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The user can choose multiple items from a list, which will be carried forward to the next action.
In iOS, there are no checkboxes available to make it clear to the user that this is a multi-select list.
Android provides checkboxes indicating which options are available for selection to the user.
How do you visually convey multi-select options in iOS?
download bmml source – Wireframes created with Balsamiq Mockups
Sliding switches were a nifty looking control way back when. They were one way for iOS to announce
"Hey, look! I like gestures. You should swipe stuff."
In a short list where you might want to flip your wifi or Bluetooth off to save some battery, it works okay. When you have a list of selectable items, iOS asks you to think of those items in switchable I/O terms.
I assume the lack of checkboxes in iOS' recommendations is not an oversight — they've had a while to live with that decision. That doesn't mean it's not a mistake. The idea that we'd use their pretty little switches for everything was unnecessarily limiting.
iOS does hint that checks are still cool with select lists. The un-selected indicator (no indicator) isn't checkbox like. And it's for single item selection any way so ... ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
What's an empathetic UX designer to do? The interwebs have been asking this question for a while. The conclusion I subscribe to:
There's nothing wrong with checkboxes on touch devices.
Ask the developer to make a checkbox out of a button. It's an easy thing to do. And people already get this whole checkbox thing. Afterall, iOS users aren't studying up for the iOS HIG test or anything right? They do use other interfaces in the course of their day.
In my experience, users know what to do when they see clearly indicated checkboxes. In fact, I've found that more users know what to do with checkboxes than toggle switches, at least for multi-select lists. Test your audience and see if you can confirm otherwise.
I think Apple is wrong in not including multiple selection. Switches just feel like they are for settings. I can't help but think of them as "on" and "off". I don't want to say I'm turning off tee work in my baseball practice. I want to say I'm not doing it today and deselect. Here I've drawn my own checkbox for comparison with the native recommendation of switches.
It's way past time Apple revamp the UI Elements. Revolt ;-)
As previously answered, the switches are appropriate for boolean settings where the options are on or off.
However, checkboxes have never been missing from iOS, and they are used for selecting multiple items:
Multi selection can be easily solved with the standard checkmark accessory type:
You can set it to as many cells as you want:
cell.accessoryType = selectedIndexes[indexPath.row] ? .checkmark : .none
selectedIndexes is a simple array of booleans in my case. I update them in
func tableView(_ tableView: UITableView, didSelectRowAt indexPath: IndexPath)
You should decide for yourself how the selection data is stored.
Now, let's not mix the concepts when we talk about checkboxes. Traditional checkbox that came to web from PC is a control that allows to turn on/off a single value. It was designed for GUI which used mouse. Switch control in iOS has the same purpose, but designed for touch interface.
As Chriskowalskowski said:
you have to distinguish between a task where the user has to set a Boolean state (on/off) ... or, let the user select multiple cells which contain information
Both traditional check-box, and switch are designed to do the former - allow user to set on/off state.
Also, a similar looking checkmark started to be used in list views on PC to allow multiple selection. Although, checkbox control may be used inside the list view, the purpose of it is different - to indicate selected row rather than turn an option on/off.
There are two ways of doing multiple selection in UITableView.
First, as I demonstrated above - allows user to pick one ore more options from the list and proceed. This is a simple out-of-the-box solution.
Another one, as demonstrated by Lisa Tweedie and Jason Hibbs, when the selection indicator - white checkmark inside blue circle - is displayed on the left side. This one is primarily used for group operations with the items themselves, i.e. editing, moving, rather than to indicate selected choice. See Mail application for example.
Use a list of switch controls, like this:
I am looking into exactly this question. I have a lovely android design and I want something similar for IOS
And I just found this from apple:
https://developer.apple.com/library/content/samplecode/TableMultiSelect/Introduction/Intro.html
Will IOS purists have a problem with this since it is from Apple??
If you want to present a list and let the user select multiple cells you have to distinguish between a task where the user has to set a Boolean state (on/off) for each cell - Such as notifications or privacy controls - Or, let the user select multiple cells which contain information - For example selecting diverse content (For example a VOD provider: Select Genres)
In the last case you should be using tableViewCells with an accessoryView - In this case the UITableViewAccessoryCheckmark. This is customizable and allows you to have different states for deselected and selected items.
Looking at your android sketch you probably want to use the second option.
