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Am I the only person who didn't know this?

By JT, 4 August, 2013

Forum
iOS and iPadOS
My first iOS device was an iPad, I got it in May 2010. I taught myself how to use it, using a variety of resources, many from this very site. I remember learning the one-flick up, down, left and right gestures. Then I moved on to two-finger swipes up and down and then the three-finger swipes left and right - this is where I made my big mistake. I think it is reasonable to assume a one-finger flick right or left should be done roughly horizontally. Equally, I think most people would expect a one-finger flick up or down to be performed roughly vertically. So, when I came to perform a three-finger swipe right, I did the following - I turned my hand through ninety degrees and placed three fingers vertically on the screen and swiped them to the right. It worked perfectly and I was away for the next three years and more. Imagine my surprise therefore, when talking to a new iOS user who asked me if you do the three-finger swipe horizontally or vertically. "Oh, vertically I replied," with total confidence. "Although, I've not actually tried it vertically," I added. Am I the only person who didn't see what happened next coming a mile off? Of course, it worked the other way to and as I've found, it is far easier to do a three-finger swipe right or left if you don't mess about turning your wrists through ninety degrees! To those I've worked with over the past three years, I can only say this, it's an easy mistake to make, isn't it? So, is this news to anyone else or am I the only one? JT

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Comments

It feels some how wrong to me:

By allseed

9 years ago

I think of "swiping" horizontally as sort of like a windshield wiper. thus never contemplated turning my hand.

I worked out that both options work within a few days,

By djolney

9 years ago

Club AppleVis Member

In reply to It feels some how wrong to me: by allseed

but I find that the horizontal three finger swipe does not work as reliably for me as turning my hand and doing a vertical three finger swipe.

It took me a while too

By DPinWI

9 years ago

I didn't realize you could swipe horizontally without rotating the wrist right away. I figured it out at some point, but, I never do it. I use an iPod Touch 4 in portrait mode. I have big hands. Doing the horizontal swipe is so much easier if I rotate my wrist. If I don't rotate my wrist, my three fingers have to be mashed together or I don't have enough lateral room for the swipe.

Swiping

By Brooke

9 years ago

In reply to It took me a while too by DPinWI

You're not the only one. I always turned my wrist and didn't know any different until just now when I read your post, and tried it the other way.

lol! 'I've been doing it

By KE7ZUM

9 years ago

lol! 'I've been doing it horizontally for 3 years now. Hehaha. I dont' like doing it vertically. It's easier for me to imagine turnign th pages of a good and for tha tyou tuen it away from you left to right or right to left.

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