Get around on your Android phone

You can get around on your phone in different ways. Learn how to choose an option, then use that option to move between apps and other items.

Important:

Select a navigation mode

  1. Open your phone's Settings app.
  2. Go to System and then Gestures and then System navigation.
  3. Choose an option:
    • Gesture navigation: No buttons.
    • 2-button navigation: Two buttons for Home and Back.
    • 3-button navigation: Three buttons for Home, Back, and App Overview.

Move between screens & apps

Go back

Open the previous screen you were looking at. You can go back more than once. But when you reach the Home screen, you can't go back any further.

  • Gesture navigation: Swipe from the left or right edge of the screen.
  • 2-button navigation: Tap Back .
  • 3-button navigation: Tap Back .
Go to Home screen
  • Gesture navigation: Swipe up from the bottom of the screen.
  • 2-button navigation: Tap Home .
  • 3-button navigation: Tap Home .
Tip: You can have more than one Home screen. To move between them, swipe right or left. Learn how to change your Home screens.
Find all open apps
  • Gesture navigation: Swipe up from the bottom, hold, then let go.
  • 2-button navigation: From the bottom of your screen, swipe up to the middle.
  • 3-button navigation: Tap Overview .

From here, you can:

  • Close apps: Swipe up on the app image.
  • Open an app: Tap its image.
Switch between open apps
  • Gesture navigation: At the very bottom of the screen, swipe from left to right.
  • 2-button navigation: To switch between your 2 most recent apps, swipe right on Home .
  • 3-button navigation: Tap Overview . Swipe right until you find the app you want. Tap it.

Select, move, or change the display of items

Select items

Tap to select or type

To select or start something on your phone, tap it. In some apps, to find available actions, you can touch and hold text like when you play a song.

To type something, tap where you want to type. You'll find an open keyboard.

Change the size & orientation of items

Double tap an item to change size

On some pages like a webpage or map, tap twice to zoom in.

Pinch open & closed to change size

In some apps, to change the size, put 2 or more fingers on the screen.

  • To zoom in, pinch open.
  • To zoom out, pinch closed.

Turn screen rotation on or off

Most screens can rotate as you turn your phone. To turn rotation on or off:

  1. At the top, swipe down with 2 fingers.
  2. Tap Auto-rotate .

If you use an older Android version

Choose how to get around (Android 9)
  1. Open your phone's Settings app.
  2. Go to System and then Gestures and then Swipe up on Home button.
  3. Turn Swipe up on Home button off or on. 
    • If you turn it on, you're using 2-button navigation.
    • If you turn it off, you're using 3-button navigation.

Next, learn how to move around using your 2 or 3 buttons

Related resources

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Get to know your Android phone

Learn how to use your Android device and get the most out of Google. Get step-by-step guides and instructional videos on how to set up your phone, customize your settings, and use apps.

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