Story
When the AI is going the wrong way, or I already have what I need, I want to stop it at once and keep what it wrote, so I do not wait or lose the useful part.
Sam, opening a coffee cart, asking for name ideas on her phone.
- 01 Setting
Sam asks for 5 names for her coffee cart.
- 02 Trigger
Name 2 is the one. She does not need the rest.
- 03 Without it
She waits for all 5, or leaves the page and loses the answer.
- 04 With it
Stop sits where Send was. 1 tap, and the answer ends where it is - every word kept.
- 05 Outcome
She copies name 2. If she changes her mind, Continue picks up from the same word.
Live demo
This demo follows a script, so it plays the same every time - there is no real AI behind it. Change a setting to see the same moment play out differently.
What happens, step by step
| State | The person sees | The AI is | When | Screen reader |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Send turns into Stop at once - before the first word arrives. | Starts work. | 0 s | - |
| 2 | The answer streams in (arrives word by word). Stop stays in the same place. | Writes. | - | “Generating a response” |
| 3 | Stop shows it was pressed. | Stops writing. | under 100 ms | - |
| 4 | Every word written so far stays, with a short note and Continue or Try again. | Idle. | at once | “Response stopped” |
| 5 | The answer picks up from the last word - not from the start. | Writes again. | on tap | “Generating a response” |
| 6 | The full answer, and Send is back. | Idle. | - | “Response complete” |
On each device
- phone
- Stop replaces Send in the same spot, at least 44 px, so the thumb is already there. Never hide it behind a menu.
- tablet
- As on the phone. With a keyboard, Escape stops too.
- desktop
- Stop replaces Send. Escape stops too. The composer (the box where you type) stays editable, so people can type the next ask while it finishes.
When to use it
- Answers take more than a couple of seconds to finish.
- People often find what they need part-way through.
- The AI can head the wrong way, and waiting for the end wastes time and money.
- The AI is doing things, not only writing. Stopping must also say what it already did. Use Watch mode and takeover instead.
- People want to change the direction, not end it. Use Update mid-run instead.
- Answers are always instant - there is nothing to stop. Use Streaming response instead.
The parts of the pattern
- AStop buttonWhere Send was, with a word and a square. Works from the very first moment.
- BThe partial answerStays on screen exactly as written. Nothing is thrown away.
- CThe caretThe blinking mark at the end of the text. It shows the AI is still writing, and it goes the moment Stop is pressed.
- DThe composerStays usable, so people can type the next ask straight away.
Do and Avoid
1. Daily Grind - simple, and easy to say. 2. Pour Decisions…
You stopped this answer. What is written is kept.
Response cancelled.
Stop generating
Writing and accessibility
- Label it "Stop", with a square icon. Not "Cancel", which sounds like the answer will be thrown away.
- After stopping, say what happened in 1 line: "You stopped this answer. What is written is kept."
- Offer 2 ways on: "Continue" picks up where it ended; "Try again" starts fresh.
- Stop is a real button with the name "Stop generating", and it takes the focus Send had.
- Escape stops on a keyboard, from anywhere in the conversation.
- Announce "Response stopped" once in the polite status region (the part of the page a screen reader reads out on its own). Do not read the partial text out again.
- Stop is at least 44 by 44 px on touch screens.
Seen in real products
- GeminiWeb and apps · Oct 2026For agent Tasks, "Stop" in the text box cancels the whole task.Gemini Help: Tasks ↗
- ChatGPTWeb and apps · Nov 2025"Update" lets people add context while GPT-5 Pro or Deep Research is still working, without stopping and restarting.TechRadar, Nov 2025 ↗
- ClaudeWeb and desktop · Oct 2026In voice mode, a "Stop" button sits bottom right, and people can also speak to interrupt.Claude Help: Voice mode ↗
Each example comes from the product’s help pages, release notes or teardowns, with the month it was checked. Products change every month - tell us when 1 is out of date.
Check yourself
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