Keep fixed contact buttons clear of phone edges and gestures

What to change

Ask your supplier to test fixed actions on real handsets and leave usable room around device edges, browser controls and system navigation.

A worked example

Illustrative example

A fixed Contact action remains above the phone's bottom gesture area and does not overlap the page's final link or consent control.

Healthcare website design showing connected desktop and mobile service and enquiry layouts. — Make the service and next step clear on every screen.

Healthcare website accessibility illustrated by a focus outline, keyboard key, contrast samples and form. — Review keyboard access, contrast and understandable form fields.

Why this matters to your practice

A fixed contact button sits close to a phone's own navigation gestures and screen edges. On some devices that can make it awkward to press or partly obscure its wording. Ask your supplier to review the actual bottom action bar in both orientations, with browser controls visible and hidden. Leave enough usable room around the action without covering the page's final links. The visitor should be able to distinguish the website's contact action from the phone's own controls naturally.

A practical review example

A fixed Contact bar may look clear in a design image while sitting against the phone's bottom gesture area in use. Ask the supplier to show it in portrait and landscape, with the browser toolbar both visible and hidden. Select the action with an ordinary tap and use the neighbouring system gesture. The two should not be unnecessarily difficult to distinguish. Also scroll to the page ending and check that the bar does not cover the final link or consent control beneath it.

How to check the result

Accept when fixed actions remain visible, individually operable and separated from both page content and device interaction areas.

A mistake to avoid

Adding a fixed margin based on one handset can leave the same control obstructed on another device or orientation.

Turn reading into a next step

Your action checklist

Work through these checks with your team or supplier. Tick the ones you have resolved and leave unknowns open.

Checks to discussOpen a page with a fixed bottom action and inspect it in portrait and landscape. Check text, icons and target boundaries are fully visible.Scroll, open the browser toolbar and dismiss it again. Ask the supplier to demonstrate that the action bar remains usable as available screen space changes.Complete the action with one ordinary tap, then use system navigation gestures nearby. The website should not make the two interactions unnecessarily difficult to distinguish.

Your answers and notes

Record what you know, what is still missing and the answer you need from your team or supplier.

What happens next, and who will do it?

Use project decisions only, without personal, patient or confidential details. Entries stay in this page and are not submitted to Kay & Co. Copy or download before leaving; this page does not save your notes.

Related guides

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