YouTube Dislike Viewer Chrome Extension
The complete guide to viewing YouTube dislike counts in Google Chrome — including how to install the Return YouTube Dislike extension and how to use our free online tool as an alternative that needs zero installation.
Use our free online YouTube Dislike Viewer — works in Chrome instantly, no installation required.
Method 1: Install the Chrome Extension (Recommended for Regular Use)
The Return YouTube Dislike Chrome extension is the most convenient way to see dislikes on YouTube. Once installed, dislike counts appear automatically on every YouTube video you watch — no extra steps needed.
Open the Chrome Web Store
In Google Chrome, navigate to the Chrome Web Store by typing chrome.google.com/webstore in your address bar, or simply search "Chrome Web Store" in Google. You must use the Chrome browser — the Web Store does not function in other browsers (use our browser-specific guides for Firefox, Brave, Opera, or Safari).
Search for Return YouTube Dislike
In the Web Store search box at the top left, type "Return YouTube Dislike" and press Enter. The extension by developer Anarios should appear as the first result. It shows a thumbs-down icon and has over 3 million users listed.
Click Add to Chrome
Click the blue "Add to Chrome" button on the right side of the extension listing. A popup will appear listing the permissions the extension requires. The Return YouTube Dislike extension only requests permission to read content on youtube.com — it does not request access to your passwords, browsing history, or other websites.
Confirm the Installation
Click "Add extension" in the confirmation popup. Chrome will download and install the extension in seconds. You will see a confirmation message that the extension has been added, and a small thumbs-down icon will appear in your Chrome toolbar.
Visit Any YouTube Video
Navigate to youtube.com and open any video. The dislike count will now appear automatically next to the like button below the video player, exactly where YouTube used to display it before November 2021. No configuration is needed — it works immediately after installation.
Method 2: Use Our Online YouTube Dislike Viewer (No Installation)
If you prefer not to install a browser extension, or if you are using Chrome on a managed device (such as a school or work computer) where extension installation is restricted, our free online YouTube dislike viewer at youtubedislikeviewer.org is the perfect alternative.
Using the online tool is simple: copy the URL of any YouTube video from your Chrome browser's address bar (or tap Share → Copy Link in the YouTube app), then paste it into the input field on our homepage and click View 👎. The estimated dislike count, like count, view count, and ratio bar will appear within a second.
The online tool uses the exact same Return YouTube Dislike API as the Chrome extension, so the data and accuracy are identical. The only difference is that with the online tool, you check videos manually when you need to, rather than seeing counts appear automatically as you browse.
About the Return YouTube Dislike Chrome Extension
The Return YouTube Dislike extension was created by open-source developer Anarios shortly after YouTube announced the removal of public dislike counts in November 2021. The project grew rapidly — within weeks of launch, it had accumulated hundreds of thousands of users. Today it has over 3 million active installs across Chrome, Firefox, and other Chromium-based browsers, making it one of the most widely adopted YouTube-related browser extensions ever created.
The extension is fully open-source. The complete source code is publicly available on GitHub at github.com/Anarios/return-youtube-dislike, where anyone can review exactly what the extension does, how it communicates with the API, and what data it handles. Independent security researchers have reviewed the code and confirmed it does not engage in any malicious behavior.
In terms of permissions, the extension only requests access to youtube.com — it cannot read data from any other website you visit, cannot access your Google account, cannot read your passwords or payment information, and does not inject ads or modify YouTube beyond adding the dislike count display. This minimal permission footprint is one reason the extension has maintained its strong reputation among privacy-conscious users.
The extension also contributes to the data ecosystem that makes the dislike estimates work. When you install it and watch YouTube videos, your anonymized like and dislike interactions are reported to the Return YouTube Dislike server, helping improve the accuracy of estimates for all users of all platforms — including those using our online tool.
🔧 Troubleshooting: YouTube Dislike Viewer Chrome Extension Not Working
Fix: Fully refresh the YouTube tab by pressing Ctrl+Shift+R (hard refresh, which clears cached page data). A regular Ctrl+R refresh may not be sufficient if YouTube's page was already loaded.
Fix: This usually affects brand-new videos with very limited data. Wait 24–48 hours and revisit the video. Alternatively, ratings may be disabled on that specific video by the creator.
Fix: Navigate to chrome://extensions in your Chrome address bar. Find 'Return YouTube Dislike' and toggle it to enabled (blue). Then refresh any YouTube tab.
Fix: Ad blockers like uBlock Origin or privacy extensions like Privacy Badger can occasionally block the API call to returnyoutubedislikeapi.com. Try temporarily disabling other extensions to identify the conflict, then whitelist the API domain in your blocker's settings.
Fix: YouTube periodically changes its page structure. Check for an update to the Return YouTube Dislike extension in chrome://extensions — developers typically patch compatibility within days of a YouTube layout change.
Fix: Occasionally, browser stores may temporarily delist extensions during review. If unavailable, use our online YouTube Dislike Viewer at youtubedislikeviewer.org as a fully functional alternative.
Does This Work on Microsoft Edge?
Yes. Microsoft Edge is a Chromium-based browser and supports Chrome extensions. You can install the Return YouTube Dislike extension on Edge directly from the Chrome Web Store — Edge prompts you to allow extensions from other stores, and once confirmed, the installation proceeds identically to Chrome. The extension works identically in Edge as in Chrome.
Alternatively, Microsoft Edge has its own extension store (microsoftedge.microsoft.com/addons) where Return YouTube Dislike may also be listed. Either source works equally well.