Toggle is a term commonly used in software development to describe a switch that either turns something on or off. In practice this means any option item that can be flipped to either “On” or “Off” in a preferences menu is a toggle. However, it’s important to note that the word toggle also has a physical meaning and can refer to hardware switches such as a keyboard cap lock or num lock key.
Generally speaking, toggles are best used to help people manage the state of content or views. For example, a toggle can be used to enable or disable the display of messages sent over a messaging application. Using a toggle for these types of features is generally well received by users as it gives them a clear way to control the feature. When designing a toggle, it’s important to make the active and inactive states of the toggle easy to distinguish by using different interface icons or styles. It’s also recommended to clearly identify what setting, view or content the toggle controls. In the case of a hardware toggle, this can be done by placing the control in a specific position on the device or using a distinct style for each state.
Another popular use for toggles is to perform multivariate testing. This is often accomplished by creating a Toggle Router which will consistently send a given user down one codepath or another depending on what cohort they belong to. By comparing the aggregate behavior of these different cohorts it is possible to determine what type of codepath yields better results.
A final common use for Toggles is to control access to a feature. For example a toggle can be used to allow a paid subscriber to access features that are otherwise not available to them. This is a great way to test the effectiveness of a subscription model or even just to experiment with new features in a limited number of environments.
Savvy teams often try to minimize the amount of Toggle Configuration they create and maintain. This usually involves moving the toggle configuration into some type of centralized store which can be easily managed and modified by product managers, testers and system operators. It’s also common to build out an admin UI which makes it easy for these users to view and modify the toggle configuration.
Finally, when a team releases a new version of their app it’s a good idea to test all of the toggles that are expected to be flipped On in production. This helps to ensure that the release doesn’t break existing or legacy functionality and will make it easier to spot any regressions in a future release. Some teams also add a task to their backlog to remove old toggles as they’re no longer needed, or even put an expiration date on certain Toggles to prevent them from ever being accidentally re-released.
