What are the most important iPhone gestures in iOS 18?

Key iPhone gestures include swiping up from the bottom edge to go Home, swiping up and pausing for the App Switcher, swiping down from the top-right for Control Center, swiping down from the center-top for Notification Center, and swiping right from the left edge to go back in an app.

How do I take a screenshot on iPhone?

On Face ID iPhones, simultaneously press the Side button and Volume Up button. On Touch ID iPhones, press the Home button and Side/Top button together. The screenshot saves to Photos and a thumbnail appears at the bottom-left for quick edits or sharing.

How do I open Control Center on iPhone?

On Face ID iPhones, swipe down from the top-right corner of the screen. On Touch ID iPhones, swipe up from the bottom edge. In iOS 18, you can fully customize the Control Center layout in Settings → Control Center.

How do I force restart an iPhone?

On modern iPhones (iPhone 8 and later): quickly press and release Volume Up, quickly press and release Volume Down, then press and hold the Side button until the Apple logo appears. On older iPhones with a home button, hold Home + Side/Top button simultaneously.

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iPhone Shortcuts & Gestures - Complete Cheat Sheet (2026)

iPhone keyboard shortcuts, gestures, and button combinations for iOS 18, including navigation, text editing, Control Center, and accessibility.

104 shortcuts across 9 categories

iPhone keyboard shortcuts, gestures, and button combinations for iOS 18, including navigation, text editing, Control Center, and accessibility.

Official documentation

Essential Gestures

Action	Shortcut	Description
Go Home	`Swipe Up from Bottom Edge`	From any app, swipe up from the very bottom of the screen to return to the Home Screen
Open App Switcher	`Swipe Up from Bottom → Pause`	Swipe up from the bottom and hold briefly to open the App Switcher (recent apps)
Switch Between Recent Apps	`Swipe Left/Right on Bottom Edge`	Slide your finger left or right along the bottom bar to quickly switch between recent apps
Open Control Center	`Swipe Down from Top-Right Corner`	Swipe down from the top-right corner (where the battery indicator is) to open Control Center
Open Notification Center	`Swipe Down from Top-Left Corner`	Swipe down from the top-left (where the time is) to see all your notifications
Dismiss Notification	`Swipe Left on Notification`	Swipe left on a notification for options to view, manage, or clear it
Scroll to Top	`Tap Status Bar (Time)`	Tap the top status bar (where the time is shown) to instantly scroll back to the top of any list or page
Go Back (Swipe)	`Swipe Right from Left Edge`	Swipe in from the left edge of the screen to go back in most apps
Peek at Notification	`Long Press Notification`	Long press a notification to expand it and see actions without leaving the current screen
Reachability (One-Hand Mode)	`Swipe Down on Bottom Indicator Bar`	Swipe down on the home bar at the very bottom to bring the top of the screen within thumb reach
Open Spotlight Search	`Swipe Down on Home Screen`	Swipe down anywhere on the Home Screen (not the status bar) to open Spotlight Search
Open Today View / Widgets	`Swipe Right on Home Screen (first page)`	Swipe right past the first page of the Home Screen to see Today View with widgets

Button Combinations

Action	Shortcut	Description
Take Screenshot	`Side Button` + `Volume Up`	Press both simultaneously to take a screenshot — it appears as a thumbnail in the bottom-left corner
Power Off / Slide to Power Off	`Side Button` + `Volume Down (hold)`	Hold both buttons together until the power-off slider appears, then slide to turn off
Emergency SOS (rapid press)	`Side Button (×5)`	Rapidly press the side button 5 times to call emergency services and notify your emergency contacts
Emergency SOS (hold)	`Side Button + Volume (hold 3s)`	Hold the side button and either volume button for 3 seconds to trigger Emergency SOS
Invoke Siri	`Side Button (hold)`	Hold the side button and release to speak your Siri request
Force Restart	`Volume Up → Volume Down → Side Button (hold)`	Quickly press Volume Up, then Volume Down, then hold the Side button until the Apple logo appears
Toggle Accessibility Shortcut	`Side Button (×3)`	Triple-click the Side button to trigger whichever Accessibility Shortcut is configured in Settings
Mute / Unmute (Ring/Silent)	`Ring/Silent Switch (left side)`	Flip the small toggle switch on the upper-left side of the phone to silence all ringtones and alerts
Adjust Volume	`Volume Up / Volume Down`	Adjust speaker volume during calls, media, or ringtones
Wake / Sleep Display	`Side Button (tap)`	Tap the side button once to lock or wake the screen
Action Button (iPhone 15 Pro+)	`Action Button (hold)`	Hold the customisable Action Button on the left side to trigger your assigned action: Mute, Camera, Shortcut, Translate, and more

