YouTube Shorts experiments with ‘Not Interested’ label for dislike button

New Delhi: YouTube Shorts is testing changes to how users register negative feedback, including a new placement for the dislike button and alternative wording that reframes the action as “Not Interested”.

Several users have recently reported that the familiar thumbs-down icon is no longer visible during normal Shorts playback. Google has confirmed that this is part of a limited experiment involving both the placement and the wording of the dislike option on YouTube Shorts.

As part of the test, the thumbs-down button has been moved into the overflow menu, accessible via the three-dot icon in the top-right corner of a Short. While the like button continues to appear prominently on the main playback screen, disliking a video now requires an additional step for some users, reducing its immediate visibility.

Alongside this change, YouTube is experimenting with how the dislike action is described. Some users continue to see a “Dislike” label, sometimes alongside a separate “Not interested” option. Others are seeing the two merged, with the thumbs-down icon accompanied by “Not interested” wording. This reflects a shift in how the platform presents the function, positioning it as a signal of personal preference rather than a negative judgement on content.

Google has said that internal data shows users frequently treat “Dislike” and “Not interested” as interchangeable actions on Shorts. Both signals are primarily used to influence recommendations rather than affect creators directly. The company is testing different layouts and labels to understand how users interact with short-form video feeds and how they indicate viewing preferences.

Google has indicated that the test remains exploratory. Users included in the experiment are shown an optional survey after selecting either “Dislike” or “Not interested” from the overflow menu, and feedback can also be submitted through the YouTube app.