How to create a switch with CSS

· 05/10/2016

Nowadays it's more common to find fully customized form elements that enhance the user experience.

In this article we will see how to turn a typical checkbox into a switch that is much more modern and visually appealing.

Let's see an example of how this switch would be used in the typical options in a user area:

Publish my email address

Receive newsletter

Receive email notifications

First we need to define the html. We are going to use the labels and input tags of a typical checkbox and an extra div that will serve to do the trick with css.

HTML

<label class="switch">
  <input type="checkbox">
  <div class="slider round"></div>
</label>

Now let's go with the css:

CSS

/* Format the label that will serve as container  */
.switch {
  position: relative;
  display: inline-block;
  width: 60px;
  height: 34px;
}
 
/* Hide the html checkbox */
.switch input {
  display:none;
}
 
/* Format the switch box on which the control knob or slider will slide */
.slider {
  position: absolute;
  cursor: pointer;
  top: 0;
  left: 0;
  right: 0;
  bottom: 0;
  background-color: #ccc;
  -webkit-transition: .4s;
  transition: .4s;
}
 
/* Depict the control knob or slider using the pseudo-selector before */
.slider:before {
  position: absolute;
  content: "";
  height: 26px;
  width: 26px;
  left: 4px;
  bottom: 4px;
  background-color: white;
  -webkit-transition: .4s;
  transition: .4s;
}
 
/* We change the background color when the checkbox is activated */
input:checked + .slider {
  background-color: #E27AD8;
}
 
/* We slide the slider to the right when the checkbox is activated */ 
input:checked + .slider:before {
  -webkit-transform: translateX(26px);
  -ms-transform: translateX(26px);
  transform: translateX(26px);
}
 
/* We apply a rounded edge effect to the slider and to the bottom of the slide */
.slider.round {
  border-radius: 34px;
}
 
.slider.round:before {
  border-radius: 50%;
}