"Give Me 60 Seconds": X Product Head Responds To "Dislike" Button Feature

A fresh push to introduce a "dislike" button on X appears to be quietly underway, triggered by a user's simple suggestion. On Wednesday, an X user posted about having a dislike button on the platform. The idea quickly caught traction when X's Head of Product Nikita Bier responded cryptically: "Give me 60 seconds." Within minutes, some users reported seeing a new thumbs-down icon alongside posts, suggesting the platform may have begun testing the feature in real time.

Give me 60 seconds

— Nikita Bier (@nikitabier) March 18, 2026

However, the rollout appears limited. Several users noted they were unable to see the option, indicating that the feature is likely being tested with a small group. Others suggested the button is not a traditional public-facing dislike counter, but a more subtle mechanism.

Early observations point to a "private dislike" system - particularly for replies - where negative feedback is not displayed publicly but instead feeds into the platform's ranking algorithm. In effect, users may be able to signal disapproval without triggering visible backlash, allowing X to refine how it surfaces or suppresses content. If implemented widely, such a system could become a powerful complement - or even an alternative - to likes in determining visibility.

The concept is not entirely new. X had experimented with a similar feature as early as 2021, before Elon Musk acquired the platform. At the time, reports suggested the company was exploring a downvote mechanism aimed specifically at improving the quality of replies. Code references in the iOS app hinted at multiple possible designs, including a broken heart icon placed alongside the existing like button.

Further findings by reverse engineer Aaron Perris revealed deeper integration of the feature in development, reinforcing the idea that X has been iterating on the concept for years.

The key question now is transparency. While a private dislike system may reduce public pile-ons, it also raises concerns about how content is moderated behind the scenes. As X continues to experiment, users may soon find that what they don't like matters just as much as what they do.