A toggle is a switch that has two positions, on or off. Typically, the word is used in reference to software, but it can also refer to physical switches such as those on light bulbs or power outlets. In software, a toggle allows users to change settings or preferences by pressing a button that changes its current state. Toggles can be a great user-interface component to use when users need to update their options, but it’s important that they are designed with clear labels and that developers make them consistent across an app or website.
Toggles are often preferred over radio buttons, as they require less space on the screen and can be configured to display a default state (ON or OFF). They’re particularly useful for changing the status of system functionality, like airplane mode or Wi-Fi availability.
In the context of software, a feature toggle is an experimental new version of a product that can be turned on or off by users without having to modify code. Using feature toggles, engineering teams can test features with specific segments of users before a full rollout and catch bugs or user issues early. They can even act as circuit breakers during periods of high load by temporarily disabling non-essential features to reduce latency.
If you’re a WordPress author, you can use our Toggle plugin to create visible toggles within your articles. This makes it easy to make areas of an article private or public at a moment’s notice, without having to edit the content. Toggle is available for our Grandmaster subscription tier and above.
When constructing toggles, it’s important to consider color usage. Contrasting colors can help differentiate states, but you should avoid relying on color alone. As a general rule, you should use a high-contrast color to indicate the current state, and use visual cues such as position or animation to convey state changes. It’s also recommended that you include a descriptive label to prevent confusion.
Aside from being visually appealing, toggles should be clearly marked and have consistent styling throughout an app or website to maximize consistency and usability. Providing direct and meaningful labels is also critical to toggle usability, so it’s important to limit the number of words and choose nouns rather than adjectives for label names. Toggle switches should also be positioned in a way that makes them immediately apparent to the user, so you should place them at an obvious location. For instance, placing a toggle in the middle of an already-crowded interface is likely to cause confusion and frustration. Toggle switches should always be presented with their current, logical state. For example, a toggle that reads “on” should be placed in an obvious location, such as the top of an article. Similarly, a toggle that reads “off” should be placed at the bottom of an article. This will help ensure that users are interacting with your app correctly, minimizing confusion and error.
