WebInclusiveby Giuseppe Stumbo

Touch gestures on iPhone and Android

The basic gestures iOS and Android share, plus system navigation: where your finger starts, where it ends and what happens. Each card shows the gesture with an animation.

On this page

These are standard device gestures with the screen reader off. Common gestures come first, followed by system navigation.

The illustrations are still. Start the animations to observe movement and pause them to read.

How to read the animations
  • The filled circle is the finger; the number next to it shows how many taps.
  • The dashed line with the arrow is the finger’s path.
  • The coloured box is the screen reader cursor.
  • On keyboard cards the keys go down; on voice cards the system’s response appears.

Basic touch gestures

The gestures iOS and Android share. They work in almost every app, with small differences in behaviour.

  • 1 fingeriOS and Android

    Tap

    Selects or opens what you touch: a button, a link, a list row.

  • 1 fingeriOS and Android

    Double tap

    Zooms into photos, maps and web pages. A second double tap returns to the previous view.

  • 1 fingeriOS and Android

    Touch and hold

    Opens a context menu, selects text or lets you rearrange icons.

  • 1 fingeriOS and Android

    Swipe

    Scrolls a list or a page: move your finger quickly and release.

  • 1 fingeriOS and Android

    Drag

    Moves an item while your finger stays down, such as an icon or a slider.

  • 2 fingersiOS and Android

    Spread

    Two fingers moving apart zoom into photos, maps and pages.

  • 2 fingersiOS and Android

    Pinch

    Two fingers moving together zoom out of photos, maps and pages.

  • 2 fingersiOS and Android

    Rotate

    Two fingers turning together rotate a map or a photo.

  • 1 fingeriOS and Android

    Pull to refresh

    Swipe down from the top of a list and release to reload it.

  • 1 fingeriOS and Android

    Swipe on a row

    Moving a list row sideways reveals quick actions, such as delete or archive.

System navigation on iPhone and Android

Where your finger starts and where it ends. On Android this applies to gesture navigation; on iPhone, to models without a Home button.

  • iPhone

    1. Home. Swipe up from the bottom edge. Pause in the middle of the screen for the App Switcher.
    2. Switch apps. Swipe along the bottom edge.
    3. Back. Swipe right from the left edge.
    4. Notification Centre. Swipe down from the middle of the top edge.
    5. Control Centre. Swipe down from the top-right corner.

  • Android

    1. Home. Swipe up from the bottom edge. Hold for Recents.
    2. Switch apps. Swipe along the bottom edge.
    3. Back. Swipe inwards from the left or right edge.
    4. Notifications. Swipe down from the top edge.
    5. Quick Settings. Swipe down from the top edge; with two fingers the full panel opens.

iPhone

  • 1 fingeriOS

    Home

    Swipe up from the bottom edge.

  • 1 fingeriOS

    App Switcher

    Swipe up from the bottom edge and pause in the middle of the screen.

  • 1 fingeriOS

    Switch apps

    Swipe along the bottom edge, right or left.

  • 1 fingeriOS

    Back

    Swipe right from the left edge. Works in most apps.

  • 1 fingeriOS

    Notification Centre

    Swipe down from the middle of the top edge.

  • 1 fingeriOS

    Control Centre

    Swipe down from the top-right corner.

Android

  • 1 fingerAndroid

    Home

    Swipe up from the bottom edge.

  • 1 fingerAndroid

    Recents

    Swipe up from the bottom edge, hold, then release.

  • 1 fingerAndroid

    Switch apps

    Swipe along the bottom edge, right or left.

  • 1 fingerAndroid

    Back

    Swipe inwards from the left or right edge.

  • 1 fingerAndroid

    Quick Settings

    Swipe down from the top edge.

  • 2 fingersAndroid

    Full Quick Settings

    Swipe down with two fingers from the top edge.

  • 1 fingerAndroid

    Close an app

    In Recents, swipe up on the app preview.

Sources and limits

The descriptions are rewritten from the official guides; the animations are original.

Commands can change with the system version, the screen reader version and the manufacturer. Before a test or an audit, try them on the device: on iPhone with VoiceOver Practice, on Android with the TalkBack tutorial (four-finger tap).