YouTube might be testing hiding the dislike button

YouTube appears to be testing hiding the dislike button on videos, as reported by 9to5Google. At least two users on X have recently shared screenshots of the dislike button now being placed in the three-dots submenu, and a user on Reddit also shared an image of the dislike button being absent for them.

Right now, for me, the dislike button sits right next to the like button under a video. Moving it to a submenu would make it considerably more of an effort to access, meaning that fewer people would likely use it.

It’s unclear how widely this apparent test may be rolled out, and Google didn’t immediately reply to a request for comment.

YouTube has shown a willingness to make changes to the dislike button. In 2021, it hid the public dislike count on videos to help “protect creators from harassment,” though creators can still see dislike counts. Earlier this year, YouTube removed the dislike button from YouTube Shorts, suggesting instead that users take advantage of options in the three-dots menu.