Last Updated on June 25, 2026
YouTube is the largest video sharing platform in use today. And if you don’t know already, it’s owned by Google, so they decide what changes are made to the platform. And if you have a Google account, you also have a YouTube account and can upload your own videos. And of course you can use that same Google account for Gmail and any of the other Google Apps.
When you view a video, you have the option to either like or dislike the video by clicking on the thumbs up or thumbs down icon under the video title. You can also see how many other people have liked the video. One thing you will not see is how many people disliked the video. We used to be able to see this information, but Google decided to hide it. In this article, we will be showing you how to show the number of dislikes for any YouTube video.
As you can see in the image below, this video has around 1,400 likes but you cannot see any dislikes, only the thumbs down icon where you can add your own dislike, which you will not see either except the thumbs down icon will turn from grey to black.
Installing the Dislike Counter Extension
1. Understand How the Extension Works
To enable the showing of dislikes for any YouTube video, we will be using a free browser extension. This tool uses a combination of archived Google API data and current user behavior to estimate the hidden ratios. The software is called Return YouTube Dislike.
2. Navigate to the Download Page
You can download the extension directly from their official website. Do not download browser extensions from untrusted third-party repositories. Once you get to the website, you will see a list of supported platforms.
3. Select Your Specific Web Browser
Simply click on the specific browser you wish to use it with. The software supports Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Microsoft Edge, Opera, and Brave. Clicking your browser’s button will redirect you to the official extension store for that specific platform.
4. Install the Browser Add-on
Click the installation button on the store page to add the software to your browser. You will need to grant the extension permission to read and change your data on YouTube. Install the extension just like you would any other browser add-on.
Viewing the Restored Dislike Metrics
1. Refresh Your YouTube Tabs
Once the Return YouTube Dislike extension is installed, you will need to refresh any YouTube tabs you currently have open. The extension needs a fresh page load to inject its custom code into the video player interface.
2. Look at the Thumbs Down Icon
You will be able to see the number of dislikes for any YouTube video that you happen to watch. The counter will appear directly next to the thumbs down icon exactly where it used to live.
3. Disable the Extension if Needed
If you do not want to see the number of dislikes for YouTube videos anymore, you can easily turn the feature off. You can simply disable or remove the extension directly from your web browser settings menu. The numbers will once again be completely hidden from view.
If you do not want to see the number of dislikes for YouTube videos, you can simply disable or remove the extension from your web browser and they will once again be hidden from view.
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