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A toggle is a switch that lets people control the state of something, like a setting or piece of content. Toggle switches are often used to create accordions and other UI elements where a user needs to be able to expand and collapse content in order to make sense of it. Toggle switches also appear in many applications, such as video conferencing programs. In those cases, users toggle between two screens to see both the person they’re talking to and the list of participants in the same call.
A toggle can be anything from a simple “if” statement to complex decision trees that act upon a broad array of conditions. A wide variety of factors can influence which way a toggle flips, including fitness test results from other features, settings from a feature management tool, or even variables provided by a config file.
While toggles may be easy to create and deploy, they can have some significant cognitive issues when they’re used incorrectly. For example, if they’re not clearly labeled (either with an interface icon or text on/off), it can be difficult for people to understand which state a toggle is in at any given moment. This is why it’s important to limit the number of toggles you use in your application and to only deploy those that are necessary.
Keeping a low inventory of toggles is also important, as the more you have in your codebase, the harder it will be for your team to find and debug them. Toggles that aren’t being actively managed should be pruned as soon as they run their course, and your team should have a process in place for vetting whether it makes sense to introduce a new one or not.
Despite their drawbacks, there are some situations when it’s still appropriate to use toggles. For instance, if the toggle’s current state is obvious to the user for other reasons—such as a clear icon or a color change in the surrounding context —then it might be OK to use one. But, be careful: If a toggle’s current state isn’t obvious to the user, then using it could actually cause more problems than it solves. In those cases, a better alternative might be to use a more traditional button instead.
