Longpress

Longpress, or long-press, is a gesture used primarily on touch-enabled devices in which the user places a finger on a screen and maintains contact for a short duration before an action is triggered. The exact threshold varies by platform and context but is commonly in the range of about 500 to 800 milliseconds.

Uses include revealing a context menu, initiating drag-and-drop, selecting items, editing text, previewing content, or triggering tool modes in apps. In many interfaces, a long-press differs from a tap (brief touch) and from a double-tap; it may also conflict with vertical scrolling, so designers often require a deliberate hold and may provide visual or haptic feedback.

Implementation varies: on Android, a long-click listener can be attached to a view to react to long presses; on iOS, a UILongPressGestureRecognizer detects the gesture; in web and cross-platform frameworks, long-press can be implemented using a timer on touchstart/pointerdown and canceled on touchmove or touchend. Some systems also expose native long-press behaviors such as opening a context menu or drag handles.

Accessibility considerations include providing keyboard or mouse equivalents, such as right-click context menus or dedicated shortcuts; ensure the gesture is cancelable and does not impede primary actions, and consider providing settings to disable or customize the duration.

Designers should balance responsiveness with prevention of accidental activations, and test across devices to ensure consistent behavior.