Tooltip
A tooltip is a short label that explains a control, shown when it is pointed at or long-pressed. Material 3 has plain and rich tooltips, and Apple shows tooltips only in macOS and visionOS.
Why it matters
On a touch screen there is no hover, so a tooltip cannot be the only place a label lives. It helps an icon-only control, but the label has to exist for screen readers and for people who never long-press.
The two platforms differ: Material 3 has the pattern, iPhone has none.
Tooltip on iOS and Android
Also called Help tag, Hint. The same idea in each system, with the values Appetite UI gives it.
| Value | iOS | Android | Appetite UI |
|---|---|---|---|
| Name | No tooltip on iPhone: help tags in macOS and visionOS | Plain tooltip and rich tooltip | Tooltip |
| Component | iOS | Material 3 | What differs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tooltip | No counterpart | M3 / Plain Tooltip and Rich Tooltip | The Apple pages have no tooltip |
In Appetite UI
Tooltip is a 48 tall bubble at radius 12 with a 16 by 8 pointer and four positions, and the anchor is part of the component. The docs page says where the Material sizes differ.
Example
A map screen has an icon-only layers button. A long press shows a plain tooltip reading Map layers, and the button also carries that label for VoiceOver and TalkBack.
Common mistakes
- Hiding an essential label in a tooltip. Show it, or give the control a visible name.
- Rich content in a plain tooltip. Use the rich kind or a sheet.
- Relying on hover on a phone.
- A tooltip that covers the control it explains.
Questions
Does iOS have tooltips?
In macOS and visionOS the system shows a tooltip after people hover over a button for a moment. iPhone has no tooltip, so a label or an accessibility label has to carry the meaning.
What is the difference between a plain and a rich tooltip?
A plain tooltip is a single or multi-line text label. A rich tooltip is a larger card that can hold a title, text and an action.
Sources
The pages the facts above rest on, each read October 30, 2026.