Clear current state. Users must always see what is selected. Toggles show on/off, segmented controls highlight the active segment, pickers display the current selection.

Prefer standard system controls. Built-in controls provide consistency and accessibility. Custom controls introduce a learning curve and may break assistive features.

Toggles for binary states. On or off. In Settings-style screens, changes take effect immediately. In modal forms, changes commit on confirmation.

Segmented controls for mutually exclusive options. 2-5 items, roughly equal importance, short labels.

Sliders for continuous values. When precise numeric input is not critical. Provide min/max labels or icons for range endpoints.

Pickers for long option lists. Too many options for a segmented control. Works well for dates, times, structured data.

Steppers for small, precise adjustments. Increment/decrement in fixed steps. Display current value next to the stepper with reasonable min/max bounds.

Text fields for short, single-line input. Text views for multi-line. Configure keyboard type to match expected input (email, URL, number).

Combo boxes: text input + selection list. macOS. Type a value or choose from a predefined list when custom values are valid.

Token fields: discrete values as visual tokens. macOS. For email recipients, tags, or collections of discrete items.

Gauges and rating indicators display values. Gauges show a value within a range. Rating indicators show ratings (often stars). Display-only; use interactive variants for input.