The exit button has become invalid

On Twitter, the phrase “log off” is often uttered as a pejorative, directed at a perpetual online person who needs to put down their phone and go for a walk. Signing off, by this logic, is not a task to be done on one device, but rather a state of mind to live in and idealize. Still, there’s a profound irony to this feeling: Someone who manages to mentally log out, whether it’s for an hour or a week, may still be technically logged in. It is common for users to leave tabs and apps open in the browser, in order for devices to run around in the background, collecting data. Most people spare this fact a second thought. We’re so used to staying logged in so we can keep scrolling exactly where we left off.

The interface of consumer websites and apps, in turn, has reflected this shift. People once prioritized logging in as much as logging out, but now, according to freelance UI designer Jesse Showalter, access to content is of paramount importance, even at the cost of constantly sharing our data. Signing off, by contrast, has little value to businesses or consumers.

Looks like the exit button is practically gone. I only intentionally sign out of certain accounts when I try to curb my use of a site or app (usually Twitter or Amazon). Even then, this process is not always straightforward. A few months ago, I was using a friend’s laptop to send some emails and realized I was locked out of my individual Gmail account. Doing so will also log my friend out. This is a desktop annoyance that Google has maintained for many years. Instead, I had to use a separate device, such as a mobile phone, to revoke account access.

This unexpected sign-out hurdle confirmed my conspiratorial suspicion: websites and apps have a profitable incentive to keep users signed in, which is reflected in both mobile and desktop interface design. As a result, the sign out button has been tucked deep into the Settings menu, as is the case with Discord and YouTube, or even removed as a function entirely, as is the case in the mobile apps for Facebook Messenger and WhatsApp. My theory aligns with the history of dark interface patterns quietly pushed by big tech. These UI decisions are made with the companies’ interests in mind to “trick users into doing things they might not do otherwise.” Admittedly, hiding the logout function in a few clicks isn’t as fiddly as it is deceive the user To agree to be tracked. But the logic seemed similar. People are less likely to consider logging out if the option isn’t front and center. Otherwise, why is there some kind of video tutorial on YouTube with thousandsif not MillionsAny opinions detailing the logout process for some apps?

I reached out to some interface designers to see if my theory held any weight, only to learn that reality isn’t quite as outrageous as I picture it. User behavior informs design decisions and vice versa. Because our devices are treated as extensions of our cognitive selves, people are constantly switching between mobile and desktop interfaces, even using both simultaneously. These days, users expect their session data to flow seamlessly across devices: “This delivery of productivity results in people needing to stay constantly connected,” said Tom McClain, lead user experience designer at technology and design consultancy Door3. The login experience also becomes less arduous, and service providers like Google or Meta can collect browsing data and habits on their users, even when they are not using the app.

Maclean added that this relationship is more symbiotic than adversarial. Most of the interfaces are designed to be easy to use. Companies benefit from customer interaction with their products. A positive interface experience increases the amount of time spent on the app, which leads to higher ad revenue. In some cases, the user does not necessarily need to create an account to “log in”. They simply have to allow a site to create a session cookie (usually by checking a box) that collects data about user activity. These cookies are often not cleared when the browser is closed, so a person could technically stay logged in for an extended period of time. Few users clear the cache manually. Convenience is always what ultimately pays the user, in the form of money or personal data for targeted ads, said Sarah Vienna, vice president of design at interface design firm MetaLab.

Most sites don’t intentionally send users on a wild goose chase before they log off.

Vienna said the checkout process can feel more confusing and challenging because users are less familiar with contemporary interface designs, which have become more customized and complex in the past decade. Vienna added that designers don’t often rely on “cookie-cutter, boot-like interfaces”. “When people pull away from familiar design patterns, there is a benefit from a UX perspective because familiarity means people know where to find things.”

Developers simply don’t think about logging out as much, unless they’re building platforms that contain sensitive user information. With healthcare or financial services apps, for example, sign-out is a built-in automated feature. User sessions are programmed to quickly time out or expire for privacy. Or in the case of paywall news sites, such as The New Yorker And New York MagazineUsers complain of being routinely kicked out.

Vienna envisions an inevitable future where users will be more thoughtful about their data, demanding more control over how it is used and collected. The side effects of that? Internet that allows more than one log-in or log-out binary instances. “When we think about countries, this is how the interface should change and evolve depending on the user’s location, time, actions and expected needs,” Vienna said.

Until then, when we take a break from our screens, leave our homes and go for a walk, go touch the lawn even, our home devices will still be logged on, with the promise of a smooth, continuous experience anytime we may return — the expectation that we, no matter what We always will.