YouTube uses several parameters to judge a video’s performance: Likes, number of comments, Like/Dislike ratio, and retention rate. The like-dislike ratio is crucial as it indicates the general opinion of the audience about a particular video. This ratio is based on the number of likes and dislikes of a YouTube video. The number of dislikes was publicly visible to all users on the platform. This was an important feature because it helped users quickly judge whether a video was helpful. It saved a lot of time as users didn’t have to scroll through the comments to assess the quality of the video. However, as of November 2021, YouTube hid the number of public dislikes. Fortunately, the community has developed a tool that allows you to check the number of dislikes on YouTube. Here you can find instructions on how to check the number of dislikes for each video.
Why is the YouTube Dislike count not visible?
According to YouTube, a publicly visible dislike count leads to hate brigades, where users focus on a specific creator or video and intentionally downvote their videos. YouTube’s Recap videos have been a victim of this dislike mob. The platform says that hiding the number of dislikes should reduce such scenarios and encourage positivity. The company took this step to keep creators’ mental health in mind and foster wellness on the platform. Even though the dislike count is publicly hidden, creators can still see the exact number of likes and dislikes for their videos, which should help them identify interests and tune their content accordingly. In short, the number of dislikes on YouTube will be hidden to create a safer, more positive, and more supportive community on YouTube. The company claims that this move is to create a better space for creators, viewers, and advertisers.
What is Return YouTube Dislike Count?
The community has come together to bring back the dislike count in the form of the Return YouTube Dislike browser extension. When enabled, this extension displays the number of dislikes for each video. However, the number is not accurate, as YouTube no longer shares the dislike count data with the public. Therefore, the developers have developed an algorithm that tries to estimate the number of dislikes based on previous data and the behavior of the extension’s users. When the extension is installed, it logs when you dislike a video. This data is later extrapolated based on the entire user base, and a rough like-dislike ratio is predicted. The Return Youtube Dislike extension is available for many browsers, including Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Microsoft Edge, Opera, and Brave. The team has also integrated the extension with YouTube app alternatives like NewPipe to bring the Dislike counter to Android.
How to view YouTube Dislike Count on Chrome
The process to bring back the YouTube Dislike count on Chrome using the extension is quite straightforward. You can follow these steps for other browsers as well:
Go to https://returnyoutubedislike.com/install and select your browser.
(For Google Chrome) Click on Add to Chrome.
Click on Add Extension.
The extension has been successfully installed.
Once the extension is activated, you will notice that the dislike counter has returned. As we have already mentioned, this counter works by logging users’ likes and dislikes. However, if you do not want to send this data, you can disable it. To do so, follow these steps:
Click on the extensions button signified by a jigsaw puzzle piece.
Select the Return YouTube Dislike extension.
Click on the Settings icon.
Toggle the Disable like/dislike submission option.
These were the steps to install, configure and use the Return YouTube Dislike extension to bring back the Dislike counter in browsers. However, many people consume YouTube mainly on their smartphones. These users can install an alternative YouTube app like NewPipe to view the number of YouTube dislikes on their Android phones.
How to See YouTube Dislike Count on Android Phones
NewPipe is a free YouTube client for Android that offers a lot of features. It unlocks several premium benefits like high-resolution downloads, ad-free viewing, and PiP. Since the app is open source, the team behind the Return YouTube Dislike extension has developed their own version of NewPipe with support for counting dislikes. It works in the same way as the browser extension. Follow these steps to install the app and check the number of YouTube dislikes on Android.
- Go to https://github.com/polymorphicshade/NewPipe.
- Scroll down and click on the Get it on IzzyOnDroid banner.
- Click on Download to initiate the download.
- If prompted, select Download.
- Once the APK is downloaded, install it. By default, the dislike counter is turned off. To turn it on,
- Click on the top left hamburger menu.
- Select Settings.
- Go to Extras.
- Switch on the Show Dislike Count toggle. You can now find the Dislike counter next to the Like counter under each video. This fork of NewPipe also offers other features like SponsorBlock.
See YouTube Dislike Count with Ease
In conclusion, there is no official way to see or measure the number of YouTube dislikes. But extensions like Return YouTube Dislike try to fill the gap by making a prediction based on user and historical data. Apart from the dislike counter, users can still rely on the comments to judge the authenticity and usefulness of a video. Let’s know in the comments if the article was helpful and if it helped you successfully check the YouTube dislike count in your browser or on your Android phone.
