Material Design Progress indicators
Documents circular and linear progress indicators, determinate and indeterminate modes, using indeterminate indicators when progress is not detectable, switching to determinate when more information becomes available, and using one consistent indicator type for the same activity.
What this source can teach
Use this source to understand a platform convention and the setting it was designed for.
- Start with the original. Open the source and find the guidance or example relevant to your task.
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Pattern Decisions This Source Supports
| Pattern | Supported decision | Required contract | Claim note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Loading spinner | Choose loading spinner when the wait is indeterminate, short, and tied to a named action or region. | The spinner appears only after the operation starts and disappears or changes state when the operation resolves, fails, is cancelled, or moves to background. | Material supports indeterminate circular indicators when progress is not detectable and determinate progress when completion can be measured. |
| Progress bar | Choose progress bar when the system can report a meaningful value toward a bounded operation. | The progress bar appears only after the operation starts and is scoped to the affected file, job, card, dialog, or page region. | Material supports linear progress indicators, determinate mode when completion is detectable, and indeterminate-to-determinate transitions. |
Comparisons supported by this source
- Loading spinner vs loading skeleton vs infinite spinner vs error state
Material supports circular indeterminate indicators for unspecified wait time and determinate indicators when completion progress is detectable.
- Progress bar vs loading spinner vs loading skeleton vs step navigation
Material distinguishes linear and circular progress indicators and supports determinate mode when completion can be detected.
Evidence Role
This source is treated as platform-guideline evidence. Its value comes from the specific claims and setting described above.
Publisher: Google Material Design. Last checked: .