For iPhones without a Home button, these gestures help you move around and reach common features from almost anywhere. This guide shows you exactly where to swipe to go Home, move between apps, go back, and open notifications, Search, Siri, and Control Center.
Summary
- Swipe up from the bottom edge to go Home, or pause after swiping up to open the App Switcher.
- Swipe sideways along the bottom edge to switch apps, or swipe inward from the left edge to go back.
- Swipe down from the top-left corner for notifications or the top-right corner for Control Center.
- If Siri AI is enabled (in beta or coming later in 2026), swipe down from the top-center to Search or Ask Siri from any app.
- Start at the very edge, except when opening Search from the middle of the Home Screen.
Gestures are swipes that let you reach the same iPhone features from almost anywhere. The most important is swiping up from the bottom to return to the Home Screen, but different edges give you access to several more.
Start at the edge, not near it. Most people who struggle with gestures are making the right motion but starting too far from the edge. Gestures start by touching the very edge of the screen. If you have a case on your iPhone and your finger isn’t making contact with the lip of the case, you aren’t starting close enough to the edge.
Navigate around apps from the bottom and side
Go to the Home Screen
To return to the Home Screen where all of your app icons are, place your finger on the very bottom edge of the screen, then make a short, quick swipe upward. If you begin higher on the screen, you may accidentally scroll inside the app instead of going Home.
Open the App Switcher
To see all of the apps you’ve used recently, place your finger on the very bottom edge and swipe up. Pause in the middle, then release when you see your other recent apps floating nearby. Swipe left and right to browse the apps, and tap one to return to it. If you release before the other apps appear, you may go Home instead.
You can also use the App Switcher to terminate misbehaving apps by swiping their previews up and off the top of the screen. Don’t do this to “close” apps when you are done with them, however. That can actually slow your iPhone down.
Switch directly between recent apps
To jump to the last app you were in, place your finger on the very bottom edge and swipe sideways. Swipe right to return to a recent app, or swipe left to move the other way after you have switched.
Go back inside an app
To return to the previous screen in your current app, begin with your finger touching the very left edge of the screen, then swipe toward the center. This usually works the same as tapping the back arrow in the top-left corner and is often more comfortable to reach. Not every app supports it.
Access system functions from the top
Swiping down from the top lets you reach notifications or Control Center without leaving the app you are using. If Siri AI is enabled, the top-center adds Search or Ask Siri. Think from left to right: notifications, Siri AI, Control Center.
Notifications: top-left corner
To review recent notifications, begin with your finger touching the very top edge in the top-left corner, then pull down to see your notifications. This mirrors the Control Center gesture on the opposite side of the screen.
Search or Ask Siri AI: top-center
If Siri AI is enabled, begin with your finger touching the very top-center edge, then pull down to search your phone, type to Siri, or ask a question about the screen you are viewing. This works from the Home Screen or from inside any app.
On supported iPhones, when Siri AI is available in your language and region, Siri can use the app you are viewing as context for your request. For example, while looking at a web page for an event, you can ask Siri to add the event to your calendar.
Control Center: top-right corner
To get to the Control Center to adjust the brightness of your screen, access the flashlight, and more, begin with your finger touching the very top edge in the top-right corner, then pull down.
If you want to practice these gestures hands-on at your own pace, I offer one-on-one tech tutoring in San Francisco and Washington DC, or by Zoom from anywhere. You can book a session here.