Checkbox and radio button
A checkbox lets people select any number of options, and a radio button lets them select exactly one. Material 3 has both on Android, while iOS uses a toggle or a list row with a checkmark instead.
Why it matters
Choosing the wrong control confuses the result of a tap: a checkbox can be turned off, a radio button cannot, and a toggle applies at once. The wrong one costs a support question or a failed form.
Since iOS has no checkbox, a shared design for both platforms has to decide what each one shows.
Checkbox and radio button on iOS and Android
Also called Checkbox, Radio button, Radio group. The same idea in each system, with the values Appetite UI gives it.
| Value | iOS | Android | Appetite UI |
|---|---|---|---|
| Name | No checkbox: Toggle, or a list row with a checkmark | Checkbox and Radio button | Checkbox and Radio |
| Minimum touch target | 44 pt | 48 dp | platform/ |
| Checkbox in the file | None in the file | M3 Checkbox, 48 by 48 | See below |
| Radio in the file | None in the file | M3 Radio, 48 by 48 | See below |
In Appetite UI
Appetite UI draws a Checkbox as a 24 box at radius 8 in a 44 target and a Radio as a 22 disc in a 44 target. It adds Focused and Error to the Checkbox and Pressed and Focused to the Radio, which the Material 3 set does not have.
Example
A filter screen lets people tick several cuisines with checkboxes, and choose one sort order with radio buttons. On iOS the sort order becomes a list of rows with a checkmark on the chosen one.
Common mistakes
- Using a checkbox for a setting that applies at once. Use a toggle.
- Using radio buttons for a choice that can be empty. Offer a None option.
- Drawing the box at the size of its target. Keep the touch target at the platform minimum.
- Labelling only the box. Make the whole row tappable.
Questions
What is the difference between a checkbox and a toggle?
A toggle applies a setting immediately and is on or off; a checkbox marks an option that takes effect when the form is submitted, and several can be set. iOS has the toggle only.
Does iOS have a checkbox?
Not as a control. Apple’s guidance is a Toggle for one setting, and a list row with a checkmark for a choice among several.
Sources
The pages the facts above rest on, each read October 30, 2026.