TikTok is Adding a Dislike Button For Comments; Not For Videos

TikTok announced in April that they are starting testing for a “Dislike” button for comments under videos on the platform. Recently, the short-videos-based platform has expanded the test for the dislike button in the comments section as users are left confused. Learn more here.

If you have seen the dislike button with a “thumbs down” icon in the comments under TikTok, then you are a part of TikTok’s testing phase of the feature. They are currently testing it with select accounts in certain regions excluding the United States.

However, the expansion has allowed some users of the U.S. to get access to the upcoming feature. This comes shortly after TikTok rolls out “Now” which is the app’s take on BeReal’s rapidly rising popularity and user base.

Is TikTok adding a “Dislike” button for Comments?

The dislike button is a common feature on various platforms where you can use it to express your disappointment. However, it wasn’t present on TikTok, a social media platform based on short-form videos and lives.

In April 2022, TikTok started publically testing the “Dislike” button. However, it wasn’t made available for videos but for comments under them. The test originally started for select regions excluding the United States but has expanded lately.

“We’ve started testing a way to let individuals identify comments they believe to be irrelevant or inappropriate,” TikTok said in a blog post about the new feature.

“This community feedback will add to the range of factors we already use to help keep the comment section consistently relevant and a place for genuine engagement.”

Interestingly, the “Dislike” button on TikTok was first spotted by social media consultant Matt Navarra in March 2020. It has been under testing for a while now. However, the company hasn’t shared details about its interface yet.

TikTok now lets you Like AND Dislike comments 👍👎

<— Current version | New version —>

h/t @Sphinx pic.twitter.com/9OilQbe3ZS

— Matt Navarra (@MattNavarra) March 5, 2020

How does the Comment Dislike Button work on TikTok?

When you dislike a comment on TikTok, the dislike won’t be made public, unlike “Downvotes” on Reddit, and the commenters won’t be notified that you have disliked their comment. Commenters and other users won’t be able to see your dislike or the number of dislikes either.

Only you’d be able to see that you disliked the comment. TikTok is considering it as an additional way for users to flag comments that may be spam or that don’t make sense in the context of the video.

However, the company wants users to continue using the standard procedures for reporting comments for harassment, hate speech, and bullying. The exact purpose of the dislike button isn’t major but it simply gives you an option to release your disappointment.

Will there be a Dislike Button for Videos/ Live on TikTok?

For now, it seems highly unlikely that a “Dislike” button would be available for videos and lives on TikTok. This is due to the fact that TikTok just introduced a dislike button for comments but kept it private and purposeless.

Neither the commenters nor the viewers will know that the comment has been disliked or how many times it has been disliked. Only the person who has disliked it will know that the comment has been disliked.

TikTok followed this concept in order to protect the spread of hate and negativity via the dislike button. YouTube used the same reason to remove the dislike button from its platform as it claimed the dislike count affected the mental health of the creators.

For now, TikTok is adding features such as reminders that will guide users to the app’s comment filtering and bulk block and delete options. They’ll be initially visible to users whose videos get lots of negative comments.

A dislike button for videos is highly unlikely on TikTok at this time. Users will have to stick to the “Use me as a dislike button comment” for now. What do you think about its requirement?