YouTube now hides the number of likes below the videos

After hiding the number of dislikes a few months ago, attracting criticism from both users and content creators, YouTube is now also considering hiding the number of likes below the videos. Many users complain that they can’t even see the likes in the mobile YouTube app, as other options such as TV or web are unaffected.

YouTube no longer displays feedback

Many Reddit users are complaining about the disappearance of the number of likes on YouTube, a change that has occurred in the last 24 hours. Looks like Google did a server update, which actually moved the number of likes below. It is still accessible, but only appears in the clip description. Previously, the number of likes was displayed next to the like button, below the number of views and next to the dislike button.

There is little chance that the number of dislikes will ever return, despite the fact that the availability of a like-to-dislike ratio could be useful for users when looking for quality or high-quality videos. Adding an extra step to display the number of likes will make identifying quality videos more complicated.

Of course, YouTube is trying to persuade users to increase the number of views and minutes spent on the service in this way, as they directly increase the number of ad impressions. If you wait a few seconds or a minute to figure out if a clip is useful to you, you’ve already seen some ads that are monetized by the service.

This change comes at the same time as the announcement that YouTube will introduce new ads in the Shorts category, after the revenues for the first months of 2022 were below the initial projections.

source: Android Police