YouTube clarifies testing rumors as creators get a hidden dislike button

YouTube addresses reports

On Tuesday, a report said YouTube appeared to be testing a change that hid the dislike button. At least two users on X had shared screenshots showing it inside the three-dot menu.

A YouTube spokesperson told The Verge on Wednesday that the company was not testing this change for users. The planned interface adjustment applies to creators viewing videos they uploaded themselves.

What creators will see

For creators on their own uploaded videos, the dislike option will sit behind the three-dot menu. YouTube said creators will continue to have access to full dislike counts in Studio, alongside other analytics. The change concerns the button’s placement in the creator interface; the spokesperson’s statement did not describe a similar change for regular users.

Earlier dislike changes

YouTube began hiding public dislike counts on videos in 2021, saying the move was intended to prevent harassment. The company has also removed the dislike button from Shorts earlier this year. The latest interface update is another adjustment to how dislike features appear on YouTube, while creators retain access to their full counts in Studio.