Applies to Surface RT, Surface Pro.

Touch: tap, swipe, and beyond

Here are some of the ways you can interact with the Surface touchscreen.

When we say
How to do it
What it does

Tap

Tap once on something.
Opens what you tap.

Press and hold

Press and hold your finger down for a few seconds.
Shows options related to what you’re doing (like right-clicking with a mouse).

Slide

Drag your finger across the screen.
Scrolls through what’s on the screen.

Pinch or stretch

Pinch your thumb and forefinger together or move them apart.
Zooms in or out of a website, map, or picture.

Rotate

Put two or more fingers on an item and then turn your hand.
Rotates things (if something can be rotated).

Swipe to select

Slide an item a short distance, opposite to how the page scrolls. (For example, if the screen scrolls left to right, slide the item up or down.) A quick, short movement works best.
Selects an item, like an app tile or photo. Do this at the top or bottom of an app window to show app commands.

Slide to rearrange

Tap and drag an item to a new location, and then let go.
Moves an item. To try this, see Customize the Start screen.  

Swipe from edge

Swipe in from the edge of the screen.

Swiping in from the…

Right edge: Opens the charms.

Left edge:

Brings in open apps,

snaps apps, or

shows open apps.

Top or bottom edge:

Shows app commands, like Save, Edit, and Delete.

Top edge:

Closes apps. See Start and close apps.


Copy and paste using touch

To select text using touch, tap a word then drag the circles at each end of the highlighted text to extend the selection. To copy the text, tap and hold the highlighted text until a box appears, then release your finger and tap Copy (you can also press Ctrl+C to copy and Ctrl+V to paste).

Tips

  • The trackpad included on Touch Cover and Type Cover supports some touch gestures. For info about this, see Trackpad: A built-in mouse.
  • You can use a capacitive pen (sold separately) with Surface RT. Surface Pro includes a digital pen. For info about using the digital pen, see Use the Surface Pen.




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