UIUX 360 / 20-December-2022 / minute read

Thumb Reachability

Thumb Reachability is also known as a rule of thumb. When people use their mobile phones, they can usually only operate with their thumbs.

Written by: Prince Pal Singh

Your UI/UX Designer. Consultant. Partner. Over the past 18 years, I designed websites and apps for enterprise-level clients like Stanford-HCI Research, Accenture, Juniper Networks, Gemalto, Virtual Dental Care & much more.

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What is Thumb Reachability?

Overview

Thumb Reachability is also known as a rule of thumb. When people use their mobile phones, they can usually only operate with their thumbs. People can't drag their thumbs to the top or middle of the screen, so designers have to consider the placement of on-screen interactive elements around it.

Navigation with thumbs also makes the app ambidextrous; Right and left-handed users can use the app without any hassle. The top left of the screen is harder for the thumb to reach, while the bottom left is easier. The lower right and center of the screen are doable but not ideal.

For all these reasons, apps should be designed to be easy to use and navigate with just one thumb. One way to make an app thumb-friendly is to keep essential tabs of the app closer to the thumb. In this way, a user does not need to use the other hand and navigate with only the thumb of one hand.