YouTube is introducing an interface change that moves the dislike button behind a three-dot menu on creators’ own uploaded videos, but the company says it is not testing the same change for viewers generally.
The clarification follows reports that the dislike button had disappeared from its usual position beneath videos, prompting speculation that YouTube was making the feature harder for viewers to access.
In a statement to The Verge on Oct. 21, YouTube spokesperson Kimberly Taylor said the update was designed for creators viewing their own uploads. The company also confirmed that creators would continue to have access to full dislike counts through YouTube Studio, alongside other analytics.
The distinction is significant because screenshots shared online by users had raised concerns that the platform was testing a broader change to its standard video interface.
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An earlier report from 9to5Google on Oct. 20 described instances in which the dislike option appeared inside the overflow menu rather than beside the like button. The publication said it could not reproduce the behavior during its initial testing.
YouTube’s subsequent statement clarified that the reported interface change concerned creators’ own videos, rather than a test to hide the dislike button from users across the platform.
The company said the updated interface would roll out to creators over the coming weeks, according to The Verge.
The change comes nearly five years after YouTube removed publicly visible dislike counts in November 2021.
At the time, the company said the decision was intended to reduce targeted dislike campaigns and protect creators from harassment.
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Although viewers could no longer see the total number of dislikes, the button remained available, and creators retained access to the figures through YouTube Studio.
The public dislike count and the dislike button are separate features, so removing the visible count did not eliminate viewers’ ability to register a dislike, while the latest interface update changes the button’s placement when creators view their own uploads.
YouTube’s latest clarification does not announce the removal of the dislike button from standard videos. Instead, it identifies the change as a creator-facing interface update and confirms that dislike data remains accessible through the platform’s analytics tools.
The announced change applies to the interface that creators see on their own uploaded videos.