Starting now, tapping the like button beneath the video will showcase a joyful animation as shown below (via 9to5Google). The like icon changes its colors for roughly a second or two, adding more flair to an otherwise obscure attribute. Perhaps, YouTube is hoping for greater user engagement with the new like button.
Tapping the dislike button now opens up a “Learn more” notification on YouTube
YouTube isn’t offering an animation for dislikes, which is understandable. However, tapping the dislike button opens up a “Learn more” notification, directing users to YouTube’s creator updates page. Unfortunately, users cannot disable this notification. So it could get annoying very quickly. On the bright side, the notification disappears in a few seconds, so it likely won’t be noticed by many. While YouTube isn’t keen on reinstating the dislike counter, it has changed its mind about a few features, specifically on YouTube Music. The audio streaming service added a new Repeat button to the interface last month after removing it from the app in 2021. While the shuffle button was also removed from YouTube Music last year, it was back a month later. YouTube is also focusing more on podcasts, spurred on by the success of Spotify, Google Podcasts, Audible, and others. While several podcasts already exist on the platform, YouTube seemingly wants to include a new tab dedicated to podcasts. Listeners/viewers would also get suggestions based on their history, similar to YouTube video recommendations. This revelation comes as part of an 84-page leaked presentation detailing YouTube’s plan for the podcasts business. Based on the aforementioned document, YouTube could even consider running audio ads on podcasts. Creators could potentially control what ads play on their podcasts, making it somewhat reminiscent of existing podcast services.
