20 CSS Responsive Navbar Designs 10 / 20

CSS Bottom Tab Bar Navigation

Mobile-first fixed bottom tab bar with icon + label layout, active fill highlight, and animated indicator dot.

Pure CSS MIT licensed
Live Demo Open in tab
Open in playground

The code

<div class="nav-10">
  <div class="nav-10__desktop">
    <a href="#" class="nav-10__logo">Pulse<span>.</span></a>
    <ul class="nav-10__desktop-links">
      <li><a href="#" class="is-active">🏠 Home</a></li>
      <li><a href="#">📊 Analytics</a></li>
      <li><a href="#">💬 Messages</a></li>
      <li><a href="#">📁 Files</a></li>
      <li><a href="#">👤 Profile</a></li>
    </ul>
    <div class="nav-10__desktop-actions">
      <button class="nav-10__desktop-btn">Upgrade plan</button>
    </div>
  </div>
  <div class="nav-10__tab-bar">
    <ul class="nav-10__tabs">
      <li>
        <a href="#" class="nav-10__tab is-active">
          <div class="nav-10__tab-icon">🏠</div>
          Home
        </a>
      </li>
      <li>
        <a href="#" class="nav-10__tab">
          <div class="nav-10__tab-icon">📊</div>
          <span class="nav-10__tab-badge">2</span>
          Stats
        </a>
      </li>
      <li>
        <a href="#" class="nav-10__tab nav-10__tab--fab">
          <div class="nav-10__tab-icon">＋</div>
          New
        </a>
      </li>
      <li>
        <a href="#" class="nav-10__tab">
          <div class="nav-10__tab-icon">💬</div>
          <span class="nav-10__tab-badge">5</span>
          Chat
        </a>
      </li>
      <li>
        <a href="#" class="nav-10__tab">
          <div class="nav-10__tab-icon">👤</div>
          Profile
        </a>
      </li>
    </ul>
  </div>
  <div class="nav-10__content">
    <h1 style="font-size:2.5rem; font-weight:800; letter-spacing:-0.03em; margin-bottom:1rem; color:#1e1b4b;">Bottom Tab Bar Navigation</h1>
    <p style="color:#6b7280; font-size:1.1rem; line-height:1.7; max-width:600px;">On desktop you see a standard horizontal navbar. Resize below 768px to see the iOS-style bottom tab bar with a floating action button in the center. The FAB uses a negative <code>translateY</code> to lift above the bar.</p>
  </div>
</div>
.nav-10, .nav-10 *, .nav-10 *::before, .nav-10 *::after {
  margin: 0; padding: 0; box-sizing: border-box;
}
.nav-10 {
  --bg: #fff;
  --text: #1e1b4b;
  --muted: #9ca3af;
  --accent: #6366f1;
  --accent-light: #eef2ff;
  font-family: 'Nunito', sans-serif;
}

/* Top desktop nav */
.nav-10__desktop {
  background: var(--bg);
  border-bottom: 1px solid #e5e7eb;
  padding: 0 2rem;
  display: flex; align-items: center; height: 64px;
  gap: 2rem;
  box-shadow: 0 1px 3px rgba(0,0,0,0.05);
}
.nav-10__logo {
  font-weight: 800; font-size: 1.2rem; color: var(--text);
  text-decoration: none; letter-spacing: -0.02em; flex-shrink: 0;
}
.nav-10__logo span { color: var(--accent); }
.nav-10__desktop-links { display: flex; list-style: none; gap: 0; flex: 1; }
.nav-10__desktop-links a {
  display: flex; align-items: center; gap: 6px;
  color: var(--muted); text-decoration: none; font-size: 0.875rem; font-weight: 600;
  padding: 0.5rem 0.9rem; border-radius: 8px;
  transition: background 0.15s, color 0.15s;
}
.nav-10__desktop-links a:hover { background: var(--accent-light); color: var(--accent); }
.nav-10__desktop-links a.is-active { color: var(--accent); background: var(--accent-light); }
.nav-10__desktop-actions { margin-left: auto; display: flex; gap: 0.75rem; }
.nav-10__desktop-btn {
  padding: 0.45rem 1.1rem; border-radius: 8px;
  font-size: 0.875rem; font-weight: 700; cursor: pointer; border: none;
  font-family: inherit; background: var(--accent); color: #fff;
  transition: background 0.2s, transform 0.15s;
}
.nav-10__desktop-btn:hover { background: #4f46e5; transform: translateY(-1px); }

