Design Pull to Refresh

Mobile · mobile, gestures, loading

Updated 2026-07-28

Use it where users expect fresh content and check often, such as feeds, inboxes, and live lists. It is out of place on a settings screen or a static article.
Follow the finger. The indicator should track the gesture continuously so the user can feel how far they need to pull and can back out by releasing early.
Give a clear threshold. A change in the indicator at the commit point is what stops half-pulls from either firing or feeling ignored.
Confirm the result even when nothing changed. Returning to the same list with no message reads as a failed refresh, so say when it was last updated.
Do not throw away the position. New items should appear above the current view without pushing what the user was reading off screen.
Never make it the only way to refresh. It is invisible to anyone who does not already know the gesture, and it is unavailable to keyboard and assistive technology users.
Keep it out of the way of other gestures. Horizontal swipes, nested scrolling areas, and sheets that also drag will conflict with it unless the thresholds are separated.
Disable it where the list is already live, or the user will pull repeatedly on content that is updating on its own.

The gesture is familiar enough to be worth supporting and invisible enough that it can never be the only route.