A toggle is a user interface element that allows you to switch an option on or off. You can use it to help users update their preferences, settings, and other types of information. Use toggles sparingly to avoid overwhelming the user with options and always provide clear labels for them. Toggle switches also need to be designed with visual cues such as movement and color to make it easier for the user to understand their status.

The word toggle comes from the Latin verb toggle, meaning to change back and forth. In modern times, it refers to a hardware or software switch that lets the user update their options and settings. The most common toggles are found in the Options menus of most programs and can be pressed to select different views of a page or screen. Toggles are commonly used in mobile applications, but they can be found on any device.

While toggles can be useful in some situations, they are not a good choice for long forms or pages that require a Submit button to apply changes. For these scenarios, it is safer to replace a toggle with a checkbox. In general, toggles should be applied to only those options that are mutually exclusive and deliver immediate results.

It is important to test your toggle configurations carefully. Since most toggles will be released with one of two states — On or Off — you should be careful to test the expected release configuration and any fall-back configuration with all the intended feature toggles flipped off. This will prevent any surprise regressions in a future release.