Don’t like one of the Shorts? Too bad, YouTube has just removed the ‘Dislike’ button

YouTube is about to introduce a series of significant updates dedicated exclusively to its short-form format, the Shorts.

These are four main changes ranging from long-awaited technical improvements by users to decisively more divisive decisions, ready to spark heated debates among creators and end users.

The platform’s leadership has in fact chosen to intervene deeply on the interface, modifying not only the visual appearance but also some longstanding interaction mechanics, steering toward an experience of viewing that is increasingly fluid and controlled.

YouTube Shorts changes its interface and the ‘Dislike’ button disappears

Among the changes that will be welcomed with greater enthusiasm is certainly the introduction of the mode named “Clear Screen“. This feature directly affects the graphical interface, temporarily removing any text or overlays present.

The result is a video capable of occupying the full dimensions of the display without any distractions, allowing the user to focus solely on the content.

At the same time, Google has implemented the ability to double the playback speed: by performing a simple drag down on the screen, viewers will be able to accelerate the video to 2x. This is a real convenience for some users, considering that short videos can now reach a maximum duration of 3 minutes.

The updates continue with a more immediate handling of audio. The process to mute a clip has been simplified: it is sufficient to tap the screen to pause the playback and then press the new mute icon.

Additionally, the introduction of a timer dedicated to limiting time spent on the app, adjustable even to zero for those who wish to apply a total block and avoid compulsive viewing.

Three of these four innovations closely resemble the functions already adopted by the Instagram Reels Instagram, indicating a clear intent to align with the directions set by the competition.

The end of the thumbs-down

The real news, which has already begun to spark discussion, concerns the ‘vote’ options. The historic thumbs-up icon will be replaced by a heart, a harmless aesthetic variation in line with the habits of contemporary social networks. The radical change, however, concerns the button for “Not like”, which is removed definitively from the main screen.

The side menu, located on the right side of the display, goes from five to four total commands, depriving the audience of the usual thumbs up between the comments and the like button. This move mirrors the controversial decision taken in 2021 to hide the public count of the “Dislikes” on traditional videos.

Those who want to express their disapproval will have to take a longer route. It will be necessary to press the three dots button located in the top-right and select more specific options, choosing among “Not interested”, “Don’t recommend this channel” or using the function to report the content.

The company’s rationale

The company spokespersons justify this removal by arguing that the reasons behind a negative rating can be multiple and often unrelated to the actual quality of the video being played.

A user might click that button because of poorly calibrated audio or simply because the video belongs to a genre they do not enjoy.

According to this interpretation, the alternative options provided in the pop-up menu give viewers more precise tools to train the algorithm and clean up their own suggested video feed.

Although this argument has a logic to it, the fact remains that the ‘Dislike’ button has historically represented one of the most immediate tools available to the public to penalize low-quality content or content created without effort.

By removing this shortcut, instant feedback is removed in favor of a procedure that requires greater proactivity.

All these updates are being rolled out gradually and will take some time before they are fully operational on all accounts globally.