Scramble Text Loader
Each letter of LOADING flickers through random symbols before it locks in, left to right, then scrambles again. Pure CSS: the symbols are animated content on a pseudo-element.
Also known as: decrypting text animation, hacker text loading, text scramble css.
HTML
<div class="ldr-scramble-text" role="status" aria-label="Loading"> <span aria-hidden="true">L</span><span aria-hidden="true">O</span><span aria-hidden="true">A</span><span aria-hidden="true">D</span><span aria-hidden="true">I</span><span aria-hidden="true">N</span><span aria-hidden="true">G</span> </div>
CSS
.ldr-scramble-text {
--s: var(--ldr-size, 48px);
--c: var(--ldr-color, #3b82f6);
display: inline-flex;
font: 700 calc(var(--s) / 2.2) / 1 ui-monospace, SFMono-Regular, Menlo, monospace;
letter-spacing: 0.06em;
color: var(--c);
}
.ldr-scramble-text span {
position: relative;
animation: ldr-scramble-text-lock 2.8s steps(1, end) infinite;
animation-delay: calc(var(--i, 0) * 0.09s - 2.8s);
}
.ldr-scramble-text span::after {
content: "";
position: absolute;
left: 0;
top: 0;
color: color-mix(in srgb, var(--ldr-color, #3b82f6) 65%, transparent);
animation: ldr-scramble-text-glyph 2.8s steps(1, end) infinite;
animation-delay: calc(var(--i, 0) * 0.09s - 2.8s);
}
.ldr-scramble-text span:nth-child(2) { --i: 1; }
.ldr-scramble-text span:nth-child(3) { --i: 2; }
.ldr-scramble-text span:nth-child(4) { --i: 3; }
.ldr-scramble-text span:nth-child(5) { --i: 4; }
.ldr-scramble-text span:nth-child(6) { --i: 5; }
.ldr-scramble-text span:nth-child(7) { --i: 6; }
@keyframes ldr-scramble-text-lock {
0% { color: transparent; }
30% { color: var(--c); }
86%, 100% { color: transparent; }
}
@keyframes ldr-scramble-text-glyph {
0% { content: "#"; }
5% { content: "%"; }
10% { content: "&"; }
15% { content: "@"; }
20% { content: "$"; }
25% { content: "?"; }
30% { content: ""; }
86% { content: "*"; }
91% { content: "/"; }
96% { content: "+"; }
}
@media (prefers-reduced-motion: reduce) {
.ldr-scramble-text, .ldr-scramble-text *, .ldr-scramble-text::before, .ldr-scramble-text::after, .ldr-scramble-text *::before, .ldr-scramble-text *::after {
animation-duration: 3s;
}
}Customizing this loader
- Color: set
--ldr-coloron the element or a parent. Currently previewing#3b82f6. - Size: set
--ldr-size. Every dimension in the snippet is derived from it. Currently previewing64px. - Speed: change the duration on the
animationshorthand. Delays on the children are relative, so they keep their rhythm. - Accessibility: the root carries
role="status"and anaria-labelso screen readers announce the wait. The reduced-motion rule at the end slows the animation for users who asked for less motion.