Touch Gestures in Windows 8.1

Touch Gestures in Windows 8.1: Video

This video shows you how to use touch gestures in Windows 8.1 on touch-enabled devices.

Touch Gestures in Windows 8.1: Overview

In Windows 8.1, many of the actions for which you previously would use a mouse can now be performed by using gestures on a touch screen for computing devices that support this behavior. In this post, we will examine the various gestures that are available in Windows 8.1 for touch screen devices, and which gestures translate to the traditional mouse clicks and movements.

Touch Screen Gestures:

• Tap or Touch:  Tap once onscreen. This opens or selects the item that is tapped. Similar to a left-mouse click.
• Press and hold: Touch onscreen and hold. This displays information about the selected item, or opens a menu specific to what the user is doing. (Similar to a right-click with a mouse.)
• Pinch or Stretch:  Touch the screen with two fingers  This shows different levels of information. Zooms in or out and then either bring them closer  to magnify items displayed onscreen together (Pinch), or further away from each other (Stretch)
• Rotate:  Touch the screen with two fingers. This rotates onscreen items in the direction specified and then turn your hand clockwise. Note: not all items can be rotated or counterclockwise.
• Slide: Move your finger or fingers across the screen. This allows you the user to move through onscreen content. Similar to scrolling the screen with the wheel of a mouse. When used on a selected item, can move the selected item. Similar to clicking and dragging with your mouse.
• Swipe:  Move your finger or fingers a short distance across the screen.  If you swipe across an app tile or other selectable item contrary to the direction the page scrolls, it will  select the item. You can also swipe in from the right edge of the screen to open the Charm Bar, swipe in from the left edge to show open apps, or swipe in from the top or bottom edge to display basic file commands. You can swipe from the top of an app to the bottom edge to close an app by dragging it off-screen.