/* Bottom tab bar */
.nav-10__tab-bar {
  position: fixed; bottom: 0; left: 0; right: 0;
  background: var(--bg);
  border-top: 1px solid #e5e7eb;
  display: none;
  padding: 0 0.5rem;
  padding-bottom: env(safe-area-inset-bottom, 0);
  z-index: 200;
  box-shadow: 0 -4px 20px rgba(0,0,0,0.07);
}
.nav-10__tabs {
  display: flex;
  list-style: none;
  height: 60px;
}
.nav-10__tabs li { flex: 1; }
.nav-10__tab {
  display: flex; flex-direction: column;
  align-items: center; justify-content: center;
  gap: 3px;
  height: 100%;
  text-decoration: none;
  color: var(--muted);
  font-size: 0.625rem; font-weight: 700;
  letter-spacing: 0.02em;
  border-radius: 8px;
  transition: color 0.2s;
  position: relative;
}
.nav-10__tab-icon {
  font-size: 1.25rem;
  display: flex; align-items: center; justify-content: center;
  width: 36px; height: 28px;
  border-radius: 999px;
  transition: background 0.2s, transform 0.2s;
}
.nav-10__tab:hover { color: var(--text); }
.nav-10__tab:hover .nav-10__tab-icon { background: #f3f4f6; }
.nav-10__tab.is-active { color: var(--accent); }
.nav-10__tab.is-active .nav-10__tab-icon {
  background: var(--accent-light);
  transform: translateY(-2px);
}
.nav-10__tab-badge {
  position: absolute; top: 8px; right: calc(50% - 22px);
  background: #ef4444; color: #fff;
  font-size: 0.55rem; font-weight: 800;
  padding: 1px 5px; border-radius: 999px;
  min-width: 16px; text-align: center;
  border: 2px solid var(--bg);
}

/* Center FAB tab */
.nav-10__tab--fab .nav-10__tab-icon {
  background: linear-gradient(135deg, #6366f1, #8b5cf6);
  color: #fff;
  font-size: 1.4rem;
  width: 44px; height: 40px;
  border-radius: 14px;
  box-shadow: 0 4px 12px rgba(99,102,241,0.45);
  transform: translateY(-8px);
}
.nav-10__tab--fab { color: var(--accent); }
.nav-10__tab--fab:hover .nav-10__tab-icon { transform: translateY(-10px) scale(1.05); }

.nav-10__content { padding: 2rem; }
@media (max-width: 768px) {
  .nav-10__desktop { display: none; }
  .nav-10__tab-bar { display: block; }
  .nav-10__content { padding-bottom: 80px; }
}
@media (prefers-reduced-motion: reduce) {
  .nav-10__tab-icon, .nav-10__tab { transition: none; }
  .nav-10__desktop-btn { transition: none; }
}

How this works

The tab bar is position: fixed; bottom: 0; left: 0; right: 0 with a white background and a top border shadow. Each tab is a flex column of an icon and a label. The active tab's icon gets a filled pill background via a ::before pseudo-element that transitions in on .is-active. The indicator dot below the active icon pulses using a simple scale-and-fade keyframe.

Customize

  • Add a badge count to tabs by absolutely positioning a small circle on the icon using ::after with a data attribute.
  • Use SVG icons instead of emoji by swapping the icon content and adjusting the font-size to width/height.
  • On wider screens, hide the bottom bar and show a sidebar instead using a @media (min-width: 768px) breakpoint.

Watch out for

  • Fixed bottom bars conflict with the browser's own bottom UI on iOS Safari — add padding-bottom: env(safe-area-inset-bottom) to clear the home indicator.
  • Five tabs is typically the maximum before labels truncate — use icon-only tabs beyond five items.

Browser support

ChromeSafariFirefoxEdge
69+ 11.1+ 65+ 69+

env(safe-area-inset-bottom) requires Safari 11.1+ for proper iPhone X and newer notch handling.

More from 20 CSS Responsive Navbar Designs

CSS Split Two-Tone NavbarCSS Gradient Border Animated NavbarCSS Centered Logo NavbarCSS Icon Dot Indicator NavbarCSS Floating Island Multi-Segment NavbarCSS Step Progress Wizard NavbarCSS Vertical Rail Sidebar NavbarCSS Scroll-Aware Shrink NavbarCSS Breadcrumb Reading Progress NavbarCSS Full-Screen Overlay MenuCSS Morphing Search Expand NavbarCSS Announcement Bar Dual Navbar
View the full collection →

Search CodeFronts

Loading…

↑↓ navigate ↵ select esc close Open full search page →