YouTube may be hiding the dislike button on videos

YouTube appears to be testing a version of its watch page that hides the dislike button. According to The Verge, citing a report from 9to5Google, some users have found the button moved into the three-dots menu under videos. YouTube has not confirmed the test, and Google did not immediately respond to The Verge's request for comment.

What users are seeing

9to5Google says at least two users on X shared screenshots with the dislike button placed in the overflow menu, next to the "Report" option, while the like button stays in view. A user on Reddit also posted an image of the button missing entirely. A second report described a slightly different layout with the same result, and 9to5Google adds that it could not reproduce the behavior on its own accounts.

The Verge's writer noted that the dislike button still sits beside the like button for them. Moving it to a submenu would make it harder to reach, which would likely mean fewer people use it.

A familiar direction

The test fits a pattern. In 2021 YouTube hid the public dislike count, saying the move was meant to protect creators from harassment, although creators can still see their own totals in YouTube Studio. The Verge reports that earlier this year the company also removed the dislike button from YouTube Shorts, suggesting people use options in the three-dots menu instead.

Based on that, 9to5Google says it is "all but certain" that the same change will reach standard videos. That is the outlet's own judgment, and YouTube has not said so.

What it means for viewers

The dislike button remains a way to tell YouTube what you do not want to see, so burying it could change how much of that feedback the platform gets. How widely the layout is being shown is unclear, and YouTube often runs interface tests that never reach everyone.

For now, anyone who does not see the button next to the like button can look in the three-dots menu below the video.