How to use a Touch Screen

How to use a Touch Screen.

Not all touch screens have the same functions, but the actions below are the most common.

Tap - A single touch or tap on the screen with a finger opens an app or selects an object. Compared to a traditional computer, a tap is the same as clicking with a mouse.

Double-tap - A double-tap can have different functions depending on where it is utilized. For example, double-tapping the screen zooms the view centered at the tap location in a browser. Double-tapping in a text editor selects a word or section of words.

Touch and hold - Pressing and holding your finger to a touch screen selects or highlights an object. For example, you could touch and hold an icon and drag it somewhere else on the screen. See our long press page for further information on this term.

Drag - Pressing and holding your finger on a movable object, such as an icon, you can drag your finger to "pull" the object to a different location. The same action, used with text, lets you highlight text. Lift your finger when you are done moving or highlighting.

Swipe - Swiping your finger across the screen scrolls in a certain direction or change pages. For example, pressing your finger at the bottom of the screen and quickly moving it up (swiping) scrolls the screen down. See our swipe page for further information and related links.

Pinch - Placing two fingers on the screen in different spots and then pinching them together zooms in. Pinching your fingers together and then moving them away from each other zooms out on the screen. See our pinch-to-zoom page for further information on this term.