Missing YouTube Dislikes? Here’s How to Get Them Back!

In November 2021, YouTube controversially removed public dislike counts. The streaming giant took this step to protect creators from targeted dislike campaigns. Creators can still see their dislike metrics, however, viewers were left without a clear way to reckon a video’s quality. However, a good piece of news is that YouTube dislikes are making a comeback—sort of. Now, let’s discuss, how?

How to Restore YouTube Dislikes on Videos?

The simplest way to check the like-to-dislike ratio on any YouTube video is by using the YouTube Dislike Viewer website. All you have to do is copy the video’s URL, paste it into the site’s search bar, and click “View Dislikes.” The site pulls data from the Return YouTube Dislike API, which contains historical data and user trends to estimate dislike counts. On the contrary, if you want dislikes to show directly beneath videos, the Return YouTube Dislike browser extension is a game-changer. It is compatible with Firefox, Chrome, Edge, Opera, Brave, and even Android and jailbroken iPhones. The best part about this extension is it restores the like-to-dislike ratio to YouTube’s interface.

To use the extension:

1. Install it on your preferred browser.
2. Open any YouTube video, and the like-to-dislike ratio appears.

Note: Safari users can join in using a userscript available for the Tampermonkey add-on.

How Accurate Are These Dislike Counts?

It is pertinent to mention that restored counts are not exact however quite close. They depend on cached data and extrapolated trends based on user interactions. Experts claim that the extension’s metrics closely align with real counts from creators. However, accuracy depends on how many users contribute their data to the extension.

Removing dislike counts from YouTube videos was planned to curb harassment and brigading campaigns. However, it also eliminated a valuable tool for viewers to assess video quality. Comments are still an alternative, however, they’re often unreliable due to spam and hate. The restored dislike feature can help users avoid scams, deceptive tutorials, or low-quality content. The YouTube Dislike extension isn’t perfect—it depends on community contributions and doesn’t reflect creators’ real-time metrics. However, it bridges the gap for viewers who miss this feature. What do you think? If you have ever used this extension, do share with us in the comment section.

Check Out: NASTP & Khazana Cloud to Build Pakistan’s First Hyperscale Data Center – PhoneWorld