Mobile Navigation & Input Components

On mobile, menus are navigational components showing option lists on tap. They efficiently provide multiple actions while conserving screen space.

Different menu types exist. Basic menus appear when users tap a button or icon (like the hamburger menu), optionally including icons with labels for faster action recognition.

Contextual menus appear on touch-and-hold gestures, offering common actions relevant to the selected element.

Best practices for menu design:

• Position strategically: Place menus near trigger elements. If cut off by screen edges, reposition above or to the opposite edge
• Prioritize choices: List frequently used items at the top to minimize user effort
• Enhance visibility: Use shadows and elevation to distinguish menus from background content
• Separate items: Add dividers for better scannability
• Set proper height: Keep the maximum height at least one row shorter than the interface height.^[1]

Buttons are key interactive UI components found in dialogs, modals, forms, cards, and toolbars. Core principles for mobile button design:

• Provide adequate touch targets: Minimum size should be 44x44px (iOS) or 48x48dp (Android). Consider larger targets (around 54px) to accommodate users with varying motor skills^[2]
• Space elements properly: Maintain at least 8dp/16px between interactive elements to prevent accidental taps
• Write clear labels: Use short, direct verbs that instantly convey the action. When needed, add explanatory text below for context. Example: On registration pages, explain that users can shop now and register later
• Maintain hierarchy: Distinguish between primary, secondary, and tertiary actions through visual styling. Use filled buttons for primary actions, and text buttons for secondary ones. Icons can support faster action recognition^[3]

Action toolbars work differently across platforms. On iOS, toolbars appear at the bottom of the screen. They're non-customizable, become translucent when content appears behind them, and contain buttons for screen-specific actions like creating, filtering, or editing content.^[4]

On Android, the bottom app bar serves a similar purpose but offers more flexibility:

• Holds up to 4 icon buttons
• Includes a floating action button (FAB) for primary actions
• Can change the layout and contents between screens

Both components help users access key actions while conserving screen space, though Android offers more customization options than iOS' fixed toolbar design.^[5]

Tabs are navigational components that organize related content groups across both iOS and Android. While they effectively save space and chunk content logically, issues like long labels, small touch targets, difficult scrolling, or unclear categories can confuse users.

Best practices for tab design:

• Present closely related areas of content to maintain the contextual connection
• Distinguish selected tabs through contrast, overlays, or vertical lines, while keeping unselected tabs visible
• Include icons to aid group recognition
• Enable both tap and swipe navigation between tabs
• Prevent swipeable elements within tab content to avoid accidental actions
• Use clear labels that indicate a content type

The floating action button (FAB) is a prominent circular button fixed to screen edges or corners, used for positive, constructive actions like creating, adding, or sharing. While primarily an Android pattern, some Google apps like Drive and Gmail implement FABs on iOS.

Key FAB design principles:

• Use one FAB per screen
• Choose icons that clearly communicate the button's purpose
• Reserve for positive actions, avoiding destructive ones like archive or delete

FAB can transition in three ways after tapping:

• Speed dial: Reveals a stack of up to 6 related actions
• Menu: Transforms into a menu with 3-6 items, disabling outside content
• Transform: Morphs into larger surfaces that can span part or all of the screen.^[6]

No one likes filling out forms on mobile, yet they remain the most reliable way to collect user data.

How to make mobile forms more user-friendly:

• Minimize inputs: When possible, combine fields to reduce interaction. Example: Use "Full Name" instead of separate first/last name fields, considering cultural naming conventions
• Use natural language: Replace interrogative tone with conversational language. Include linking verbs, personal pronouns, and simple vocabulary
• Prefill when possible: Reduce effort with smart defaults and autofill using previously provided data
• Save personal questions for last: Users share sensitive information more willingly after building trust
• Ensure accessibility: Meet contrast ratio requirements and support voice input and screen readers
• Break down complex forms: Divide lengthy forms into logical steps and add progress indicators to maintain user engagement.^[7]

Inputs can exist in forms or standalone (like search fields) for manual or voice data entry. They include a container and label, with optional placeholders, icons, or helper text.

While seemingly simple, poorly designed inputs can be hard to notice, lack feedback, or have unclear commands that slow users down.

Key design recommendations for mobile inputs:

• Ensure discoverability: Make inputs clearly visible. Use colored strokes around containers or bottom edges to show active states.
• Write clear labels: Keep labels always visible — never hide them in placeholders. Use specific, concise text (4 words max) without unnecessary modifiers.
• Show clear errors: Don't rely solely on red color for errors. Include icons and brief explanations of the problem and solution.

Search design is challenging, especially on mobile. Since many apps are search-centric, designers must optimize the mobile search experience.

Key design principles for effective mobile search:

• Make the search bar discoverable: Place it prominently, typically at the screen top or in the bottom navigation bar (though bottom placement reduces findability)
• Include magnifying glass icon: Use this universal symbol to help users quickly identify the search function
• Display recent searches: Show users' previous queries before they start typing for quick access
• Offer alternatives: Instead of empty "No results" pages, show trending searches or relevant categories based on user history
• Implement auto-suggest: Provide real-time suggestions to help users form better queries, prevent errors, and find results faster
• Show search progress: When results take time to load, use animations to reduce confusion and maintain user engagement

Typing is one of the most challenging tasks for mobile users as they usually do it on the go. Thus, matching the onscreen keyboard to the type of content people are editing is crucial. For example, when people type a phone number, the system should offer them a phone pad that contains only digits and symbols like (+), (#), and (*).

The iOS operating system possesses 13 onscreen keyboards designed to handle different types of input like alphanumeric data, numeric data, special symbols like (@), (.com), (/), punctuation, and more.

Providing relevant screen keyboards minimizes errors and helps users complete typing tasks faster.