Behavior comparison

Button vs Icon button

Choose Button for: Submitting or resetting a form. Choose Icon button for: A familiar action repeats in a dense toolbar.

Dimension	ButtonButton	Icon buttonIcon button
Trigger	Click, tap, Enter, or Space on the named control.	Click, tap, Enter, or Space on the icon control.
Modality	Non-modal action control; any modal result is a separate component.	Non-modal action control; its compact appearance does not change button behavior.
Placement	Within the form, toolbar, or action area where the command applies.	In a toolbar or next to the object affected by its single action.
Interactivity	Runs an action and exposes disabled or pending state while duplicate activation is unsafe.	Runs one action and always has an accessible name; a tooltip is only supplemental.
Focus	A high-contrast focus indicator remains visible in every enabled visual variant and pending state.	The full button target, not only the glyph, receives a visible focus indicator.
Dismissal	Not applicable: an action button does not open a surface unless that separate relationship is defined.	The button itself does not dismiss; any surface it controls follows that surface's separate contract.
Accessible role	native button	native button with an explicit accessible name
Use case	Submitting or resetting a form	A familiar action repeats in a dense toolbar
Mobile behavior	Provide a generous touch target and keep primary and destructive actions visually distinct.	Keep a large invisible or visible touch target and never depend on hover to explain the action.