How to Create a YouTube Channel on Your Phone or Computer

To create a YouTube channel, sign in to YouTube with your Google Account, click your profile picture, then Settings, and under Account select Add or manage channel(s) and Create a channel. Choose a profile picture, type a name and a Handle, then click Create channel. It is free, takes a few minutes and works on a computer or in your phone’s browser; if you want a name different from your Google Account, or more than one person managing the channel, create it with a Brand Account instead.

Below are the steps for each case, the rules for names and handles, what to set up before your first upload, and how to get your new channel’s link into your Instagram and TikTok bios. Steps and rules were checked against YouTube Help as of November 2026; YouTube changes its menus from time to time, so a label may have moved slightly.

What you need before you start

• A Google Account. A Gmail address works, and so does a Google Account created with another email address. Watching, liking and subscribing only need the account; uploading videos, commenting and making playlists need a channel.
• The minimum age. You need to be old enough to manage your own Google Account where you live. That is 13 in most countries, but higher in some, for example 14 in Spain and South Korea and 16 in Germany and the Netherlands; Google lists every exception in its age requirements for Google Accounts. YouTube’s Terms of Service also say that if you are under 18, you need a parent’s or guardian’s permission.
• No payment. Creating a channel and uploading videos cost nothing.

If you use YouTube with a supervised account (set up by a parent), YouTube Help notes that you may not be able to create a channel.

Personal channel or Brand Account channel?

If you are unsure, think about the next two years. If someone else, such as an editor, a partner or an agency, may need access, the Brand Account route saves you a migration later.

How to create a personal YouTube channel

YouTube Help gives these steps for a computer or the mobile site:

1. Sign in to YouTube on a computer, or on youtube.com in your phone’s browser.
2. Click your profile picture, then Settings.
3. In the Account section, select Add or manage channel(s).
4. Click Create a channel.
5. Choose a profile picture, then type in your name and Handle.
6. Click Create channel.

The channel is created right away. You can change the name, handle and picture later, so do not let this step stop you for days.

How to create a YouTube channel on iPhone or Android

The official steps above are written for a computer or the mobile site, and they work on a phone: open Safari or Chrome, go to youtube.com, sign in and follow the same six steps.

In the YouTube app itself, YouTube usually asks you to create a channel the first time you try to do something that needs one, such as uploading a video or posting a comment. YouTube Help does not describe that prompt step by step. It does note that a channel created this way, for example by posting a comment on mobile, may get a handle assigned automatically based on your channel name. If that happens, check your handle afterwards and change it if you do not like it (see below).

How to create a channel with a business or other name

To create a channel connected to a Brand Account:

1. Sign in to YouTube on a computer or the mobile site.
2. Go to your channel list (profile picture, then Settings, then Add or manage channel(s)).
3. Click Create a new channel, or choose a Brand Account you already manage from the list. A Brand Account that already has a channel cannot get a second one.
4. Choose a profile picture, a name and a Handle.
5. Click Create channel. This creates a new Brand Account.
6. Add owners and managers if other people will work on the channel.

The YouTube Help article on creating a channel has both sets of steps. If you already have a personal channel, YouTube’s feature-access table lists adding more channels to your account as an advanced feature, so you may need to verify your account first.

Choosing your channel name and @handle

Your channel has two names, and people confuse them all the time:

• The channel name is what appears on your channel page and under your videos. It can contain spaces and does not have to be unique.
• The handle is your unique @name, such as @yourhandle. It becomes your channel’s link (youtube.com/@yourhandle) and shows up in comments, mentions and Shorts.

YouTube’s handle rules, as of November 2026: a handle is 3 to 30 characters long, uses letters or numbers, can include underscores, hyphens, periods and Latin middle dots (but not at the start or end), must not look like a URL or a phone number, and must not already be taken. Handles are not case-sensitive.

A few practical tips:

1. Match your other profiles. If you are @mariabakes on Instagram and TikTok, try to get @mariabakes on YouTube too. People who find you on one app can then guess the others.
2. Stick to A–Z, 0–9 and simple separators if you can. YouTube warns that handles with other characters may be hard to type for people without the right keyboard, and that some apps outside YouTube may not display the link properly.
3. Keep it short and readable. You will say it out loud in videos and type it into bios.

