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Button groups ​

Button groups organize buttons and add interactions between them

Overview · Specs · Guidelines · Accessibility

Use cases ​

People should be able to do the following with assistive technology:

  • Navigate to and interact with each button in the group 
  • Identify when buttons are selected

Interaction & style ​

Each button in a group should have a minimum 48x48dp target. 

Extra small and small button groups have larger inner padding to ensure accessible targets. Avoid reducing the padding in these sizes.

Extra small and small button groups with 48x48dp target areas annotated over top. The area is larger than the buttons.

  1. Extra small button group
  2. Small button group

Initial focus ​

The button group container is not a focusable element. Initial focus should land on the first button in the group and then move to each button.

Focus order lands on the first button, then the next buttons.

Initial focus should land on the first button, not on the container

Use Tab to navigate to a button group, the arrow keys to navigate between each item in the group, and Space or Enter to select a focused button.

Button group with annotations for navigation with Tab and selecting with Space or Enter.

  1. Tab: Initial focus lands on the first button
  2. Arrow keys: Navigate between items
  3. Space or Enter: Selects a focused item

Keyboard navigation ​

KeysActions
TabNavigate between buttons
Arrow keysNavigate inside the component
Space or EnterActivate a focused button

Labeling elements ​

The button group container doesn't need to be labeled. Label each button according to the button and icon button accessibility guidance.

In a messaging products, an email icon is labelled “email” with the role “button”.

Label each button within the button group

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