Understanding the Hover Over Technique

A hover over is what happens when you move your mouse cursor over an element on a screen—like an icon, button, or word—without actually clicking it.

Instead of needing to click to get information, the hover action instantly triggers a temporary change. This change can be:

• Visual Feedback: The color of a button changes, an icon gets a highlight, or a link gets an underline.

• Informational Display: A small box of text, called a tooltip, appears right next to your cursor.

Why Hover Over Is So Important

The hover over technique is a fundamental part of good digital design because it provides context and guidance before an action is taken.

• It Reduces Guesswork: It tells you what an unfamiliar icon or abbreviation means, so you don’t have to click around to figure things out.

• It Prevents Mistakes: By seeing a detailed description before clicking a “Delete” or “Submit” button, users are more confident and less likely to accidentally perform an irreversible action.

• It Saves Space: Complex applications often use icons instead of long text labels to keep the interface clean. The hover over provides the full explanation only when you need it, avoiding clutter.

• It Improves Accessibility: For users with certain cognitive or motor skill challenges, getting quick, clear information without requiring a click is highly beneficial.

Your First Line of Defense Against Phishing

One of the most critical uses of the hover over technique is to verify the safety of a link before you click it. This is your most powerful tool against phishing, which is when scammers use deceptive emails or websites to trick you into giving up personal information (like passwords or credit card numbers).

Scammers often disguise malicious links to look legitimate. For example, a scam link might display the text “Click here to log into PayPal,” but the actual destination is a fake, malicious website.

How to Verify a Link Using Hover Over:

1. Locate the Target: Find the link you want to check (in an email, on a website, etc.).

2. Perform the Hover Action (Desktop/Laptop): Move your mouse cursor over the link and hold it perfectly still—do not click!

3. Inspect the Status Bar: A small display box or line of text (often called the status bar) will appear in the bottom-left corner your browser window. This text reveals the true, actual destination URL of the link.

4. Analyze the URL:

   • Good: If the link says “Log into Bank of America” and the status bar shows a URL starting with https://www.bankofamerica.com/..., the link is safe.

   • Bad (Phishing): If the link says “Log into Bank of America” but the status bar shows a URL like http://bankofamericasupport.xyz/login.php, DO NOT CLICK IT! The domain name is clearly fake, even if the text looks right.

The Mobile Equivalent (Tap-and-Hold for Safety)

On a smartphone or tablet, the process is slightly different but achieves the same result:

1. Use Tap-and-Hold: Press and hold your finger on the suspicious link.

2. Inspect the Preview: A preview box or menu will pop up, which often displays the full, true URL at the top.

3. Cancel if Suspicious: If the URL in the preview does not exactly match the website it claims to be, lift your finger, close the preview, and delete the message.

Always remember: The text you see on the screen can be easily faked. The URL displayed when you hover (or tap-and-hold) is the real destination, and it is your most reliable security check.

How to Use It Effectively

Using the hover over technique is intuitive:

1. Move Your Cursor: Simply glide your mouse cursor across the screen.

2. Look for the Pointer Change: Your cursor will often change shape (e.g., from a standard arrow to a hand pointer when you pass it over an interactive element, signaling that a hover state is available.

3. Pause Briefly: Hold the cursor still over the element for about one second.

4. Read the Feedback: The temporary text (tooltip) or visual highlight will appear, giving you the necessary information.

   ---

What Hover Over Is Good For

Keep an eye out for hover over opportunities in these common scenarios:

Hover vs. Touch: How to Access Information on Mobile Devices

The traditional “hover over” technique uses a mouse or trackpad to float a cursor over an element. On devices with touchscreens (like phones and tablets), you cannot “hover” in the same way.

Instead, the equivalent gesture is Tap-and-Hold (also called Press and Hold or Long Press). This action triggers the same quick informational feedback you would get from a desktop hover.

How to Reveal Hidden Information on Mobile:

1. Identify the Element: Find the interactive element you are curious about (a link, an icon, a file name, etc.).

2. Use the Tap-and-Hold Gesture:

   • Place your finger on the element.

   • Press and hold your finger down firmly for about one second. Do not lift your finger immediately.

3. Read the Feedback: A preview, a description, or a menu will pop up, giving you the extra information you need.

Common Example: Previewing a Link

• Desktop Hover: Moving your mouse cursor over a link displays the full URL in the browser’s status bar.

• Mobile Tap-and-Hold: Pressing and holding a link on your iPhone or Android phone brings up a preview window of the linked webpage, allowing you to see where the link goes before you commit to navigating there.

By using the Tap-and-Hold gesture, mobile users can effectively access all the hidden, contextual information that desktop users get with the hover-over technique.

“A link without a hover check? That’s how horror movies start.”

— Emily Harris
Chief Information Security Officer

Want to Know More?

YouTube (Trevor Nace) | How To Check A Suspicious Link

YouTube (AskLeo!) | How to Hover Over a Link to Check It’s Not a Scam

Forbes | Gmail Users Beware—Link Hovering Attacks On The Up