Smart Phone Navigation Basics
Before you begin using your phone, it’s important to learn some smartphone navigation basics, so you know how to tell the device exactly what you want to do.
The home screen is where you’ll land after you put in your PIN or scan your face to unlock your phone. This screen may look quite different from device to device, but don’t be overwhelmed – there are common elements here that we will explain in the table below.
Source: greensmartphones.com
Gestures and commands
On a touchscreen, there is no left or right click option like there is on a computer. Instead, there are different things you can do with your fingers to navigate the phone.
Action: Tap (touch something with your finger)
Is used to interact with something such as opening a photo from your camera roll or choosing someone to call on your list of contacts
Action: Long tap (touch and hold something with your finger for 2-3 seconds)
Is used to select something - generally brings up a list of options of what to do, like right-clicking on a computer selecting a photo to share with someone from your camera roll or deleting a certain person from your list of contacts
Action: Double tap
is used to reset the view; resetting a photo to regular size after having previously zoomed in on it; resetting the text on a web page to regular size after having previously zoomed in on it
Action: Swipe left or right
is used to switch between different items. With a photo open, swiping right to view the next photo or From the home screen, swiping right to view more apps
Action: Swipe up or down
is used for scrolling, opening, or closing items. With a photo open, swiping down to close the photo or from the home screen, swiping down from the top of the screen to open the Notifications Drawer
Action: Pinch in (touch and hold with two fingers, moving them away from each other)
Zooming in on a photo you have already opened or Zooming in on a webpage to magnify the text
Pinch out (touch and hold with two fingers, moving them towards each other)
Zooming out on a photo you have opened and previously zoomed in on or zooming out on a webpage you have opened and previously zoomed in on
Source: greensmartphones.com