Toggle is a term used in technology, computing and programming to describe a button or switch that can be pressed or clicked to change between two states or options. In software applications toggles can be used to enable or disable certain features, turn on or off different display modes or even to turn a feature completely off or on.
Using toggles is a great way to provide users with easy control of complex functionality without overwhelming them. Toggle switches are also easier to use than multiple checkboxes because they take up less space and allow users to select from a smaller set of options. When designing toggles it is important to ensure that they have clear labels that indicate the state of the toggle (ON or OFF) and what will happen when it is activated. In addition, designers should limit the number of words in a toggle label and use visual cues to make the toggle switch easy to recognize.
Toggle switches are also a useful tool for rolling out and back features during code deployment. Toggles can be flipped on or off for each release version and then easily rolled back again to the previous stable state once it is determined that the new feature has been stabilised. Many teams also use toggles to validate features with a subset of their user base before introducing them to all users. Toggle switches can be rolled out to a limited number of users via a beta program and then switched off again when they have been validated as stable and well received.
