Toggle is a control that lets people manage the state of a view or content. Unlike a checkbox, which enforces a yes/no answer to a question, toggles enable users to select an on or off option. They’re best suited for changing system settings or preferences (like airplane mode). They require less space than two radio buttons and come with a pre-selected default state, which is useful for mobile.
A toggle switch typically has an interface icon that communicates its purpose and is updated based on its current state. It can also display a label to clearly identify what it’s currently doing, which helps reduce confusion. Toggle switches should also be positioned at the top of the page so they’re easy to find.
If the toggle is positioned at the bottom of the page, it can be hidden from view by other content and is often overlooked. This can cause users to miss the feature entirely and creates cognitive overload. To avoid this, it’s important to test the placement of toggles and their labels with users.
Toggles are used in responsive designs to support flexible layouts. They can be used to hide or show navigation menus and sidebars depending on screen size and device.
While the word toggle is often used as a noun to describe a switch that has two positions, it can also be a verb meaning to “switch or alternate” something (like the way you switch between screens as you video chat with multiple friends at once). However, most designers use it only as a noun and a noun should not be used as a verb.
When it comes to usability, a toggle can be problematic because it has a polarizing effect on users. It forces people to make a decision that they may not be ready for, and it can be confusing when the toggle flips back and forth between states. To minimize this, designers should ensure that they’re using a toggle to support system settings and not for a simple yes/no question. In addition, they should make sure that they’re updating the toggle based on the current system state rather than based on user input.
Moreover, toggles can cause accessibility issues when they’re not designed well. Because of their reliance on color to communicate information, many toggles can be difficult for users with low vision or color blindness to distinguish. Additionally, many web developers and designers don’t take the time to make their toggles accessible for assistive technologies, which makes them inaccessible for a large percentage of users.
As such, the majority of toggles on the web are not cognitively OK. Toggles should be reserved for situations that are logically appropriate and where the current state of the toggle is obvious to the user. Otherwise, other configuration options like checkboxes and radio buttons are better choices.