Control Center & Quick Actions

Action	Shortcut	Description
Toggle Wi-Fi	`Control Center → Wi-Fi icon`	Tap the Wi-Fi icon in Control Center to toggle it; hold to see nearby networks
Toggle Bluetooth	`Control Center → Bluetooth icon`	Tap to toggle Bluetooth; hold to see and connect to nearby devices
Toggle Airplane Mode	`Control Center → Airplane icon`	Turn Airplane Mode on or off without opening Settings
Toggle Flashlight	`Control Center → Flashlight icon`	Tap to turn the LED torch on/off; hold to adjust brightness
Adjust Screen Brightness	`Control Center → Brightness Slider`	Drag the brightness tile up or down to adjust display brightness
Focus Mode	`Control Center → Focus icon`	Tap the crescent moon to activate Focus modes (Do Not Disturb, Sleep, Work, etc.)
Open Camera from Lock Screen	`Long Press Camera icon (Lock Screen)`	Long press the camera icon on the lock screen for instant Camera access
Screen Mirror / AirPlay	`Control Center → Screen Mirroring`	Share your iPhone display to an Apple TV or AirPlay-compatible display
Now Playing Controls	`Control Center → Now Playing tile`	Tap the song tile to expand music controls; swipe to skip or rewind
Toggle Dark Mode	`Control Center → Dark Mode tile`	Tap the Dark Mode tile (if added to Control Center) to switch appearance
Screen Recording	`Control Center → Screen Record tile`	Tap to start recording the screen; tap the red status bar and stop to end recording

Camera & Photos

Action	Shortcut	Description
Open Camera (from Lock Screen)	`Long Press Camera icon`	Long press the camera icon on the lock screen to open Camera without unlocking
Take Photo	`Volume Up or Volume Down`	Either volume button captures a photo while the Camera app is open
Take Burst Photos	`Volume Up (hold)`	Hold Volume Up to capture a rapid burst of photos
Quick Video (QuickTake)	`Hold Shutter Button`	Hold the white shutter button in Photo mode to capture a QuickTake video
Switch Camera Mode	`Swipe Left/Right on Viewfinder`	Swipe left or right to switch between Photo, Video, Portrait, Pano, Cinematic, etc.
Zoom In	`Pinch Out (2 fingers)`	Spread two fingers apart on the viewfinder to zoom in
Zoom Out	`Pinch In (2 fingers)`	Bring two fingers together on the viewfinder to zoom out
Switch Front/Rear Camera	`Tap Flip Camera icon`	Tap the circular arrows to switch between front and rear cameras
Set Focus & Exposure	`Tap on Subject`	Tap the subject to focus on it; a yellow square confirms focus point
Lock Focus & Exposure (AE/AF Lock)	`Long Press on Subject`	Long press to lock AE/AF so focus and exposure don't change
Screenshot and Mark Up	`Side + Volume Up → Tap thumbnail`	Take a screenshot then immediately tap the thumbnail to annotate before saving

Text & Editing

Action	Shortcut	Description
Precision Cursor Movement	`Long Press Spacebar → Slide`	Long press the spacebar to turn the keyboard into a trackpad for precise cursor placement
Select Text (Trackpad Mode)	`Spacebar hold + tap 2nd finger`	While in trackpad mode, tap with a second finger to start selecting text
Select a Word	`Double Tap on Word`	Double tap any word to select it instantly
Select a Paragraph	`Triple Tap on Paragraph`	Triple tap to select the entire paragraph
Cut (gesture)	`Three-Finger Pinch (close)`	Pinch closed with three fingers to cut selected text
Copy (gesture)	`Three-Finger Double Pinch (close)`	Double pinch closed with three fingers to copy selected text
Paste (gesture)	`Three-Finger Spread (open)`	Spread three fingers outward to paste from the clipboard
Undo	`Shake Device`	Shake the iPhone to trigger an Undo prompt
Undo (gesture)	`Three-Finger Swipe Left`	Swipe left with three fingers to undo the last action
Redo (gesture)	`Three-Finger Swipe Right`	Swipe right with three fingers to redo the last undone action
Dictation	`Microphone key on Keyboard`	Tap the microphone on the keyboard to dictate text by voice

