TikTok Surprises Users with Dislike Button Addition

TikTok has introduced a surprising new feature: the dislike button. Users noticed the button on the right side of videos on the For You Page in late December 2024. Positioned below the favorite button, the thumbs-down icon is intended to help viewers curate their For You Page by signaling to the algorithm that they do not want to see similar content in the future.

While the feature is still being rolled out gradually and isn’t available to everyone, those who do have access have expressed surprise and confusion. Some users have shared their frustrations, with one mistakenly disliking a video instead of saving it to their favorites.

The addition of this button marks another shift in TikTok’s constant innovation since its 2016 launch. Prior to this, users could express disinterest in videos by long-pressing the screen to access the "I'm not interested" option. The new feature offers a quicker, more direct way to influence the algorithm, but many are unsure if they prefer this update.

This feature arrives just as TikTok faces the possibility of a U.S. ban, with the government requiring both Google and Apple to be prepared to remove the app from their stores on January 19, 2025, unless the Supreme Court intervenes in the case before January 10.