Introducing Handles!

Yik Yak is all about building location-based communities to make the world feel small again — and this means helping you develop real, authentic connections with the people around you.

Whether you need help finding a lost pet, want to rally support for a local fundraiser, or just want to motivate your herd during finals by sharing random facts about pandas, we’ve seen communities come together in some truly amazing ways. With Yik Yak, you can have these conversations with anyone and everyone in your herd, whether you know them or not – but now, we’re introducing a new way for you to also establish your unique voice in your community.

Today, we're introducing handles on Yik Yak.

What are handles?

Handles give you the opportunity to let your unique personality shine through in your yaks. Your handle might be DJSkrillyax, soccerfan55, AskAlyssa, ScottRiley… it’s up to you. You can post with your handle whenever you want. And since you can come to recognize the other personalities that make your community unique and awesome, with handles your herd will feel closer than ever.

So, how do handles work?

Just like fingerprints and snowflakes, no two handles are alike. Once you decide to be soccerfan55, no one else can claim that handle. If you don’t have your handle in mind already, don’t fret! Put on some tunes, light a scented candle, and let your creativity flow – it’ll come to you.  

Once you’ve created your handle, you can post yaks with or without it. The choice is yours! Handles are set to “on” by default, but you have the option of toggling yours to “off” on each yak or reply that you post.

How do I claim my handle?

Handles are first-come, first served – so you’ll want to claim yours right away. You’ll be guided through the quick setup process as you post your next yak or reply. If you’re having a tough time deciding on your unique handle, you can still view and vote on yaks in the meantime. But as you know, chatting it up with your fellow Yakkers is the best way to really get involved in your community. Tip: Head over to the App Store or Google Play now to download the latest version of Yik Yak so you can claim the handle you want before someone else grabs it!

Handles are just one way to help your herd feel closer and more connected – and really, that’s what Yik Yak is all about. We’ve loved seeing Yakkers make amazing connections and organize great things within your local herds, and we’re excited to see how handles can help make your communities even more tight-knit.