YouTube says it is not hiding the dislike button from viewers, despite reports this week of a test. According to the company, the three-dot-menu placement people spotted is a new layout for creators. It applies only to videos they uploaded themselves.
We are not testing hiding the dislike button on YouTube for users. We’re introducing a new UI for creators on their own uploaded videos, where dislike is behind the three-dot menu, and as always, they can find their full dislike counts in Studio, alongside other analytics.
That statement came from YouTube spokesperson Kimberly Taylor, who gave it to The Verge on Wednesday.
What changes for creators
YouTube says it is moving the dislike button on creators’ own uploads behind the three-dot menu. That means disliking your own video takes one extra tap. Full dislike counts stay in YouTube Studio, next to your other analytics.
For viewers, YouTube says nothing changes. By the company’s account, the dislike button stays where it was on everyone else’s videos.
Why people thought the YouTube dislike button was going away
On October 20 and 21, screenshots on X showed the dislike button tucked into the three-dot menu. Early reports framed it as YouTube testing a hidden dislike button for everyone. Some headlines went further and claimed the button was being deleted outright.
YouTube’s position is that viewers are not part of any such test. androidpure can’t independently confirm who saw the change in those screenshots, or on whose videos.
The suspicion made sense given the button’s history. YouTube hid public dislike counts starting in 2021, saying it wanted to curb harassment. Earlier in 2026, it removed the dislike button from Shorts. Against that record, a third step looked plausible to many users.
For now, YouTube describes this as a small interface change for creators rather than a removal. It joins other recent YouTube changes, such as the arrival of GIF comments.
Source: The Verge
