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There's a UI technique I've previously seen on apps where a new feature or otherwise a feature unknown to the user has some kind of round ripple animation the size of a fingertip on it to indicate to the user that they can or should tap or touch it. This ripple effect starts at the center going outwards, at intervals. After the user has tapped/touched and seen what the feature is offering, the ripple animation no longer appears on that element. Something like this:

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What is it called? I need to implement such an approach now but I have no clue at all what its name is — which isn't helping my Google searches. Kindly provide enlightenment.

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  • Hints such as this have existed in software for a long time. The first I recall in commercial software is in The Last Ninja (on Commodore 64) by System 3, where a quick flashing object as you entered a new screen would hint as to the location of a puzzle secret.
    – straya
    Commented Jan 3, 2020 at 5:54

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The broader strategy is called "onboarding".

User onboarding...is the process through which new software is designed such that new users are provided and acquire the necessary knowledge, skills, and behaviors in order to become “up and running” and effective users of website, app, or software service.1

The manner in which you achieve this can vary. Several applications introduce users to new features with tooltips that highlight new features in the UI, while I've seen others present the user with a dismissable modal with a few pages to optionally click through.

The example you have here is yet another example of this.

1: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User_onboarding, retreived 2019-06-21.

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