YouTube Shorts Not interested: what the change means for creators
A tiny UI tweak could shake your Shorts reach. YouTube is testing a rename of the thumbs‑down on Shorts to "Not interested." Same tap, different message.
Why it matters: words change behavior. More people will use a softer button. And the recommendation system will listen.
What happened
YouTube is running a limited experiment that replaces the "Dislike" label on Shorts with "Not interested." The action sends a negative preference signal to the Shorts feed, but it doesn't publish a count. It's about training your personal feed, not shaming a creator.
This lines up with moves YouTube's made since removing public dislike counts in 2021 and expanding viewer controls like "Not interested" and "Don't recommend channel." It also mirrors TikTok and Reels, where "Not interested" has long been a core signal.
Context: Shorts now reaches over 2 billion logged‑in users monthly and generates tens of billions of daily views. When a platform at that scale tweaks a feedback lever, distribution patterns shift fast.
Why creators should care
Renaming "Dislike" to "Not interested" reframes the tap from "your video is bad" to "this isn't for me." That sounds nicer, but it's also more actionable for the algorithm - clearer preference signals help it steer content away from the wrong viewers more quickly.
In practice, expect sharper filtration. Early mismatches (unclear hook, misleading packaging, too‑broad topics) can trigger more "Not interested" taps and faster swipes, throttling your next batch of impressions. On the flip side, when your packaging precisely matches intent, you'll route to the right pockets of viewers faster.
Remember: Shorts ranking already leans heavily on immediate satisfaction - viewed vs swiped away, watch time, replays, likes, and explicit feedback. You can't see "Not interested" counts, but you will feel them in your "Viewed vs swiped away" and retention curves.
Make the first second do the introductions. If viewers have to guess what they're watching, they'll teach the algorithm you're "not for them."The mentor take
This isn't YouTube going soft; it's YouTube getting cleaner data. A "Dislike" is emotional. "Not interested" is instructional. For creators, that means less room to be vague. Clarity wins. Niche wins. Consistency wins.
Stop trying to be for everyone. The wrong audience is more expensive than a low view count - it's a long‑term "Don't recommend this channel" waiting to happen.What to do next
- Front‑load clarity: Lock your premise by second zero with on‑screen text or a verbal setup and a visual payoff. No bait‑and‑switch thumbnails or captions - promise and deliver the same thing.
- Tighten your lane: Group Shorts into repeatable series, stick to a single viewer outcome per channel (entertain, teach, review), and split wildly different topics to alternate channels if needed.
- Seed the right first viewers: Post when your core audience is active, use Collab/Remix with adjacent creators, and let the Community tab or Stories funnel existing fans to new Shorts for cleaner initial signals.
- Watch the right metrics: In Shorts analytics, track "Viewed vs swiped away," average view duration, and retention at 1-3 seconds. Rewrite or reshoot weak openings; AB test hooks, captions, and cover frames.
- Avoid nuclear negatives: "Don't recommend channel" is far harsher than "Not interested." Steer clear of repetitive spam, clickbait captions, and recycled, watermarked clips. Keep your packaging and tone consistent.