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YouTube Shorts only launched in 2020 but has since become a behemoth with 200 billion daily views as of last year, about the same as rival Instagram Reels. Now, YouTube has announced that it's making Shorts more "intuitive" with several key changes, including the removal of dislikes, a clear screen mode and double speed playback. 

YouTube started hiding dislike counts years ago, but it has now removed the button completely on Shorts. "Instead, we'll rely on our more precise controls, 'Not Interested' and 'Don't recommend this channel,' to more accurately tune your feed and serve up content you'll love," the team said in a blog post. It has also replaced the "like" button with a heart to provide a "more meaningful way" to interact with content. 

Some Reddit commenters noted that removing the dislike button will make it harder to express contempt for AI slop and other bad content. Another noted, though, that the dislike button "messes with the logic of engagement" and that the "Not interested" and "Don't recommend" options are a better way to avoid undesirable content.

The new Clear Screen mode is an obvious nod to TikTok's clear mode. YouTube said that the interface can sometimes feel like "splotches on your windshield" so you now have the option to turn it off completely in the three-dot settings menu . YouTube also changed the way you mute video on Shorts if you blast sound in an inappropriate place. You now have to tap the video to stop it, then tap the "mute" button that appears. 

Finally, YouTube now lets you play Shorts at double speed by tapping and holding on the screen. You can then drag down to lock it for the duration of the video. YouTube called that "the most requested feature" for Shorts. The new settings are now rolling out in most regions, but may be coming a staggered fashion. For instance in my location in France, I've had the double playback speed for at least a few weeks, but the dislike button is still there.