Empty states

In some situations, lists may not contain any initial data because no content is currently available, or the user hasn't created content yet. This state is called an empty state.

Best practices

Don't show an empty screen. The app should use the empty space to promote content creation (for example, a contact, note, or calendar event) or prompt the user to initiate a synchronization in order to populate the list with content.

Use dummy list items. It can be helpful to include text prompts and an accompanying image or control that calls the user to action or explains why the space is currently empty.