How to See Dislikes on YouTube (What Still Works)

For years, the dislike count was the first thing many of us checked before watching a tutorial. Lots of thumbs down meant the fix didn't work or the video was clickbait. Then YouTube hid the number. The button is still there and it still does something, but the count is now only visible to the person who uploaded the video. Here's what you can and can't see, and the workarounds people use.

Why YouTube hid the dislike count

YouTube announced the change on its official blog in 2021. It said it had tested hiding the count and found fewer "dislike attacks", where groups pile onto a video to drive the number up. It also said smaller channels were targeted at a higher rate. So the count went private across the whole site, while the button stayed.

What you can see, depending on who you are

Who's looking	Can they see the dislike count?	Where
A viewer	No	Hidden on every public video
The video's creator	Yes, the exact number	YouTube Studio Analytics
Someone with a browser extension	An estimate only	The extension's own estimate

How creators can see dislikes in YouTube Studio

1. Sign in to YouTube Studio.
2. Click Analytics in the left menu, or open a single video and click Analytics there.
3. Go to the Engagement tab.
4. Look for the Likes (vs. dislikes) report.
5. For a channel-wide view, open the expanded report (See more) and add the Likes (vs. dislikes) metric.

Two quirks YouTube flags on its help page. First, like and dislike counts can change over time, because some are marked invalid and removed. Second, the numbers in Analytics may not match what you see on the watch page. YouTube calls that a known issue and suggests going by the watch page counts in the meantime.

Can viewers still see dislikes another way?

Not officially. The workaround people use is a browser extension called Return YouTube Dislike, which shows a dislike number under each video. It's worth knowing what that number is. YouTube doesn't share the real count publicly, so any extension works it out from its own data, such as archived counts from before 2021 and the behaviour of its own users. Treat it as an estimate, not the truth. The fewer people who use the extension on a particular video, the shakier the estimate gets, which is why small videos can show odd numbers. Extensions also get access to your browsing on YouTube, so only install ones you trust, and think twice on a work computer.

Why the hidden count matters for tutorials

The biggest loss is on how-to videos. A public dislike count used to be a fast warning that a fix didn't work or a download link was dodgy. That signal now lives only in Studio, where the creator sees it and you don't. So you need to do a little more checking yourself, especially for anything that asks you to install software, change security settings or sign in somewhere. If a tutorial asks for any of those, read the comments first and check the advice against the official help page for the app. A video with confident narration and a slick thumbnail isn't proof that the steps are safe.

Does disliking a video still do anything?

Yes, two things. YouTube says a dislike helps tune your recommendations, so you'll see less of that kind of video. It also passes private feedback to the creator, who sees the total in Studio. It doesn't publicly shame the video any more, which was the point of the change.

Better ways to judge a video before you watch

Without the dislike count, I use these instead, and they're often more useful:

• The comments. Sort by top comments. If a fix doesn't work, someone will have said so.
• The like count relative to views. A tutorial with lots of views and very few likes is a warning sign.
• The upload date. App menus change constantly, so a three-year-old walkthrough may be out of date.
• The chapters and description. Skim them to see whether the video covers what you need before you commit to watching. You can also change the YouTube layout so descriptions and comments are easier to scan.

For creators: what to do with your dislike numbers

Don't panic about a handful of dislikes. Every video gets some, and they often come from people who clicked the wrong thing. What's useful is the pattern. If one video has a far higher share of dislikes than your others, look at the title and thumbnail. A mismatch between what you promised and what you delivered is the most common reason. Fix the packaging, or make the follow-up video people were hoping for. If you're new to Studio, here's how to open YouTube Studio.

My verdict

The public dislike count is gone and isn't coming back. As a viewer, rely on comments and like-to-view ratios, and take extension numbers with a pinch of salt. As a creator, your exact dislikes are one click away in Studio's Engagement tab, and they're most useful as a signal about mismatched titles rather than a score to obsess over.

Related guides live in the YouTube Help: 30 Guides to Channels, Subscribers, Monetisation, Thumbnails and Fixes.

Frequently asked questions

Can you still see dislikes on YouTube?

Not on other people's videos. YouTube made dislike counts private in 2021. Creators can still see their own in YouTube Studio.

How do I see dislikes on my own YouTube video?

Open YouTube Studio, go to Analytics, then the Engagement tab, and check the Likes (vs. dislikes) report.

Is the dislike button still on YouTube?

Yes. The button stays, and disliking a video still tunes your recommendations and sends private feedback to the creator.

Are dislike extensions accurate?

No extension has the real count. They show an estimate based on their own data, so treat the number as a rough guide.