OnLongPress

OnLongPress is a gesture event used in touch-based user interfaces that fires when a user presses and holds a UI element for a minimum duration. It enables access to secondary actions or context-specific functionality without requiring a separate tap. The exact threshold and behavior vary by platform and framework, but the concept is widely supported across mobile development environments.

In practice, onLongPress is triggered only after the press is sustained beyond a short delay, and may be accompanied by visual or haptic feedback. Many frameworks allow configuring the required duration or distinguishing long press from a simple tap. It is commonly used to show contextual menus, initiate drag-and-drop, or expose advanced actions while preserving a clean primary interaction.

Platform implementations differ. In Android, long-press interactions are typically handled with a long-click listener on a view, which fires after the user holds the touch long enough and is often associated with a contextual action mode. iOS uses a UILongPressGestureRecognizer with a minimumPressDuration parameter. In React Native, onLongPress is a callback on touchable components; in Flutter, onLongPress is provided by gesture detectors or similar widgets. On the web, long-press semantics are not native and are often emulated with timers and pointer events.

Accessibility considerations include ensuring explicit discoverability, providing appropriate labels or hints for screen readers, and avoiding accidental activations in scrollable containers. Developers should test on various devices and input methods, and provide alternatives for users who rely on non-visual feedback or have limited precision.