Before the 2021 removal of public dislike counts, early builds had a simpler UI. Version 5.9.0.13 shows the exact number of likes and dislikes immediately below the video title, using a horizontal red/blue gradient bar. There is no ambiguity, no hidden consensus—just raw data.
While "Smart Offline" wasn't introduced until later, version 5.9.0.13 allowed you to preload videos over Wi-Fi for later viewing—a godsend for commuters with limited data plans. The caching algorithm was also far less aggressive, meaning it didn't drain battery while idle. youtube version 5.9.0.13
was the silent engine humming in the pockets of millions—a version that existed just before the "Material Design" revolution swept everything away. Before the 2021 removal of public dislike counts,