YouTube Experiments with Removing the Dislike Button from the Main Shorts Interface

YouTube is currently testing a new feature that could change how users interact with Shorts clips. The platform is introducing a “Save” button in the Shorts interface, making it easier for viewers to bookmark their favorite short videos. To make room for this new button, YouTube is moving the Dislike button from its prominent position in the main UI to a less visible spot within the three-dot menu.

For those unfamiliar with the current setup, the YouTube Shorts player traditionally displays Like and Dislike buttons at the top of the right-hand icons. However, if you’re part of this testing group, you might notice the Dislike button has been relocated to the three-dot menu, while the Save button has taken its place on the main screen.

This adjustment aims to streamline user experience by prioritizing positive interactions like saving content for later. YouTube explained, “To make it easier to bookmark Shorts that you love, want to return to, or want to watch later, we’re experimenting with a ‘Save’ button in the Shorts player. If you’re a viewer in the test group, you’ll see the ‘Save’ icon which you can use to save Shorts to a new or existing playlist.” They added that the Dislike button is now housed in the menu for those wishing to share negative feedback.

While this may appear as a minor change, it could impact how users provide feedback on Shorts, potentially altering the Shorts recommendation algorithm, which relies on a mix of engagement factors like watch time, likes, and dislikes. However, since users will need to navigate deeper into the UI to Dislike a video, this move suggests that the Dislike button might not be as critical as initially assumed.

For now, the experiment continues, and it remains to be seen how this shift will affect user behavior and feedback loops within YouTube Shorts.