YouTube has always been a platform where creators and viewers interact through likes, comments, and dislikes. However, since YouTube removed the public dislike counter in 2021, many users have been wondering how to see dislikes on YouTube videos. While the official counter is gone, there are still ways to gauge dislikes using alternative methods. In this guide, we’ll explore why YouTube hid dislikes, how you can still estimate them, and tools that bring back the dislike count.
In November 2021, YouTube announced it would no longer display public dislike counts on videos. This decision sparked mixed reactions—some creators welcomed it, while others missed the transparency. Here’s why YouTube made this change:
YouTube claimed that public dislike counts were being used to unfairly target creators, leading to “dislike mobs” where users would mass-dislike videos for reasons unrelated to content quality.
Newer or less-established creators often faced discouragement when their videos received high dislike ratios, even if the feedback wasn’t constructive.
YouTube wanted to shift focus toward positive engagement (likes, comments, shares) rather than negative metrics.
Although YouTube no longer shows dislikes publicly, there are a few methods to estimate or retrieve them:
Several third-party extensions restore dislike counts by pulling historical data or estimating based on engagement. Popular options include:
If you’re a video creator, you can still see dislikes in YouTube Studio under the “Analytics” tab. However, this data is private and only accessible to the uploader.
While not exact, you can sometimes infer dislike ratios by:
Since dislike counts aren’t fully available, here are other metrics to assess a video’s popularity and reception:
Comments often reflect viewer opinions. A flood of negative remarks may indicate dissatisfaction, even if dislikes aren’t visible.
A video with 1 million views but only 10,000 likes might suggest poor reception, whereas a high like-to-view ratio usually means positive feedback.
Websites like SocialBlade or Playboard provide engagement insights, though they don’t show exact dislike counts.
While YouTube’s public dislike counter is gone, extensions like Return YouTube Dislike offer workarounds. Creators can still see dislikes in YouTube Studio, and viewers can infer reception through comments and engagement patterns. Whether you’re a creator or a viewer, understanding these methods helps you navigate YouTube’s ever-evolving platform.
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