New YouTube experiment swaps channel names for @handles and buries sub counts

YouTube is testing another UI change that’s got users up in arms, and this time it’s not just about button placement. The mobile app has started hiding channel names and subscriber counts underneath videos, replacing them with @handles instead. It’s a test that feels more like a step backward than forward.

Reports popping up online suggest that this new experiment has just expanded to a sizable chunk of users in the past day or so. Users found themselves staring at videos with no clear indication of who made them or how popular their channel is. The @handle now sits where the channel name used to be, and subscriber counts have vanished from their usual spot. For anyone who’s built muscle memory around YouTube’s interface over the years, it’s throwing them off completely.

One Redditor highlighted the biggest problem with the change, saying, “Most channel names don’t match the handle, and this change also removes the verification checkmark.”

The issue runs deeper than just aesthetics. Many creators never got their preferred handle when YouTube first introduced the @username system, so their display name and handle are completely different. Now viewers only see the handle, which makes finding channels harder.

But wait, there’s more. Some users report that video length timestamps have disappeared from thumbnails too. That’s particularly annoying for people who specifically hunt for longer content. As one user put it, clicking on anything feels like a gamble when you can’t see how long it runs. The new interface also crams everything together in a way that feels cluttered rather than streamlined, with one user noting it looks “sized to show the big ad right under now.”

This comes hot on the heels of another YouTube bug that broke profile switching on Google TV, which we highlighted earlier today. The platform seems to be in constant flux, testing changes that users didn’t ask for. Back in October, we ran a poll asking our readers about the new YouTube UI, and it too overwhelmingly had most users saying they disliked it. Similarly, this latest experiment isn’t landing any better.

Multiple Reddit threads captured the backlash, with users questioning the logic behind removing basic information. “What’s next? The post date? The views? The comments?” one person asked sarcastically. The sentiment across forums is pretty unified: nobody seems to know why YouTube thought this was a good idea. You can check out more user reports and reactions here, here, here, and here.

To YouTube’s credit (or maybe not), clicking on a video’s title in this new layout does bring up the full description, which shows the actual channel name. But that’s an extra step users shouldn’t need to take just to see who uploaded what they’re watching. Some users noted the interface now confuses basic actions too, with the share and like buttons getting mixed up in the redesigned space.

A few defenders argue that the change helps prevent fake channels since handles can’t be duplicated. Fair point, but most people seem to think that’s a solution looking for a problem. The verification checkmark already handled that job pretty well.

For now, this appears to be an A/B test, meaning not everyone will see it. Some users got the update about a month ago, had it disappear, and now it’s back. That’s typical YouTube behavior when testing features. Whether this sticks around or gets pulled remains to be seen.

Featured image credit: u/KorraLover123 / Reddit