YouTube: Difference between revisions

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According to YouTube, this was implemented after user testing revealed that users were less likely to feel incentivized to actively try and manipulate the dislike count on videos if the dislike count was not visible to them.<ref name=":2" /> This spurred the creation of "Return YouTube Dislike" by Dmitry Selivanov, a third-party web browser extension to expose the dislike count again. YouTube discontinued the related {{Wplink|API}}, upon which the extension relied, on 13 December 2021. From thereon "Return YouTube Dislike" switched "to using a combination of archived dislike stats, estimates extrapolated from extension user data and estimates based on view/like ratios for videos whose dislikes weren't archived and for outdated dislike archives."<ref>{{Cite web |last=Can |first=Michael |title=Browser Extension Brings Back Dislike Count to YouTube Videos |url=https://www.pcmag.com/news/browser-extension-brings-back-dislike-count-to-youtube-videos

|website=PC Mag |date=29 Nov 2021 |access-date=13 Jul 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211130001311/https://www.pcmag.com/news/browser-extension-brings-back-dislike-count-to-youtube-videos |archive-date=30 Nov 2021}}</ref>

=== Removal of chronological searching ===

In early 2026, YouTube removed the ability to search videos by the most recently uploaded, as well as the "last hour" search filter. The "last day" search filter is the narrowest remaining time filter.

A Google employee stated that this change is intended to "improve content discovery" and that they are "simplifying and reorganizing the filter menu to make it more intuitive and improve the overall search experience".<ref>[https://support.google.com/youtube/thread/400586735/changes-to-youtube-search-filters-to-improve-content-discovery?hl=en Changes to YouTube Search Filters to Improve Content Discovery - YouTube Community]</ref> However, it was noted that this makes it more difficult to discover eyewitness stories that are alternative to mainstream outlets, and makes it harder for watchers to discover channels with low subscriber counts.<ref>[https://piunikaweb.com/2026/01/06/youtube-upload-date-filter-removal-test-web/ YouTube may be testing removal of Upload date filter from search on web]</ref>

<ref>[https://www.recentreborn.com/blog/why-did-youtube-remove-the-last-hour-filter Why did YouTube remove the "last hour" filter? — RecentReborn]</ref><ref>[https://old.reddit.com/r/youtube/comments/1q8szsr/youtube_removes_the_sort_by_upload_date_option/ Youtube removes the "Sort by Upload Date" option pretending it didn't work, the reality? They want absolute control of the information you are allowed to get from the site : youtube] - Reddit</ref><ref>[https://old.reddit.com/r/youtube/comments/1qjgsln/youtube_removed_the_ability_to_sort_by_upload/ Youtube removed the ability to sort by upload date as of today. : youtube] - Reddit</ref>

===Anti-features and dark patterns to trick the user into staying longer===

@@ Line 91: / Line 91: @@
 According to YouTube, this was implemented after user testing revealed that users were less likely to feel incentivized to actively try and manipulate the dislike count on videos if the dislike count was not visible to them.<ref name=":2" /> This spurred the creation of "Return YouTube Dislike" by Dmitry Selivanov, a third-party web browser extension to expose the dislike count again. YouTube discontinued the related {{Wplink|API}}, upon which the extension relied, on 13 December 2021. From thereon "Return YouTube Dislike" switched "to using a combination of archived dislike stats, estimates extrapolated from extension user data and estimates based on view/like ratios for videos whose dislikes weren't archived and for outdated dislike archives."<ref>{{Cite web |last=Can |first=Michael |title=Browser Extension Brings Back Dislike Count to YouTube Videos |url=https://www.pcmag.com/news/browser-extension-brings-back-dislike-count-to-youtube-videos
 |website=PC Mag |date=29 Nov 2021 |access-date=13 Jul 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211130001311/https://www.pcmag.com/news/browser-extension-brings-back-dislike-count-to-youtube-videos |archive-date=30 Nov 2021}}</ref>
+=== Removal of chronological searching ===
+In early 2026, YouTube removed the ability to search videos by the most recently uploaded, as well as the "last hour" search filter. The "last day" search filter is the narrowest remaining time filter.
+A Google employee stated that this change is intended to "improve content discovery" and that they are "simplifying and reorganizing the filter menu to make it more intuitive and improve the overall search experience".<ref>[https://support.google.com/youtube/thread/400586735/changes-to-youtube-search-filters-to-improve-content-discovery?hl=en Changes to YouTube Search Filters to Improve Content Discovery - YouTube Community]</ref> However, it was noted that this makes it more difficult to discover eyewitness stories that are alternative to mainstream outlets, and makes it harder for watchers to discover channels with low subscriber counts.<ref>[https://piunikaweb.com/2026/01/06/youtube-upload-date-filter-removal-test-web/  YouTube may be testing removal of Upload date filter from search on web]</ref>
+<ref>[https://www.recentreborn.com/blog/why-did-youtube-remove-the-last-hour-filter Why did YouTube remove the "last hour" filter? — RecentReborn]</ref><ref>[https://old.reddit.com/r/youtube/comments/1q8szsr/youtube_removes_the_sort_by_upload_date_option/ Youtube removes the "Sort by Upload Date" option pretending it didn't work, the reality? They want absolute control of the information you are allowed to get from the site : youtube] - Reddit</ref><ref>[https://old.reddit.com/r/youtube/comments/1qjgsln/youtube_removed_the_ability_to_sort_by_upload/ Youtube removed the ability to sort by upload date as of today. : youtube] - Reddit</ref>
 ===Anti-features and dark patterns to trick the user into staying longer===