Hold to Delete Button
A press-and-hold interaction that makes destructive actions feel deliberate.
- Category
- Interaction
- Year
- 2026
- Status
- Available in Sona UI
What it is
A safer destructive action.
Hold to Delete adds a short, intentional gesture before an irreversible action. Instead of asking for confirmation in a separate dialog, the control communicates commitment directly inside the button.
It works best for infrequent destructive actions where an accidental click would be costly, but a full confirmation flow would feel unnecessarily disruptive.
Design decisions
How the interaction communicates intent.
Continuous feedback
The red surface fills while the pointer remains pressed, making the remaining commitment visible instead of hiding it behind a timer.
Forgiving cancellation
Releasing or moving away before completion cancels the action immediately. The user stays in control until the final moment.
Clear completion
The completed state confirms that the action succeeded before the demonstration becomes available again.
Multiple inputs
The same hold behaviour is available to pointer and keyboard users, and completion is announced to assistive technology.
Sona UI
Use the maintained production version.
Continue exploring
A related interaction study.