YouTube appears to be testing a change that hides the dislike button beneath the three-dot menu on regular videos, making it less accessible for users who want to express negative feedback. The change has been spotted by several users on social media, although it remains unclear how widely the test is being rolled out.
As reported by 9to5Google on October 20, 2026, users on X and Reddit have shared screenshots showing the dislike button missing from its usual position beneath videos. Instead of appearing alongside the like button, the option reportedly sits inside the three-dot menu.
For users who still have the dislike button next to the like button, the change would add an extra step to express their opinion about a video. Moving the option into a submenu could also discourage some viewers from using it, although YouTube has not disclosed the purpose or expected impact of the apparent test.
The company has not confirmed whether the change is part of a broader experiment or whether it will be introduced to more users. Google had not immediately responded to a request for comment at the time of the original report.
YouTube has made several changes to its dislike feature in recent years. In November 2021, the platform removed the public dislike count from videos, saying the move was intended to protect creators from harassment and targeted dislike campaigns. Creators can still view dislike counts through YouTube Studio, but viewers can no longer see the total number of dislikes displayed publicly.
Earlier in 2026, YouTube also removed the dislike button from its Shorts interface, directing users toward options available through the three-dot menu instead.
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