Updated
Updated · YouTube Official Blog · Jun 25
YouTube Revamps Shorts With 2x Speed and Heart Icon as It Drops Dislike Button
Updated
Updated · YouTube Official Blog · Jun 25

YouTube Revamps Shorts With 2x Speed and Heart Icon as It Drops Dislike Button

3 articles · Updated · YouTube Official Blog · Jun 25

Summary

  • Starting June 25, YouTube began rolling out Shorts player changes including a Clear Screen mode, 2x playback speed, tap-to-mute and timer controls down to zero.
  • The update also swaps the thumbs-up for a heart icon and removes the dislike button, steering users instead to “Not Interested” and “Don’t recommend this channel.”
  • YouTube said the changes respond to user feedback and are meant to make Shorts more intuitive, less cluttered and better at capturing genuine viewing preferences.
  • For moderation, reporting remains available for videos that may violate Community Guidelines, while the broader redesign reflects YouTube’s push to refine short-form recommendations.

Insights

With YouTube's new 'heart' and hidden feedback, is social media becoming kinder or just better at hiding its negativity?
YouTube's AI now uses 'boring' or 'irrelevant' tags. Are we getting better recommendations or just deeper echo chambers?
As YouTube swaps likes for hearts to fight loneliness, is it enhancing well-being or just optimizing its engagement engine?