YouTube is testing a new feature for its Shorts platform: a dedicated “Save” button to bookmark favorite short clips. To accommodate this change, the platform is experimenting with moving the “Dislike” button to the three-dot menu.
This shift could significantly impact how users interact with Shorts content. While the “Like” button remains prominently displayed, users will now need to access the three-dot menu to express their dislike. This could potentially affect the Shorts algorithm, which considers factors like watch time and engagement to refine content recommendations.
“To make it easier to bookmark Shorts that you love, want to return to, or want to watch later, we’re experimenting with a “Save” button in the Shorts player. If you’re a viewer in the test group, you’ll see the ‘Save’ icon which you can use to save Shorts to a new or existing playlist. To make room for the Save button, we moved our Shorts player menu around. In this experiment, the “Dislike” button is now housed in the 3-dot menu icon. To dislike a Short and share feedback, click the 3-dot icon in the top right of the Short you’re watching then select ‘Dislike’ from the menu.”
It’s interesting to note that YouTube’s decision to move the “Dislike” button suggests that it might not be as frequently used as initially anticipated. This raises questions about the effectiveness of the “Dislike” button in providing feedback and influencing content curation.
In summary, YouTube’s new “Save” button and the relocation of the “Dislike” button could have implications for user engagement and content recommendations on the Shorts platform.