Touchscreen basics

Finger gestures are crucial to using Keynote on your iOS device. These are the gestures you need to know:

Tap

Using one finger, quickly and firmly touch the screen, then lift your finger. Use this gesture to select an object or activate a button.

Image of using one finger to quickly and firmly touch the screen and then lift your finger

Two-finger tap

Using two fingers simultaneously, quickly and firmly touch the screen, then lift your fingers. Use this gesture to select all the text in a paragraph.

Image of two fingers taping the screen
Image of selected paragraph

Scroll, swipe, flick

Slide one finger up and down or side to side on the screen to move the content within the screen or within a pane. This action allows you to see items that are currently beyond the edges of the screen or more options within a pane. Scroll quickly by swiping or flicking one finger rapidly across the screen.

Swipe or flick up and down to scroll.

Image of scrolling the view within the screen

Drag

You can drag to move an object, or to resize an object or selection range.

To move an object, touch and hold your finger on the object, then drag it to where you want it. To resize an object, tap it, touch and hold one of the selection handles, then drag to resize.

Image of dragging an object

Select multiple objects

Select as many objects as you want by touching and holding one object on the screen, then tapping the other objects with another finger. Use both hands if it’s easier.

Image of selecting multiple objects

Swipe to move the insertion point through text

After you place the insertion point within a paragraph, you can quickly move the insertion point by swiping left or right with one finger, two fingers, or three fingers at a time.

Swipe across the paragraph with one finger to move the insertion point one character in the direction that you swipe.

Image of 1 finger swiping left
Image of 1 finger swiping right

Swipe across the paragraph with two fingers to move the insertion point to the beginning or end of the current word.

Image of 2 fingers swiping left
Image of 2 fingers swiping right

Swipe across the paragraph with three fingers to move the insertion point to the beginning or end of the current line.

Image of 3 fingers swiping left
Image of 2 fingers swiping right

Pinch open to zoom in

Place two fingers on the screen and spread them apart. This action allows you to see a close-up of items on the screen. Pinch open quickly to immediately increase the slide size. An indicator displays the current slide magnification as you pinch.

Image of placing two fingers on the screen and spreading them apart

Pinch closed to zoom out

Place two fingers on the screen and bring them together. This action allows you to see more items on the screen. Pinch closed quickly to immediately reduce the slide. An indicator displays the current slide magnification as you pinch.

Image of placing two fingers on the screen and bringing them together

Accessibility

To learn about using universal access features, including VoiceOver, see the Accessibility chapter in the device’s user guide.