You can change your YouTube channel name whenever you want, and it takes about two minutes

YouTube lets you change your channel name directly from your account settings. The process is the same whether you use a personal name, a business name, or a custom URL—you go to your channel settings, find the "Channel name" field, type the new name, and save it. The change goes live when ready across all your videos, playlists, and subscriber pages. You can change it again anytime, with no limit on how many times you do this.

The one thing to know upfront: changing your channel name does not change your custom URL (the vanity link like youtube.com/@yourname). That is a separate setting, and YouTube only lets you create or change a custom URL once every 90 days. If you have already set a custom URL and want to change it to match a new channel name, you will have to wait for the 90-day window to pass.

Key Takeaways

  • Your channel name changes when ready and shows up everywhere—on your videos, your channel page, and in subscriber notifications—with no waiting period.
  • You can change your channel name as many times as you want, but your custom URL (youtube.com/@yourname) can only be changed once every 90 days.
  • Changing your channel name does not affect your subscriber count, video history, or any of your channel data.
  • If you use a Google Workspace account or a brand account, the steps are slightly different but the result is the same.

How to change your channel name on desktop

Sign in to YouTube and click your profile picture in the top right corner. Select "Create a channel" if you do not have one yet, or "Settings" if you already do. From the left menu, click "Channel information." You will see a field labeled "Channel name" with your current name in it. Click into that field, delete the old name, type the new one, and click "Publish" at the bottom right. The change is live when ready.

If you cannot find the Channel information page, you may be on a brand account instead of a personal account. Brand accounts have a slightly different layout. Go to Settings, then look for "Basic info" in the left menu instead of "Channel information." The name field works the same way—type, then publish.

How to change your channel name on mobile

Open the YouTube app and tap your profile picture at the top right. Tap "Create a channel" or "Settings" depending on whether you have a channel. Tap "Channel information" (or "Basic info" if you use a brand account). Tap the channel name field, clear it, type your new name, and tap the checkmark or "Done" button. The change saves right away.

If the mobile app does not show the channel name field, try opening YouTube in your phone's web browser instead and following the desktop steps. The mobile web version sometimes works better for account settings.

What happens to your videos and subscribers when you change your name

Your videos stay exactly where they are. The new channel name appears on all of them—in the video title area, in the channel header, and in your upload history. Your subscribers do not go anywhere. They will see the new name the next time they visit your channel or watch one of your videos. YouTube does not send them a notification that you changed your name, so most will not notice unless they pay close attention.

Your watch history, playlists, and comments all stay attached to your account. Changing your name does not reset anything or create a new channel behind the scenes—it just changes the display name on the one channel you have.

The difference between channel name and custom URL

Your channel name is what people see when they visit your channel or watch your videos. It can be anything, and you can change it as often as you want. Your custom URL is the link people use to find you—something like youtube.com/@yourname or youtube.com/c/yourname. YouTube only lets you set or change a custom URL once every 90 days, and you have to meet certain requirements first (usually 100 subscribers and an account that is at least 30 days old).

If you change your channel name but keep the same custom URL, people can still find you at the old link—it just shows your new channel name when they get there. If you want the custom URL to match your new channel name, you will have to wait until the 90-day window opens, then change it separately in the "Customization" section of your channel settings.

Changing your name if you use a Google Workspace or brand account

If your YouTube channel is tied to a Google Workspace account (a business email account), the steps are the same, but the name field may be labeled "Organization name" instead of "Channel name." The process is identical: go to Settings, find the name field, type the new name, and publish.

If you use a brand account (a separate account you created specifically for YouTube), go to Settings and look for "Basic info" instead of "Channel information." Everything else works the same way. Brand accounts are useful if you want to manage multiple channels or keep your YouTube presence separate from your personal Google account.

Things that do not change when you rename your channel

Your channel URL (the numbers at the end of youtube.com/channel/...) stays the same forever—that is your permanent channel ID and cannot be changed. Your subscriber count, view count, and all your video statistics stay exactly as they are. Any monetization settings, channel memberships, or Super Chat features you have set up continue to work. Your upload schedule, notifications, and any third-party tools connected to your channel are not affected.

The only thing that changes is what people see when they look at your channel. Everything behind the scenes stays the same.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I change my YouTube channel name back to what it was before?

Yes. You can change your channel name to anything you want at any time, including a name you used in the past. There is no restriction on reusing old names or changing back and forth.

Will my subscribers get notified when I change my channel name?

No. YouTube does not send a notification to your subscribers when you change your channel name. They will see the new name the next time they visit your channel or watch one of your videos, but they will not receive an alert about the change.

How long does it take for the new channel name to show up everywhere?

The change is live when ready on your channel page and new videos. It may take a few hours to a day to show up in search results, recommendations, and other places YouTube indexes, but your channel itself displays the new name right away.

Can I change my channel name if I have a custom URL?

Yes. Having a custom URL does not lock your channel name. You can change your channel name whenever you want. Your custom URL stays the same unless you change it separately, which you can only do once every 90 days.

What if I want to change my channel name and my custom URL to match?

Change your channel name first—that takes effect when ready. Then wait until the 90-day window from your last custom URL change has passed, go to the Customization section of your channel settings, and change the custom URL to match. You can only make one custom URL change per 90 days.