You can change both later: YouTube allows two name changes and two handle changes within any 14-day period. Before you do, read what happens to your links when you change your handle, and for the difference between a handle, a legacy custom URL and a channel ID, see YouTube handle vs custom URL.

Set up your profile picture, banner and description

A channel with a blank picture and no description looks abandoned. On a computer, everything is in YouTube Studio:

1. Sign in to YouTube Studio.
2. In the left menu, select Customization, then Profile.
3. Next to the profile picture or the banner image, click Change, choose an image, adjust the crop and click Done.
4. Fill in your Description, add Links (up to 14, the first is shown near the Subscribe button) and optional contact info.
5. Click Publish.

In the YouTube app, open your channel from your profile picture, tap Edit, then tap the profile picture or the banner.

YouTube’s image guidelines:

Before your first upload

You can upload as soon as the channel exists: in the app, tap Create and choose a video; on a computer, open YouTube Studio and click Create, then Upload videos. Some features unlock in stages, as of November 2026:

• Standard features (right away): uploading videos and Shorts, playlists and posts, with daily limits.
• Intermediate features (after phone verification): videos longer than 15 minutes, custom thumbnails and live streaming on a computer.
• Advanced features (after enough channel history, or ID or video verification): clickable links in long-form video descriptions, pinned comments, chapters and a Related video on your Shorts, among others.

To see where you stand, open YouTube Studio, click Settings, then Channel, then Feature eligibility. Phone verification is quick, so it is worth doing before your first long video. You will also be asked whether your videos are made for kids, a setting YouTube requires for every video.

Get your channel link and add it to your bios

Once the channel exists, put it where people already know you:

1. Copy the link. In the app, tap your profile picture, View channel, then the three-dot More menu, Share and Copy link. On a computer, open your channel and copy the address bar. The guide on finding your YouTube channel link covers every format.
2. Add it to Instagram. Go to your profile, tap Edit profile, then Links, and add the channel link.
3. Add it to TikTok. Not every TikTok account has a clickable Website field; how to add a link to your TikTok bio explains who has it and what to do without it.
4. Use a subscribe link where people already follow you. Adding ?sub_confirmation=1 to your channel URL asks YouTube to show a Subscribe prompt; the subscribe link generator builds it for you.

If you want that bio link short, and want taps inside Instagram or TikTok to ask the phone to open your channel in the YouTube app, you can paste it into the YouTube channel link shortener.

Frequently asked questions

Is it free to create a YouTube channel?

Yes. Creating a channel, uploading videos and customizing your channel cost nothing; you only need a Google Account. Paying for Google Ads to promote a video later is optional.

How old do you have to be to create a YouTube channel?

You need to meet the minimum age for managing your own Google Account in your country, which is 13 in most countries and higher in some, such as 16 in Germany. YouTube’s Terms also require a parent’s or guardian’s permission if you are under 18. Younger children can use YouTube through a supervised account set up by a parent, but may not be able to create a channel.

Can I create a YouTube channel on my phone?

Yes. Open youtube.com in your phone’s browser, sign in, then tap your profile picture, Settings, Add or manage channel(s) and Create a channel. In the YouTube app, you are usually asked to create a channel the first time you try to upload or comment.

What is the difference between a channel name and a handle?

The channel name is the display name on your channel and videos, and it does not have to be unique. The handle is your unique @name, which also forms your channel link, youtube.com/@yourhandle. You choose both when you create the channel and can change each one twice within 14 days.

Can I have more than one YouTube channel?

Yes, by creating additional channels with Brand Accounts, each with its own name and handle. Each Brand Account can have only one channel. As of November 2026, YouTube lists adding more channels to your account as an advanced feature, so you may need to verify your account first.

Should I use a personal channel or a Brand Account?

Use a personal channel if you will run it alone. Use a Brand Account if the channel represents a business or a group, or if other people such as editors may need access, because a Brand Account channel can have several owners and managers.