Reports on X and Reddit show the option moved into a submenu or missing, and Google did not immediately reply.
YouTube is testing a change that hides the dislike button on videos for some users. Screenshots posted on X and Reddit show the dislike control moved into the three-dots menu or missing entirely, according to reports. Google did not immediately respond to a request for comment, and the company has not said how widely the test runs.
YouTube has repeatedly adjusted the dislike button. In 2021, the platform hid public dislike counts to protect creators from harassment, while creators retained access to those counts. Earlier this year, YouTube removed the dislike button from Shorts and pointed users to options in the three-dots menu. The reported test extends that pattern to standard videos.
Product teams should treat the dislike button as a feedback channel, not just a cosmetic control. Hiding the control raises friction and likely reduces the volume of explicit negative signals that teams use to spot bad recommendations, broken pages, or low-quality content. Teams that rely on public dislike counts for creator or community health should verify what YouTube exposes after any broader rollout.
The key question is whether YouTube confirms the test and whether the dislike button remains a standard control on regular videos. Users should watch for a company statement, a wider rollout, and any change to creator-facing dislike counts. The earlier Shorts change gives operators a baseline for how YouTube may frame the move as a shift toward the three-dots menu.
What matters
- At least two X users and one Reddit user report the dislike control moved or disappeared.
- Moving dislike access into a submenu lowers engagement and hides useful negative feedback signals.
- Watch whether YouTube confirms the test and whether creators retain access to dislike counts.
Why it matters
Watch whether YouTube confirms the test and whether creators retain access to dislike counts.
This GenAI News article was prepared in original wording using reporting and materials published by The Verge. Source reference: https://www.theverge.com/streaming/1015099/youtube-dislike-button-hide-menu.
Drafted by the GenAI News review pipeline.