Motion Design differences between iOS and Android

January 25, 2023

After reviewing mobile designs from students who are taking the UX Google Design program and bootcamps: I’ve noticed there isn’t much focus on the differences between iOS and Android in terms of gestures, interactions and motion design.

The main interaction and motion design differences between iOS and Android are:

Android uses a gesture from the bottom of the screen or a button press to access the home screen or switch between apps, while iOS uses a sliding nav gesture by swiping from the left edge of the screen.
iOS uses a “back” button located in the top left corner of the screen to navigate back one level in an app or return to the home screen. Android uses a “back” button located in the bottom left corner, or a gesture from the left edge of the screen.
Android uses a “quick settings” panel accessed by swiping down from the top of the screen, while iOS uses a “control center” accessed by swiping up from the bottom of the screen to access frequently used settings and shortcuts.
iOS uses a “notification center” accessed by swiping down from the top of the screen to view and manage notifications, while Android uses a “notification shade” accessed by swiping down from the top of the screen.
iOS uses more realistic and fluid animations. Android uses more minimal and geometric animations.
Android’s approach is flatter. iOS uses more parallax effects and blurs while scrolling.
iOS uses a bounce effect on scrolling elements. Android uses less of this effect.
Android allows more customization. iOS has more consistent animations throughout the design system.

Google Motion Design principles:

Informative

Focused

Expressive

What’s new: Motion tokens: easing and duration, transition guidance

Google Material Design https://m3.material.io/styles/motion/overview, https://m3.material.io/styles/motion/overview

Apple Motion Design best practices:

Use motion to communicate.

Add motion purposefully, supporting the experience without overshadowing it.

Make motion optional.

Strive for realism and credibility.

Prefer quick, precise animations.