playpause

Playpause is a user interface control used in media players to toggle the playback state between playing and paused. It is commonly implemented as a single button that changes its icon depending on state, typically displaying a Play symbol (triangle) when paused and a Pause symbol (two vertical bars) when playing. The control may be part of a transport area alongside stop, skip, and volume controls, or it may be a standalone element.

Operation: Activating the control while media is paused or stopped starts playback; activating it while media is playing pauses playback. Some implementations may also support resuming from a paused state or stopping at the end of a track. In multi-source environments, the control may pause other media sources when activated to avoid overlapping audio.

Accessibility and semantics: The control should be keyboard accessible and screen reader friendly, often implemented as a button with an accessible label and a visual state that reflects whether media is playing or paused. The icon should be complemented by a text label to aid users relying on assistive technologies, and its state should be programmatically exposed to assistive devices.

Variations: In some devices, the spacebar or a dedicated hardware key triggers the same toggle. On mobile apps, the control is typically large and touch-friendly; on television remotes, a single button or a dedicated play/pause control may perform the toggle. HTML5 media elements expose playback state and methods consumed by the UI to reflect this toggle across platforms.

History and usage: The play/pause toggle has become a standard in digital media interfaces since early media players, supporting quick resumption or interruption of playback without navigating menus.