation policy lists examples that are not allowed: adding "Real" or "Official" to a name to pretend to be the authentic version of another channel, and pretending to be a backup channel by adding words like "Backup", "Shorts" or "Live" to a creator's name. YouTube Help says a channel set up to impersonate someone may be removed.

What a rename does to the badge

YouTube Help says a verified channel stays verified unless you change the channel name. If you change it, the renamed channel is not verified, and you have to reapply. To be eligible to apply, a channel needs 100,000 subscribers, 2-step verification on the Google account and a complete profile with a banner image, a profile picture, a description and at least one public video.

Changing the handle is different. The same page says changing the handle will not remove the badge. If what you want is a new address and not a new name, change the handle.

What stays the same

We did not find a YouTube Help page that says a rename changes the channel's subscribers, videos or ID. The ID is described as the channel's unique identifier, and our channel ID guide explains how to check it. The web address is a separate matter. It is built from the handle, and YouTube Help lists it as a separate setting. Our guide to channel name, handle, ID and URL sets out the difference.

To choose a new name, the channel name guide covers what to weigh, and the Channel Name Generator builds ideas and checks the matching handle.

Confidence note

The steps, the two-changes-in-14-days limit, the few-days delay, the translation fix, the badge rules and the impersonation examples come from YouTube Help pages read on September 26, 2026. YouTube Help does not say what a rename does to subscribers, videos or the ID, so we do not claim anything there. YouTube changes its help pages, so check the steps in Studio before you rename a large channel.

FAQ

How many times can I change my YouTube channel name?

YouTube Help says twice within a 14-day period. The handle has its own limit, also twice in 14 days.

How long does a new channel name take to show?

YouTube Help says it may take a few days for the new name to update and display across YouTube.

Does changing my channel name change my handle?

YouTube Help lists them as separate settings, each with its own limit, both under Customization and Profile in Studio. We did not find a page that says one follows the other.

Will I lose my verification badge?

If you change the channel name, yes: YouTube Help says the renamed channel is not verified and you need to reapply. Changing only the handle does not remove the badge.

Why can't I change my channel name?

YouTube Help says to delete any channel name translations first. The name also has to follow the Community Guidelines, and you may already have used your two changes for the 14-day period.

Does changing my Google Account name change my channel name?

No. YouTube Help says you can change your Google Account name and picture separately, with no changes made to your YouTube channel name.

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