YouTube is testing a hidden Dislike button, and Reddit users are not happy
The test reportedly moves Dislike into the three-dot menu on desktop, nearly five years after YouTube hid public dislike counts.
The tea in 3
- YouTube is reportedly testing a desktop layout that moves Dislike into the three-dot menu, next to Report.
- YouTube hid public dislike counts in 2021; creators still see their counts in YouTube Studio.
- YouTube has not commented, and it's unclear how wide the test is or whether it will become permanent.
YouTube appears to be testing a version of its watch page where the Dislike button is tucked into a three-dot menu instead of sitting next to Like. The change has been spotted by some desktop users, according to 9to5Google and Dexerto, and it lands nearly five years after YouTube hid public dislike counts.
YouTube has not announced the test. 9to5Google included no official statement from YouTube and could not reproduce the layout on its own devices.
What is actually being tested
Per Dexerto’s description of the reported layout, the Like button stays out front next to Share and Save. To dislike a video, viewers have to open the overflow menu, where the option sits alongside Report.
Dexerto says it is unclear how widely this is being tested or whether YouTube plans to make it permanent. The button has not been removed for everyone, and nothing confirms YouTube wants to kill the feature.
How this differs from 2021
In November 2021, YouTube hid the public dislike count. It said the goal was to reduce targeted dislike attacks and harassment, particularly against smaller creators. 9to5Google notes YouTube described the move as an effort to “de-weaponize” the button.
Back then, the button itself stayed put, and creators could still see their dislike totals in YouTube Studio. This test targets the button’s visibility, not the number.
- YouTube hides public dislike counts
- Dislike options moved away from the main interface on Shorts, per Dexerto
- 9to5Google reports the test on standard videos
Why people are mad
Reddit’s YouTube community has been the loudest. One user posted a screenshot with the caption “They removed dislikes completely,” and said they create content.
As someone who creates content, I want to know what things people want and don’t want to see.— Reddit user u/Silver-Addition7050, per Dexerto
Another Reddit post, quoted by Dexerto, showed only the Like button and read: “Rest in peace to all dislike buttons except comments. 2010-2026”
What creators could lose
The creator concern is signal. A harder-to-find button could mean fewer people use it, though no data on that exists yet, and a dislike is one of the few quick negative signals a viewer can leave. YouTube Studio still shows creators their dislike counts, so the data has not gone away. Fewer clicks would simply mean less to count.
If fewer viewers dislike, a video’s reaction numbers can lean more positive without anything about the video changing.
Where it stands
For now this is a test on some accounts. YouTube runs experiments like this often, and 9to5Google’s Ben Schoon wrote that the change reaching standard videos looks all but certain after similar moves on Shorts. If you can’t find the button on your own account, check the three-dot menu under the video.
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