YouTube Shorts Can Be Played 2 Times Faster, Dislike Button Removed

Illustration of the YouTube logo. (Photo: YouTube illustration/doc. unsplash)

JAKARTA - YouTube Shorts is now made to be watched faster. The Google-owned platform is preparing a new feature that allows users to play short videos at twice the speed.

TechCrunch quoted Friday, June 26, reported that YouTube announced a series of updates for Shorts on Thursday. One of them is a 2x playback speed setting so that users can absorb information faster or immediately find the part they are looking for.

YouTube also removed the dislike button in Shorts. Instead, users can use the "Not Interested" and "Don't Recommend This Channel" features to reduce the appearance of certain content.

The like button has also changed. Users will now see a heart emoji instead of the thumbs up button.

Another update is the Clear Screen mode. This feature temporarily hides icons and text on the playback screen. That way, users can watch videos without too many distractions on the screen.

YouTube said the changes were made to provide a more intuitive Shorts experience. However, the company has not given a definitive date for when all of these features will apply. Updates will be rolled out gradually.

YouTube entered the short video market later than TikTok and Instagram Reels. Shorts launched in 2024, but has since managed to attract many viewers.

YouTube CEO Neal Mohan was quoted by TechCrunch as saying that Shorts recorded an average of 200 billion daily views by June 2025. However, this figure needs to be read in context because YouTube counts views from the first time a video is opened.

Early reports this year also showed that Shorts are increasingly watched on television screens. Consumption of Shorts content on TV is said to reach 2 billion hours per month.