Use a different name on YouTube than your Google Account

To use a name or photo on YouTube that's different from your Google Account, connect your channel to a Brand Account.

Brand Accounts let you support your business or brand identity on YouTube without showing a connection with your personal Google Account.

When you connect a YouTube channel to a Brand Account:

  • Your Google Account becomes an owner/manager of the Brand Account connected with the YouTube channel.
  • Brand Accounts let you access the YouTube channel from your Google Account.
  • There's no public association between your Google Account and the Brand Account. People can't view your name or email address unless you publicly link them yourself.
  • If you create more than one YouTube channel, you can manage them from one Google Account.
  • You can add other managers and owners to your Brand Account. You and any teammates or collaborators can manage the channel without having to share passwords. Learn more about managing channels connected to Brand Accounts.

Connect channels to a Brand Account

You can connect a new or existing channel to a Brand Account. For new channels, follow the instructions to create a channel that’s connected to a Brand Account.

Connect an existing channel
  1. Sign in to your Google account on a computer.
  2. Click your profile picture  and then Settings Settings.
  3. In the left menu, click Advanced settings.
  4. Next to "Move channel", click Move channel to a Brand Account.
  5. If you already have any Brand Accounts, they'll be listed under "Available accounts". When you choose one of these accounts, your YouTube channel will be renamed to match the page. If the Brand Account has any other managers, they can also manage the channel from now on.

    If your Brand Account isn't listed

    If your Brand Account isn't listed, your YouTube channel's Google Account is not a manager of that Brand Account. To do this, first add your Google Account as a manager of the page.

Note that some content can't be moved: All comments made by the channel, sent and received messages, verification badges, and automated filter community settings. You'll see a warning if your channel has this content.

If you have a custom URL, it will not be moved to your new channel.

Note: When you're using the Brand Account, you may also get an unusual email address in some places, such as channel-name-1234@pages.plusgoogle.com. This email isn't a real one, it's just an identifier for the Brand Account. You can have a Brand Account even though Google+ is no longer available.
Email notifications for the YouTube channel go to the notification address that you can set for the Brand Account. 

Switch between accounts

You can switch between your Google Account and Brand Account identities to manage any of your business or personal YouTube channels.

Choose an identity when using YouTube. The identity can be your Google Account or any Brand Accounts that you manage.

  1. On your computer, click your profile picture in the top-right corner.
  2. Click Switch account.
  3. Choose the account you want to use with YouTube from the list.
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