Seek bar.
Moves playback to a chosen position in media.
See it in context
What it is
The track represents media duration, while its thumb shows the playhead. Buffered content and elapsed time can appear separately from the position that the user can change.
When to use it
Show elapsed and total time and update the playhead when people seek.
Know the difference
A progress bar only reports progress; a seek bar also changes playback position.
Across platforms
Web
Use a native button for an action and an anchor for navigation. Preserve keyboard activation and a visible focus indicator.
iOS · iPadOS · Android
Provide a comfortable touch target, use familiar system symbols when appropriate, and show a clear pressed or selected state.
macOS · Windows · Linux
Keep pointer, keyboard, and focus behavior consistent. Common commands can additionally expose a menu item or keyboard shortcut.
Go to the source
Primary documentation for the pattern and its platform conventions.