Using your Fingers to Navigate on your Tablet
Now that you have gained some experience with your tablet, let’s identify the actions that will allow you to navigate on your tablet. This lesson will teach you the basic gestures and actions that you will perform on your tablet’s screen.
First, watch the video to review the basics. Then read about the topics and find your practice homework at the bottom of this page.
Using your Fingers to Navigate
NOTE: The Map application is no longer supported and is replaced by MapQuest. The two main differences from the video are:
1. The Search function was renamed to Find Places
2. Changing back and forth from satellite to map view is done through more robust Layers interface – see the text below for details.
Screen Actions
In this lesson we want to show you how to navigate your table and manipulate the items on your screen. Some of these items you have already used when you completed your homework by playing Solitaire. Let’s identify some of the essential touch actions:
- Screen Orientation
- Tap to Select or Start
- Drag and swipe
- Zoom In or Out with Pinch & Expand
- Double tap
- Search
- Type with the onscreen keyboard
- Using dictation instead of typing
- Use a Menu to perform actions
Once you have mastered these skills, you will be equipped to enjoy the various apps that are installed on your tablet.
Positioning and Holding your Tablet
The protective cover on your tablet will allow you to hold the device securely. You can either place the tablet on a table or flat surface or hold the tablet primarily in your non-dominant hand so that you can use your dominant hand and its pointer finger on the tablet’s screen. Hold it securely as you touch and tap.
Screen Orientation
You also can either hold your tablet vertically or horizontally. Your tablet provides the ability to support either portrait (vertical) or landscape (horizontal) orientation when using your apps.
The best orientation choice is often a personal preference.
Tap to Select or Start
You already have experience tapping on the screen in order to start an app or select an option. You can use any finger but most actions are most easily performed using the pointer finger on your dominant hand.
When you do this tap, use the soft part of your fingertip and not the fingernail and then tap and immediately lift from the screen. If the tablet doesn’t respond, experiment with softer or harder taps. If the screen doesn’t respond, try using the stylus that we included with your tablet package.