Notification Badge Icon Hover: CSS Hover Effect

Notification Badge Icon Hover

A quiet dot on the bell grows into an unread count with a springy pop while the clapper swings. The dot and the count are one element: the number only turns visible as it scales up.

Also known as: notification bell badge animation, badge pop css, unread count icon.

Color Base size 16px Dark background Hold hover state

HTML

<button class="hfx-bell-icon-badge" aria-label="Notifications, 3 unread">
  <svg viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" aria-hidden="true"><path d="M6 8a6 6 0 0 1 12 0c0 7 3 9 3 9H3s3-2 3-9"/><path class="hfx-bell-icon-badge-clapper" d="M10.3 21a1.94 1.94 0 0 0 3.4 0"/></svg>
  <span class="hfx-bell-icon-badge-count" aria-hidden="true">3</span>
</button>

CSS

.hfx-bell-icon-badge {
  --c: var(--hfx-color, #3b82f6);
  font-size: var(--hfx-size, 16px);
  position: relative;
  display: grid;
  place-items: center;
  width: 3.5em;
  height: 3.5em;
  padding: 0;
  border: 0;
  border-radius: 50%;
  cursor: pointer;
  background: color-mix(in srgb, var(--c) 12%, transparent);
  color: var(--c);
  transition: background-color 0.25s ease;}
.hfx-bell-icon-badge svg {
  width: 1.55em;
  height: 1.55em;
  overflow: visible;
}
.hfx-bell-icon-badge-clapper {
  transform-box: view-box;
}
.hfx-bell-icon-badge-count {
  position: absolute;
  top: 0.35em;
  right: 0.3em;
  display: grid;
  place-items: center;
  min-width: 1.7em;
  height: 1.7em;
  padding: 0 0.35em;
  border-radius: 1em;
  background: var(--c);
  color: transparent;
  font: 700 0.7em/1 system-ui, sans-serif;
  transform: scale(0.42);
  transition: transform 0.45s cubic-bezier(0.34, 1.56, 0.64, 1), color 0.15s ease;
}
.hfx-bell-icon-badge:is(:hover, :focus-visible) { background: color-mix(in srgb, var(--c) 20%, transparent); }
.hfx-bell-icon-badge:is(:hover, :focus-visible) .hfx-bell-icon-badge-count {
  color: #fff;
  transform: translate(0.35em, -0.45em) scale(1);
  transition-delay: 0s, 0.12s;
}
.hfx-bell-icon-badge:is(:hover, :focus-visible) .hfx-bell-icon-badge-clapper {
  animation: hfx-bell-icon-badge-swing 0.8s ease-in-out;
}
@keyframes hfx-bell-icon-badge-swing {
  0%, 100% { transform: translateX(0); }
  20%      { transform: translateX(9%); }
  45%      { transform: translateX(-7%); }
  70%      { transform: translateX(3%); }
}

@media (prefers-reduced-motion: reduce) {
  .hfx-bell-icon-badge, .hfx-bell-icon-badge *, .hfx-bell-icon-badge::before, .hfx-bell-icon-badge::after, .hfx-bell-icon-badge *::before, .hfx-bell-icon-badge *::after {
    animation-duration: 0.01ms !important;
    animation-iteration-count: 1 !important;
    transition-duration: 0.01ms !important;
  }
}

Customizing this snippet

Color: set --hfx-color on the element or a parent. Currently previewing #3b82f6.
Base size: set --hfx-size. Every other dimension is in em, so the whole thing scales together. Currently previewing 16px.
Speed: change the duration on the transition or animation shorthand. Staggered delays are relative, so they keep their rhythm.
Reduced motion: the rule at the end of the CSS turns the motion off for people who asked their OS for less of it. Keep it.

Notification Badge Icon Hover

HTML

CSS

Customizing this snippet

Similar hover effects