YouTube has confirmed a small but much-discussed change: the dislike button is moving into the three-dot (overflow) menu on creators’ own videos. The update will roll out to creators over the coming weeks.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!The news spread after users shared screenshots showing the dislike button missing from its usual spot. Many thought YouTube was hiding it from viewers. YouTube has now cleared that up.
What is changing
- When creators watch their own uploads, the dislike option sits inside the three-dot menu.
- Creators still get full dislike counts in YouTube Studio, along with all other analytics.
- The change is rolling out gradually over the next few weeks.
What is NOT changing
- Viewers keep the dislike button. YouTube says it is not testing this change for viewers in general.
- Public dislike counts stay hidden, as they have been since November 2021.
What YouTube said
YouTube spokesperson Kimberly Taylor confirmed the change to The Verge on 21 October 2026, saying it applies only to creators’ own videos.
What it means for brands and creators
- Don’t rely on likes and dislikes alone. Check watch time, retention and click-through rate in YouTube Studio.
- Use dislikes as feedback. A spike in dislikes on a video is a signal to review the title, thumbnail or content.
- For ads and brand content, track comments and audience retention to judge how people really feel.
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Source: The American Bazaar (22 October 2026), citing The Verge and 9to5Google. Image: Solomon203, Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0).
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