Can't Find YouTube's Dislike Button? Here's Why

The Google-owned media platform YouTube had several cool new features added in 2026, from a new On-the-go mode to an AI-powered conversational search function. The platform beat out Netflix and Disney as the most popular streaming platform in the U.S. in part because it elevates users' video, music, and podcast consumption into a social media-like experience. Thos social features include a comment section, like and share buttons, and–more controversially—the dislike button. 

YouTube has a shaky history with the thumbs-down icon, which some communities use to bully one another on the platform, while others look to it as a genuine indicator of audience taste. Google removed public dislike counts in 2021, and then axed the whole button for YouTube Shorts in the summer of 2026. But the effective down-vote remained on standard YouTube videos until the fall, when some users began posting about how it had mysteriously disappeared from their screen at times. Some people wondered whether it was Google testing another change to the platform, but it turns out that's not what was happening.

Google told 9to5 Google it's merely moved the dislike button behind a menu for creators viewing their own videos while logged in to their own accounts. Users accessing any other long-form content will notice the dislike button still is alive and kicking. "We are not testing hiding the dislike button on YouTube for users," the company reportedly said. "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."

Even if the button has yet to completely fade from existence some users still disliked the decision. Some critics said the notion that it's being hidden at all marks the beginning of the end. "It's such an atrocious change," one Reddit user wrote. "I can't stand it."

YouTube's relationship with the dislike button is like an over-wrought on-again off-again drama. The internet giant's move to change dislikes in 2021 led to a platform-wide freak out. The company moved to hide public tallies of how many dislikes a video got, a measure it claimed was put in place to mitigate harassment and dislike campaigns. "To ensure that YouTube promotes respectful interactions between viewers and creators, we introduced several features and policies to improve their experience," the company wrote in a December 2021 blog post. Though third-party browser extensions attempted to fill the gap with their own tallies, YouTube hasn't officially brought them back as of 2026.

On YouTube Shorts, the company took a different approach: As an alternative to the dislike button, YouTube Shorts users must now tap an option labeled "Not Interested" if they wish to improve their feed recommendations. People can also opt for Shorts not to recommend a certain channel, or to outright report it to YouTube for breaking community rules. Marking your mere lack of interest in a piece of content may not be as cathartic, however. Proponents of dislike counts also note that the figure can provide a real service, warning other viewers before they engage with specific videos. Instead, some critics say this is YouTube's way of forcing algorithm-friendly content on them, rather than afford them a wider freedom of choice.