YouTube Tests Hiding the Dislike Button in Submenu
YouTube is reportedly experimenting with a new interface design that relocates the dislike button to an overflow menu, potentially making it much harder for users to access on standard videos.
Radwan AbdulhadiEditor and technology writer
New User Interface Tests Surface Online
YouTube appears to be testing hiding the dislike button on videos, as reported by 9to5Google, following a pattern of user interface adjustments across the platform. Multiple users across various online communities have begun noticing subtle layout alterations that affect how interactions are handled beneath video players.
While the standard layout typically keeps the like and dislike buttons side by side directly beneath a video, recent observations suggest that Google may be rethinking this placement. Moving the interactive control to an alternative location would significantly alter routine user engagement patterns.
Screenshots and Social Media Reports
Evidence of the testing has emerged through multiple social media channels. At least two users on X have recently shared screenshots of the dislike button now being placed in the three-dots submenu, separating it from the primary like action.
In addition to reports on X, a user on Reddit also shared an image of the dislike button being absent for them entirely in its conventional position. Additional web users have documented similar variations where the interaction element is offloaded entirely to an overflow menu alongside reporting features.
Impact on User Engagement and Accessibility
By shifting the dislike button inside a secondary menu, accessing the feature requires multiple steps instead of a single click. This structural friction means that fewer people would likely use it during everyday browsing, altering community feedback loops significantly.
It remains unclear how widely this apparent test may be rolled out across the global user base, and Google didn’t immediately reply to a request for comment regarding the scope or purpose of the experiment.
A History of Dislike Button Modifications
This potential layout change is the latest in a series of controversial adjustments YouTube has made to how dislikes are handled. In 2021, the platform hid the public dislike count on videos to help protect creators from harassment, though internal metrics remain visible to the video uploaders themselves.
The company previously instituted similar adjustments to short-form content. Earlier this year, YouTube removed the dislike button from YouTube Shorts, encouraging users to utilize alternative feedback options nested inside the three-dots menu instead.
Broader Platform Context and Future Outlook
Because Google frequently runs UI experiments on limited segments of its audience, features spotted during testing do not always make it to a permanent global release. However, given that analogous modifications were previously deployed to Shorts, industry watchers consider similar interface shifts for standard videos entirely plausible.
As testing continues across desktop and mobile environments, developers and content creators will be monitoring whether the platform ultimately decides to formalize the relocation of the dislike button.
Sources
- The VergeYouTube might be testing hiding the dislike button
- 9to5GoogleYouTube starts hiding the dislike button on normal videos
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