43 / GESTURE PHYSICS
Long Press Threshold
The problem
Without a dwell threshold, the system can't tell a quick tap from a deliberate press-and-hold.
The solution
A press must be held past the dwell time (without moving) to count; drag requires distance or delay before activation.
Experiment
Task: Tap the tile, then press and hold it.
NAIVE
stateidle
progress0%
dwell0ms
THOUGHTFUL
stateidle
progress0%
dwell500ms
Play with the values
500ms
10px
8px
How it works
Seen in
Context menus
Press-and-hold opens actions on touch without hijacking normal taps.
Reaction pickers
Holding a message reveals reactions while a tap just opens it.
Reorder handles
A long press or distance threshold picks up an item for dragging, separate from scrolling.
Selection mode
Holding an item enters multi-select without an explicit toggle.