Use prefers-reduced-motion media query to detect whether the user wants to reduce animation motion; 2. Disable or simplify animation by setting animation: none or transition: none in @media (prefers-reduced-motion: reduce); 3. Common application scenarios include disabling rotation, fade in, swipe, auto-carousel, and hover animation; 4. The best practice is to enable animation by default, turn off motion only when needed, and not remove features; 5. This setting can be simulated in browser developer tools for testing, thereby improving the accessibility and inclusion of the website.
The prefers-reduced-motion
media query in CSS lets you detect whether a user has requested less motion in animations and transitions. This is especially helpful for accessibility, as some users may experience disappoint or even medical issues (like vertigo or migraines) from excessive animation.

You can use it to provide a more comfortable experience by disabling or simplifying animations when users prefer reduced motion.
How to Use prefers-reduced-motion
You wrap your animation styles inside a @media
rule that checks the user's preference:

@media (prefers-reduced-motion: reduce) { /* Apply styles when user wants less motion */ }
Inside this block, you override animations, transitions, or other motion-based effects.
Example: Disable an animation for users who prefer reduced motion
Suppose you have a loading spinner that rotates:

.spinner { animation: spin 1s linear infinite; } @keyframes spin { to { transform: rotate(360deg); } }
To respect user preferences, disable the animation like this:
@media (prefers-reduced-motion: reduce) { .spinner { animation: none; } }
Now, if the user has enabled "reduce motion" in their OS settings (like in Windows, macOS, or mobile devices), the spinner won't rotate.
Common Use Cases
You should consider applying prefers-reduced-motion
in these situations:
- Fade-ins, slide-ins, or parallelax effects on scroll
- Auto-playing carousels
- Bouncing or pulsing buttons
- Page transitions or loading animations
For example, a button with a subtle bounce on hover:
.button:hover { animation: bounce 0.3s ease; } @keyframes bounce { 0%, 100% { transform: translateY(0); } 50% { transform: translateY(-5px); } }
Disable it when motion should be reduced:
@media (prefers-reduced-motion: reduce) { .button:hover { animation: none; } }
Best Practices
- Always default to motion, then reduce it conditionally. Design with animation, but make it optional.
- Use
animation: none
ortransition: none
to disable motion effects. - Don't remove functionality — just the visual motion. The element should still work.
- Test it : You can simulate the preference in browser dev tools (eg, in Chrome under Rendering > Emulate CSS media feature prefers-reduced-motion).
Optional: Respect minimum motion with no-preference
You can also explicitly target users who don't want reduced motion:
@media (prefers-reduced-motion: no-preference) { .fancy-animation { animation: slideIn 0.5s ease-out; } }
But usually, it's simpler to define animations by default and only disable them in the reduce
case.
Basically, just check the user's motion preference and tone things down when needed. It's a small change that makes your site more inclusive.
The above is the detailed content of How to use the CSS prefers-reduced-motion media query?. For more information, please follow other related articles on the PHP Chinese website!

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