More advanced controls
More advanced controls
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In this activity, we will look at advanced techniques to help you get the most from your touchscreen device, including zooming in and out, rotating content and your device, and opening special menus.
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Touchscreen devices allow you to temporarily enlarge content on the screen to make it easier to see. This is known as zooming in and is done using a special gesture called the reverse-pinch.
You can also zoom out to restore content to its original size, or make it even smaller, by using a different gesture called the pinch.
Collectively, these gestures are sometimes called pinch-to-zoom. Let's take a look at them in more detail.
Zooming in for a closer look
To make objects on the screen bigger, you use the reverse-pinch gesture. It's a bit of a strange name, but it's easy to do. To perform a reverse-pinch:
- Put the tips of your thumb and finger together and place them gently on the area of the screen that you want to enlarge
- Slowly spread your finger and thumb apart while maintaining contact with the screen, and release
- The content on the screen will become enlarged/more detailed
- Repeat this gesture to keep zooming in.
An example of where you might use reverse-pinch is zooming in for a closer look at a map.
Zooming out
To make content on the screen appear smaller, you can use the pinch gesture. To do this:
- Place the tips of your thumb and finger wide apart on the touchscreen
- Gently bring your finger and thumb together while maintaining contact with the screen until the object is the size you want.
An example of where you might use the pinch gesture is zooming out on a map to see more of the surrounding area.
On the next panel is a short demonstration of zooming in and out using pinch-to-zoom gestures. Click Continue below and then click anywhere on the video to start watching.
How to zoom in and out on a touchscreen - video demonstration
Double tap to zoom
Another way to zoom in or out quickly on a touchscreen is to use a double tap gesture. Not all content responds to this gesture, but photos are a good example of when this works well. To double tap to zoom:
- Lightly tap a photo on the screen twice, quickly. The photo will zoom in.
- Double tap once again, and the photo will zoom back to the original size.
If you've double tapped the screen and nothing has changed, however, or you want to zoom in further, you can always use the reverse-pinch gesture instead.
On the next panel is a short demonstration of zooming in and out using a double tap. Click Continue below and then click anywhere on the video to start watching.
How to zoom with a double tap - video demonstration
Content rotation
What about those times when you want to move something that you see on screen to a different angle, such as a map?
To do this:
- Lightly place your thumb and finger tips onto the screen at the same time
- Rotate your finger and thumb in a circular motion, while maintaining light contact with the screen
- The map will move and when the angle is just right, release your finger and thumb from the screen.
On the next panel is a short demonstration of rotating a map on a touchscreen using a finger and thumb. Click Continue below and then click anywhere on the video to start watching.
How to rotate content on a touchscreen - video demonstration
Device rotation
Another simple way to change how you see things on a screen is to rotate the device itself.
Having the long edge of the screen at the top is called being in landscape mode. When the short edge is at the top, it's called portrait mode. To move between landscape and portrait, simply rotate the device in your hands 90 degrees clockwise or anti-clockwise.
On the next panel is a short demonstration of rotating a device between landscape and portrait modes. Click Continue below and then click anywhere on the video to start watching.
How to rotate a device - video demonstration
The long tap
The long tap gesture can be used to open additional menus for content on your device. For example, you can use a long tap on an app icon to display the app's special menu, or on a news article to see options for reading later, saving or opening in a new tab.
To perform a long tap, press and hold your finger on the item of interest for a few moments until a menu appears. Then you can release your finger and tap on an option from the list, or tap elsewhere on the screen to close the menu.
On the next panel is a short demonstration of using a long tap to open an app's special menu. Click Continue below and then click anywhere on the video to start watching.
How to open special menus with a long tap - video demonstration
Well done!
You’ve completed the More advanced controls activity.
You've learnt how to zoom, rotate content and your device and open special menus.
In the next activity, Security and apps, you’ll find out about notifications, apps, security and other features of your device.