Siri & Automation

Action	Shortcut	Description
Activate Siri	`Side Button (hold)`	Hold the Side button and release to speak your Siri request
Hey Siri (Hands-Free)	`Say 'Hey Siri' or 'Siri'`	Just say 'Hey Siri' (or 'Siri' on newer iPhone models) without touching the device
Type to Siri	`Activate Siri → Type`	After activating Siri, type instead of speaking (enable in Settings > Accessibility > Siri)
Run a Shortcut	`Shortcuts App or 'Hey Siri, run [name]'`	Run any automation from the Shortcuts app or by asking Siri
Back Tap Action	`Double or Triple Tap Back of iPhone`	Set in Settings > Accessibility > Touch > Back Tap to trigger actions like screenshot or a Shortcut
AssistiveTouch Menu	`Tap AssistiveTouch Floating Button`	A floating on-screen button gives one-tap access to Home, Volume, Siri, and custom gestures
Announce Notifications (AirPods)	`Siri reads notifications aloud`	When wearing AirPods, Siri can announce incoming notifications without you touching the phone

Safari Browser

Action	Shortcut	Description
Open New Tab	`Tap + button`	Tap the plus button in the tab bar to open a new tab
Close Tab	`Long Press Tab → Close`	Long press any tab thumbnail to see the option to close it
Switch Tabs (swipe)	`Swipe Left/Right on Address Bar`	Swipe left or right across the address bar to switch between open tabs
Show All Tabs	`Tap Tab icon (bottom right)`	Tap the overlapping squares button to see the grid of all open tabs
Reload Page	`Tap Reload icon (address bar)`	Tap the circular arrow in the address bar to reload
Go Back	`Swipe Right from Left Edge`	Swipe in from the left edge to navigate back in Safari (same as the system back gesture)
Reader Mode	`Tap Reader icon (address bar)`	Tap the Reader icon (four horizontal lines) to view a clean, distraction-free version of an article
Share / Copy Link	`Tap Share icon`	Tap the Share button to copy the URL, share, save to Reading List, or add to Home Screen
Add to Reading List	`Share → Add to Reading List`	Save a page to the offline Reading List for later viewing without internet
Open Reading List	`Tap Book icon → Reading List`	Tap the book icon then choose the reading glasses tab to view saved articles
Private Browsing	`Tap Tab icon → Private`	Open the tab switcher and tap 'Private' to start a private browsing session
Zoom In (page)	`Pinch Out (2 fingers)`	Spread two fingers to zoom into a webpage (on non-responsive sites)
Scroll to Top	`Tap Status Bar`	Tap the top status bar to instantly scroll back to the top of the page

External Keyboard

Action	Shortcut	Description
Home Screen	`Cmd` + `H`	Go to the Home Screen (works with a connected Bluetooth or Smart Keyboard)
App Switcher	`Cmd` + `Tab`	Open the App Switcher to cycle through recent apps with an external keyboard
Switch to Next App	`Cmd` + `Tab`	Cycle to the next most recently used app
Quit App (from Switcher)	`Cmd` + `Q`	While in the App Switcher, press Cmd+Q to force-quit the highlighted app
Spotlight Search	`Cmd` + `Space`	Open Spotlight Search from anywhere on the Home Screen or in an app
Screenshot	`Cmd` + `Shift` + `3`	Capture a screenshot using a connected keyboard (same as Side + Volume Up)
Lock Screen	`Cmd` + `L`	Lock the iPhone immediately from an external keyboard
Find in App	`Cmd` + `F`	Open the in-app search bar in apps that support it (Safari, Notes, Messages, etc.)
Select All	`Cmd` + `A`	Select all text or items in the current context
Copy	`Cmd` + `C`	Copy the selected item to the clipboard
Cut	`Cmd` + `X`	Cut the selected item to the clipboard
Paste	`Cmd` + `V`	Paste from the clipboard
Undo	`Cmd` + `Z`	Undo the last action
Redo	`Cmd` + `Shift` + `Z`	Redo the last undone action
Show Keyboard Shortcuts	`Cmd (hold)`	Hold the Cmd key in any app to see a list of available keyboard shortcuts for that app
Bold	`Cmd` + `B`	Toggle bold text formatting in apps that support rich text (Notes, Mail, etc.)
Italic	`Cmd` + `I`	Toggle italic text formatting
Underline	`Cmd` + `U`	Toggle underline text formatting
New Line / New Item	`Return`	Create a new line or confirm an action
Navigate Fields	`Tab`	Move focus to the next form field or interactive element

