A toggle is a button that has two states: On and Off. It’s often used to switch between different settings in a program or when you’re video chatting with two people at the same time.
Toggles are a common element in modern user interfaces but they can be confusing to users who don’t understand the difference between them and checkboxes or radio buttons. They also tend to be visually confusing if not designed correctly, and often lack proper text labels. In this article, we’ll explore the different factors that go into designing a great toggle and how you can make them as accessible as possible.
The word toggle has its origins in the 18th century and was originally used to describe a pin passed through the eye of a rope or similar fastener. It’s now more commonly used to refer to a physical switch found on devices like computers that can switch between two functions or options. It can also be used as a verb, describing the act of switching between two settings or actions, such as “Toggle between screens as you video chat with two friends at once.”
As such, it’s important to remember that toggle switches don’t include any text on/off and must rely on other visual clues to convey their state. When selecting color to represent each state, it’s vital to keep in mind the varying types of color blindness and low vision that affects the majority of the population. It’s recommended to choose high contrast colors that are easily distinguished by the human eye and that provide clear indication of the current state. It’s also best to avoid using neutral or ambiguous colors such as gray or green.
Another factor to consider when designing a toggle is how it changes position on the screen as it’s activated or deactivated. It’s important to make the switch clickable and that it’s always obvious what the effect of the action will be. In addition, if you use the same style for both on and off, it’s a good idea to have clear label text that describes what will happen when the toggle is activated.
Toggles are easy to create in Ionic and can be a very effective user interface component. However, if you’re not careful, they can be made inaccessible and confusing for users. It’s important to ensure that toggles are properly designed and tested for accessibility to prevent user frustration and potential lawsuits.
In Ionic 7.0, we introduced a simpler toggle syntax that removes the need for ion-label and passes the label directly inside of ion-toggle. This improves the developer experience, reduces boilerplate and resolves accessibility issues. While developers can continue to use the legacy syntax, it’s recommended to move over to the modern toggle as soon as possible.
