YouTube Hides Public Dislike Counts

Last updated: October 15, 2026

YouTube confirmed what had been rumoured: the dislike button will stay, but the public dislike count is going private. The platform announced the move in a blog post, framing it as a way to protect creators from coordinated dislike attacks. The decision lands differently depending on whether you upload videos or just watch them.

A report from data platform Thought Leaders gives the first real picture of what changes for "How To" and "Crafts" categories, the corners of YouTube that historically attracted the most dislikes.

The short version

• YouTube confirmed the dislike button is staying; the public count is being removed.
• Creators will still see exact dislike numbers in their own analytics.
• Data from Thought Leaders shows average engagement has grown over the past decade, and dislikes have grown faster than likes.
• Brand-sponsored videos averaged 14% fewer dislikes; gaming videos had about 2.8% dislikes relative to total engagement.
• The change has drawn criticism from industry voices who question the stated rationale.

What the data actually shows

The Thought Leaders report paints a picture worth examining. Average total engagement per video (likes plus dislikes) has climbed steadily for ten years. Within that number, dislikes have grown faster than likes, which means the engagement mix has shifted toward the negative. That part is uncomfortable reading for any creator.

Brand-sponsored videos had 14% fewer dislikes on average, suggesting viewers tolerate brand content better than expected. Gaming content had the lowest dislike ratio at 2.8% of total engagement. How-to and craft videos were the most disliked categories, the headline finding.

Why YouTube says it made the change

YouTube's stated rationale is creator protection, especially small creators and those just starting out, against dislike attacks designed to drive the count up. The platform said it heard directly from small creators during its experiment earlier this year. Without a public number, the argument goes, a campaign to pile on dislikes cannot generate the public backlash the attackers wanted.

The platform also pointed to broader work on respectful interactions. Removing the public number removes one tool of bullying without removing the underlying signal.

The pushback

Amit Altman, Head of Publisher Relations at Thought Leaders, offered a pointed counterargument. He rejects YouTube's framing on two fronts. First, he argues that the platform has never successfully tackled clickbait and spam content, meaning the like-to-dislike ratio served as the only reliable quality indicator viewers had. Without it, he contends, audiences have lost their best shortcut for judging whether a video delivers what it promises.

Second, Altman questions the premise that small creators bear the brunt of coordinated dislike campaigns. He says the independent creators he works with professionally have never experienced targeted hate attacks. The channels most frequently hit by dislike brigades, he argues, are corporate accounts and large brands—not the individuals YouTube claims to be protecting. He points to examples like fan backlash against underwhelming movie trailers as evidence that major companies are the usual targets.

That is a fair critique worth sitting with. The dislike count was never the only signal, but it was fast and unforgiving in a way most ratings are not.

Who should care

What it means for you

For independent creators, the short-term impact is mild: dislikes still register in the algorithm and in their analytics. The bigger shift is on viewer behaviour. If someone cannot see the count, they may be less likely to click the button at all. That could quietly lift engagement ratios across the board. Watch whether your retention metrics move more than your early dislike ratios did.

For viewers, the loss of a fast trust signal is real. The replacement habits will probably be: comments sentiment, recent upload patterns, and creator reputation through other channels. None is as quick as a glance at a dislike count.

For marketers, brand content may benefit slightly. Brand-sponsored videos already show lower dislike rates, and removing the visible count further reduces the social proof of disapproval.

What to watch next

The early signal will be comment sections. If dislike-driven negativity migrates into comments, the change has only shifted the abuse rather than reduced it. If toxicity drops, YouTube's framing was right. Either outcome will show within a quarter. Creators should also watch whether late-upload videos see an uptick in average view duration, which would suggest the removed count was discouraging some viewers before they pressed play.

Key takeaways

• YouTube is hiding public dislike counts but keeping the button.
• Dislikes have grown faster than likes over the past decade, with "How To" and "Crafts" videos receiving the most.
• The stated rationale—protecting small creators—faces credible pushback from industry voices who say the real targets of dislike attacks are large brands, not independents.
• Viewers lose a quick trust signal; creators retain analytics access but sacrifice public accountability.
• The change may benefit brand content and quietly shift toxicity from dislike counts into comments.