A toggle switch is a graphical control element that allows the user to make a choice between two mutually exclusive states (such as on/off). Originally toggle switches were used primary in touchscreen-based user interfaces, but they have later become commonplace in desktop and web applications.
Toggle switches have a similar function as checkboxes, but unlike checkboxes, interacting with a toggle switch usually has an immediate effect on the application or system.
Usability
Early research on touchscreen interfaces has identified usability issues with toggle switches.2 A common problem is ambiguous state indication: for example does the label "on" indicate the current state of the switch or the resulting state after interacting with it. Communicating affordance can also be difficult: for example should the user tap or slide the switch to change its state.
External links
- Media related to Toggle switches (GUI) at Wikimedia Commons
References
"Toggle switches". 2017-05-19. Retrieved 2020-12-23. https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/uwp/design/controls-and-patterns/toggles ↩
Plaisant, Catherine; Wallace, Daniel (November 1990). Touchscreen toggle switches: push or slide? Design issues and usability study (PDF) (Report). Human-Computer Interaction Laboratory, University of Maryland. Retrieved 2020-12-24. http://www.cs.umd.edu/hcil/trs/90-08/90-08.pdf ↩