More advanced controls
More advanced controls
What's coming up
No matter how good your eyesight, you're likely to find a time when you want to see things a little closer. Maybe finding an exact place on a map, looking at details in a photo or just making the text on the screen bigger.
In this activity, you will read about how to zoom on your tablet, how to rotate the screen and what a long tap does. Start activity
Pinch to zoom
If you want to zoom in more, or with more control, here's how to do it. This is often called pinch to zoom.
Place two fingers close together on your screen and slowly move them away from each other, without lifting them off the screen. This will make the things on the screen larger. Think of it like stretching an elastic band.
To return to your original view, place two fingers apart on screen with space between them, and then move them together without lifting them off the screen. Think of it like pinching your screen.
How to zoom
In the next slide, watch a video that demonstrates someone using pinch to zoom to enlarge and reduce things on their touchscreen. Press the 'Continue' button and then play the short video.
Pinch to zoom on a touchscreen demonstration video
This video has no soundtrack and shows someone demonstrating the pinch to zoom technique to enlarge and reduce content on their touchscreen.
Zooming practice
A good way to try out pinch to zoom is using an online map. You can use pinch to zoom to look at a particular area.
For example, if you have searched for the town or city where you live, you can use pinch to zoom and locate the street you live on.
Content rotation
What about those times when you want to move around something that you see on screen - a photo or map for example.
To do this you need to place your thumb and finger onto the screen and hold them there. When you are ready to rotate the content, move your finger and thumb in a circular motion.
In the next slide, you can watch a video showing the pinch and zoom technique you already know about, and then the content rotation of a map. Press the 'Continue' button and then play the short video.
Google maps content rotation demonstration video
This video has no soundtrack and shows someone rotating content on their touchscreen using their fingers.
Device rotation
Another simple way to change how you see things on a screen is to rotate the screen itself.
Having the long edge of the screen at the top is called being in landscape view. When the short edge is at the top, it's called portrait view. To move between landscape and portrait, simply rotate the device in your hands.
In the next slide, you can watch a video showing this in action. Press the 'Continue' button and then play the short video.
Device rotation demonstration video
This video has no soundtrack and shows someone rotating their device to change how their content displays.
The long tap
As you explore your touchscreen and the internet, you'll find interesting stuff that you might want to save or share. When that happens, you could try using the 'long tap' control.
To do a long tap, press your finger on the item of interest and hold it in place for a few seconds. A menu will appear that can give you options for what to do with the item, e.g. 'save image' or 'copy'.
Well done!
You’ve finished the More advanced controls activity.
You've learnt how to zoom, rotate your device and move around something you see on your screen.
In the next activity, Security and apps, you’ll find out about notifications, apps, security and other features of your device.