Definition of the word back button

The term "back button" refers to a user interface element in digital devices that allows the user to navigate back to the previously viewed screen or webpage. This feature has become a standard part of many graphical user interfaces (GUIs) used in computers, smartphones, and other digital devices. The concept of a "back button" can be traced back to the pioneering work of computer scientist Doug Engelbart in the late 1960s. Engelbart developed the first computer mouse and the first graphical user interface (GUI) that introduced various basic UI elements like menus, windows, and pointers that are still in use today. Engelbart's GUI included an arrow button that served as the "back" function, allowing users to move back to the previous screen. However, it was Apple that popularized the usage of the term "back button." In 1987, Apple launched Macintosh SE with an innovative operating system called System 2. When Steve Jobs unveiled the new button layout in a press release, he called it the "back button." This term caught on, and gradually, other software developers also adopted the term to describe the same UI element. Since then, the "back button" has become a fundamental part of digital interfaces, particularly in web design. The "back button" provides users with a quick and easy way to navigate through web pages and improves their overall web browsing experience. The significance of this UI element is such that in 2009, an incident known as the "button rage" surfaced in which frustrated users inadvertently deleted entire websites due to an "out-of-context" back button in Safari. This incident raised awareness of the "back button's" importance and helped to solidify its role in UX design. In summary, the term "back button" has its origins traced back to the pioneering works of Doug Engelbart, but it is Apple's Steve Jobs who popularized the term in the digital world. Today, the "back button" is an essential user interface element that has become ubiquitous across various digital devices and software interfaces.