Amazing Windows 8.1 Tip: Working With a Touch Screen

Amazing Windows 8.1 Tip: Working With a Touch Screen

Written By Admin on April 17, 2014 | Thursday, April 17, 2014

Many of the directions for Windows 8.1 actions call for you to tap, pinch, slide or swipe. I thought you should see what each of these actions looks like and the result you should expect. I've also included the mouse alternative in case you don't have a touch screen.


In general, here are the mouse/touch equivalents
Mouse Touch
Click Tap
Double Click Double Tap
Right Click Press and Hold, then release when a box appears
Drag Drag

Direction	Touch Action	Mouse Action	What it Does
Tap	Tap with one quick down up movement on an item. Just like striking a key on the keyboard.	Click the left mouse button once	Opens, selects, or activates whatever you tap.
Press and hold	Press your finger down and hold for about a second.	Click with the right mouse button	Shows info to help you learn more about an item or opens a menu specific to what you're doing. For example, press and hold a tile on the Start screen to rearrange, resize, or pin it. Only works for some items.
Pinch or stretch to zoom	Touch the screen or an item with two or more fingers, and then move the fingers toward each other (pinch) or away from each other (stretch).	Hold down the Ctrl key and press the + or - key	Visually zooms in or out, like with pictures or maps. A good place to explore this is the Start screen.
Slide to scroll	Drag your finger on the screen.	Just as with other windows, use the scroll bar along the bottom of the screen	Moves through what’s on the screen. Similar to scrolling with a mouse.
Slide to rearrange	Press and briefly drag an item in the direction opposite the way the page scrolls, and then move it wherever you want. (For example, if you would scroll left or right, drag the item up or down first.) When you've moved the item to the new location, let it go.	Hold down the left mouse button and drag the item.	Moves an item.
Swipe to select	Swipe an item with a short, quick movement in the direction opposite the way the page scrolls. For example: If the page scrolls left or right, swipe the item up or down to select it. If the page scrolls up or down, swipe the item left or right to select it.	Click once with the right mouse button	Selects an item, and often brings up app commands. A good place to explore this is in the Mail app.
Swipe or slide from the edge	Starting on the edge, either swipe your finger quickly or slide across the screen without lifting your finger.	Move to the appropriate area of the screen and hold down the left mouse button and drag in the appropriate direction. See “What it does” column for examples.	· Open the charms (Search, Share, Start, Devices, Settings). Swipe in from the right edge. · Open a recently used app. Swipe in from the left edge. Keep swiping to switch between all of your recently used apps. · Open another app at the same time. Slide in from the left edge without lifting your finger and drag the app until a divider appears. Then move the app where you want it, and slide the divider to adjust the app size. · See a list of recently used apps. Slide in from the left edge without lifting your finger, and then push the app back toward the left edge. · Show commands for the current apps, like New and Refresh. Swipe in from the top or bottom edge. · Close an app. Slide down from the top edge without lifting your finger, and then drag the app to the bottom of the screen.