HamburgerMenü

HamburgerMenü is a user interface element used to hide and reveal a navigation menu. It is represented by three horizontal lines, often called a hamburger icon. When activated, it toggles visibility of a set of links or options.

The icon originated in early graphical user interfaces as a symbol for a list or menu. It is commonly attributed to the Xerox Star design by Norm Cox in 1981. The term hamburger menu and the three-line icon became widespread with the rise of mobile and responsive design in the 2000s.

In practice the hamburger menu is placed in the top app bar or header. Activating it typically opens a side drawer or dropdown menu. It serves to conserve screen space on small devices, while still providing access to navigation.

Variants include different counts of lines, or replacement icons such as a navicon or X for close; some interfaces label the control with text. In German contexts the term HamburgerMenü is common, though often written as Hamburger-Menü.

Accessibility considerations note that the icon alone may be hard to discover for some users; recommended practices include giving the button a visible label or aria-label, indicating expanded state, and ensuring keyboard focus. Designers increasingly pair it with alternative navigation on larger screens or provide descriptive text alternatives.