Accessibility

Action	Shortcut	Description
VoiceOver On/Off	`Side Button (×3)`	Triple-click the Side button to toggle VoiceOver if configured as the Accessibility Shortcut
Zoom In/Out	`Double Tap with 3 Fingers`	Double tap with three fingers to toggle screen zoom (enable in Settings > Accessibility > Zoom)
Zoom Pan	`Three-Finger Drag while Zoomed`	Drag with three fingers to pan around the zoomed-in screen
Guided Access	`Side Button (×3) → Guided Access`	Lock the iPhone into a single app with configurable screen area restrictions
Live Captions	`Side Button (×3) → Live Captions`	Real-time on-screen transcription of speech near the microphone
Magnifier	`Side Button (×3) → Magnifier`	Use the camera as a magnifying glass with zoom, contrast, and colour filters
Display Accommodations	`Settings > Accessibility > Display & Text Size`	Enable colour filters, reduce white point, invert colours, and increase text size
Hearing Aid Mode	`Settings > Accessibility > Audio/Visual > Hearing Devices`	Pair Made-for-iPhone hearing aids and control audio routing from Control Center

iPhone Tips & Tricks

Back Tap for Instant Actions: Go to Settings > Accessibility > Touch > Back Tap and assign double or triple tap on the back of your iPhone to any action — screenshot, scroll, mute, Reachability, or run a custom Shortcut.
Spacebar Trackpad: Long press the spacebar to turn the keyboard into a precision trackpad. While holding, tap with a second finger to start selecting text. This is the fastest way to precisely position the cursor on iPhone.
Three-Finger Gestures Replace the Edit Menu: Instead of long-pressing for copy/paste menus: pinch closed with three fingers to cut, double-pinch to copy, spread to paste, swipe left to undo, swipe right to redo.
Control Center is Fully Customisable: Go to Settings > Control Center to add, remove, and reorder tiles. Add Screen Recording, Dark Mode toggle, Hearing, Text Size, Accessibility Shortcuts, and more.
Shortcuts App = Personal Automation: The Shortcuts app lets you chain actions into powerful one-tap automations — morning routines, focus switching, quick messages. Add them to the Home Screen, share them with friends, or trigger them with Siri.
Force Restart When Frozen: If your iPhone freezes completely: quickly press Volume Up, then Volume Down, then hold the Side button until you see the Apple logo. This is safe and works even on a fully frozen device.
Action Button (iPhone 15 Pro+): The Action Button on iPhone 15 Pro and later can be assigned in Settings > Action Button to: Silent mode, Camera, Flashlight, Focus, Voice Memo, Translate, Magnifier, or any Shortcut.

Frequently Asked Questions — iPhone

What are the most important iPhone gestures in iOS 18?: Key iPhone gestures include swiping up from the bottom edge to go Home, swiping up and pausing for the App Switcher, swiping down from the top-right for Control Center, swiping down from the center-top for Notification Center, and swiping right from the left edge to go back in an app.
How do I take a screenshot on iPhone?: On Face ID iPhones, simultaneously press the Side button and Volume Up button. On Touch ID iPhones, press the Home button and Side/Top button together. The screenshot saves to Photos and a thumbnail appears at the bottom-left for quick edits or sharing.
How do I open Control Center on iPhone?: On Face ID iPhones, swipe down from the top-right corner of the screen. On Touch ID iPhones, swipe up from the bottom edge. In iOS 18, you can fully customize the Control Center layout in Settings → Control Center.
How do I force restart an iPhone?: On modern iPhones (iPhone 8 and later): quickly press and release Volume Up, quickly press and release Volume Down, then press and hold the Side button until the Apple logo appears. On older iPhones with a home button, hold Home + Side/Top button simultaneously.

Getting More From iPhone Shortcuts and Gestures

iPhone gestures are designed to be discovered through use, but knowing them upfront dramatically speeds up how quickly you can navigate iOS. The most important gesture to internalize is swipe down from the top-right corner for Control Center — it's faster than any alternative for adjusting brightness, toggling Wi-Fi, or starting a timer. Swipe down from anywhere else on the home screen to open Spotlight search, which can launch apps, set reminders, run conversions, and open specific contacts without navigating through the app grid. These two gestures handle the majority of quick-access needs.

If you connect a Bluetooth keyboard to your iPhone or iPad, you unlock a full layer of text-editing shortcuts that work across all apps: Cmd+C/V/X/Z work as expected, Option+Left/Right jumps word by word, and Cmd+Left/Right jumps to the start or end of the current line. The app switcher is accessible by swiping up and pausing or double-clicking the Home button on older iPhones, and you can switch directly between the two most recent apps by swiping left or right along the home indicator bar at the bottom. These navigation shortcuts replace the most common repetitive tapping actions.