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Etsy's simple Beta feature release tooltip

Etsy has a new feature in Beta, which allows mobile app users to preview some items in their space using augmented reality. Their in-app feature announcement provides yet another great example of how a simple tooltip can drive feature discovery and adoption.

There's a lot to like about this deceptively simple approach:

etsy beta feature announcement tooltip

What makes this tooltip really good UX:

  • The spotlight around the AR icon draws the user's attention to an unfamiliar icon. At this point, you probably don't need to explain to people what a cart icon or a heart does—most tech users are familiar with those symbols. But for less intuitive imagery (like Etsy's AR icon), don't assume that users will automatically know what it means.
  • A small badge makes it clear that this is a beta-stage feature, which can help manage user expectations as the product team works out the kinks.
  • Two nice big CTAs make it easy to either see the new feature in action or dismiss the message. Make it easy for users to take action (or not) with a single click.