Toggle is a control that enforces a mutually exclusive state (on or off). It’s useful for updating preferences, settings, and other types of information. When using toggles, it’s important to provide direct labels and use standard visual design to prevent confusion. In addition, make sure the toggle is well positioned on the interface, and that users can easily see its current position based on context.

Toggles are especially useful for testing new features. In this way, teams can roll out new functionality to a limited audience before making it available to the entire population of users. This allows teams to gauge how well a new feature performs and gather user feedback before making it permanent. For example, when Facebook rolled out its new news feed redesign to users, they first tested it with a small percentage of the user base to determine how well it performed. Once the team was satisfied with the results, they flipped the toggle to expose the redesign to all users.

Ultimately, the most successful teams are those that are proactive in managing their toggle inventory. Savvy teams view toggles as inventory that has a carrying cost, and they seek to keep it low by proactively removing toggles that are no longer needed. Some even put “expiration dates” on their toggles to ensure that they are not inadvertently left behind for extended periods of time.

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