YouTube’s latest experiment makes it harder to dislike Shorts

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Credit: Joe Hindy / Android Authority

• YouTube is experimenting with hiding the Dislike button on the main Shorts interface in favor of Save.
• Affected testers will now need to click the three-dot menu to reveal the Dislike button.
• Tapping the Save button lets users add the video to a new or existing YouTube playlist.

YouTube is rolling out a new Shorts user interface that replaces the Dislike button with Save. The company is testing the change with a limited group of mobile users before committing to a potential global release. Those impacted by this experiment will no longer find the Dislike button on the player’s main view. Instead, they can reveal it by tapping the three-dot menu. Unlike opt-in YouTube Premium experiments, this update has seemingly been applied to random users.

This change encourages users to add more videos to their playlists by bringing the Save button to the main interface. Given the fast-paced nature of YouTube Shorts, many testers will likely start using the Save button more often — now that it doesn’t require an additional click. Similarly, with the Dislike button out of the way, certain users may scroll away from YouTube Shorts they disapprove of without leaving a thumbs down. This could positively impact creators, as it pushes their viewers to like and save their content.




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