← Back to Practice Choices
Android for Absolute Beginners
Android Skills Practice
This short activity lets you practice common phone gestures in a safe place.
Nothing here changes your phone settings. If a gesture does not work the first time, just try again.
1. Tap
Tap the yellow circle one time.
✓ Great! That was a tap.
A tap is a quick touch and release.
2. Long Press
Touch the blue-green box and keep your finger there for about one second.
TOUCH AND HOLD
✓ Nice! That was a long press.
A long press is like a tap, except you keep your finger down a little longer.
3. Drag
Touch the orange card, keep your finger down, drag it into the green box, then lift your finger.
✓ Good job! You dragged it to a new place.
To drag, keep your finger touching the screen while you move something. Lift your finger when it is where you want it.
4. Swipe
Swipe across the practice area in all four directions.
↑Up
↓Down
←Left
→Right
SWIPE
HERE
0 of 4 directions completed
✓ Excellent! You swiped left, right, up, and down.
A swipe is a quick movement across the screen. Unlike dragging, you do not move an object to a particular spot.
6. Pinch & Zoom
Use two fingers on the map. First spread them apart to zoom in. Then pinch them together to zoom back out.
① Spread apart
② Pinch together
Main St
Oak Park
River Rd
📍
Practice Map
✓ You did it! You zoomed in and back out.
Spread two fingers apart to zoom in. Pinch them together to zoom out. You will use this on maps, photos, and other screens.
🎉
You did it!
You practiced six important Android gestures:
Tap · Long Press · Drag · Swipe · Scroll · Pinch & Zoom
The goal is not speed. The goal is getting comfortable using the screen.
Android Skills Practice