Why do my animations not move for some visitors?
Phones and computers have a setting, often called “reduce motion”, for people who find movement on screens uncomfortable or distracting. Some people turn it on because movement makes them dizzy or sick; others because it makes reading hard.
The prompt
“Which animations on my site stop for visitors who ask for less motion, and what do those visitors see instead?”
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bernard’s animations listen to that setting. For those visitors, an animation either does not play or goes straight to its end: a number shows its final figure, a section is simply there, a typewriter headline shows all its words at once. Your page reads exactly the same; it just does not move.
Seeing it for yourself
Turn on “reduce motion” in your phone’s or computer’s accessibility settings, then open your page. You see what those visitors see. Turn it off again to see the movement.
Why it matters
Respecting the setting is part of making your site comfortable for everyone, and it costs you nothing: the visitors who want the movement still get it. bernard’s own tests check every animation in its library for this in a real browser.
More about animations: How do I add an animation to my site?.
Questions people ask
- Is my animation broken if it does not move for me?
- Probably not. Check whether your own phone or computer is set to reduce motion. If it is, you see the still version, which is what bernard’s animations do on purpose.
- Can I make it move for everyone?
- No. Movement can make some people feel unwell, and their setting is how they tell every website. bernard’s animations always respect it.
- What about a countdown?
- It still shows the right time. For those visitors it changes once a minute and leaves out the seconds, so nothing ticks.
- Do I approve anything for this?
- No. It is part of every animation in bernard’s library, so there is nothing to switch on. You approve the animation itself when you publish it.