These Are the Gestures Used to Control Vision Pro

With the launch of the Vision Pro, Apple published plenty of support documents and tutorials, including an overview of the gestures used to control the headset. Most people have found the gesture-based control to be intuitive, but for those having difficulty, Apple also has some tips on getting the best experience.

apple vision pro gestures

Vision Pro Gestures

  • Tap Fingers Together - To select an item on the Vision Pro, look at it and then tap your thumb and index finger together. Apple says this is the equivalent of tapping something on the iPhone or clicking something on the Mac.
  • Pinch and Drag - Moving items on Vision Pro can be done by looking at an item and then pinching your thumb and index finger together. Pinch and hold while moving the item, and then let go. Pinching and dragging is used for arranging apps, resizing windows, scrolling, and dragging things from one app to another.
  • Pinch and Flick - Scrolling through content quickly can be done by pinching your thumb and index finger together and then flicking the wrist up or down in a smooth motion. This gesture is used for moving horizontally through apps in the Home View, scrolling long web pages, and browsing images in the Photos app.
  • Pinch for Options - If you pinch and hold on an item in Vision Pro, you can bring up a list of items. Just look at an item, tap your thumb and index finger together, and hold. Once the options appear, you can let go and then tap to select the preferred option.
  • Touch - There are elements in visionOS that can be interacted with directly with the fingers. The virtual keyboard is one such example, as typing can be done by touching on the keys with one finger on each hand.

Gesture Tips

For the best experience with Vision Pro, Apple recommends using it in a well-lit room, without long sleeves or large jewelry, and with your hands visible.

  • Make sure to use Vision Pro in a well-lit area and ensure that the front of the device is clean and free of smudges so that the outward-facing cameras can see your hands.
  • Keep your hands resting comfortably in your lap - there is no need to hold your arm up.
  • Make sure your hands are visible and not hidden under a desk or blanket.
  • Gloves, long sleeves, and large jewelry that covers a significant part or all of the hand can interfere with Vision Pro gesture tracking.
  • Don't cross your hands or cover up your gesturing hand with your other hand.

There are also a range of Accessibility features that can be used for improving the Vision Pro experience in certain cases, with details available on Apple's support website.

Related Roundups: Apple Vision Pro, visionOS 2
Buyer's Guide: Vision Pro (Neutral)
Related Forum: Apple Vision Pro

Popular Stories

AirPods Pro 3 Heart Rate Tracking Feature

AirPods Pro 3 Expected to Launch This Year With Key New Feature

Sunday August 24, 2025 7:16 am PDT by
Bloomberg's Mark Gurman expects Apple to release new AirPods Pro this year, and he said the earbuds will have a key new feature: heart rate monitoring. From his Power On newsletter today, with emphasis added:As for Apple's other devices, there's a lot in the fall pipeline — though many of the new products are only incremental upgrades. There will be Apple Watch updates, faster Vision...
iPhone 17 Pro on Desk Centered 1

iPhone 17 Pro Coming Soon With These 12 New Features

Sunday August 24, 2025 6:00 am PDT by
Apple's iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max should be unveiled in a few more weeks, and there are plenty of rumors about the devices. In his Power On newsletter today, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman corroborated a rumor that iPhone 17 Pro models will be "available in an orange color." Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models: Aluminum frame: iPhone 17 Pro models are...
Apple Watch Ultra 2 Complications

Apple Watch Ultra 3 Just Weeks Away: Eight Reasons to Upgrade

Wednesday August 20, 2025 6:44 am PDT by
We're only weeks away from Apple's annual iPhone event – rumored to take place on September 9 – and along with the new iPhone 17 series, we're going to get a new version of the Apple Watch Ultra for the first time since 2023. By the time the Ultra 3 is unveiled, it will have been two years since the previous model arrived. The intervening period has left plenty of room for enhancements,...
iPhone 17 Air Thumb 2 Blue Electric Boogaloo

Apple Has Reportedly Considered Releasing iPhone 17 Air Bumper Case

Sunday August 24, 2025 12:40 pm PDT by
Apple has "considered" releasing a bumper case for the upcoming iPhone 17 Air, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Similar to the bumper case that Apple introduced for the iPhone 4 in 2010, Gurman said the iPhone 17 Air version of the case would cover the edges of the device, but not the back of it. Those bumper cases were made of rubber. Given that the iPhone 17 Air is expected to have ...
iPhone 17 Pro Dark Blue and Orange

When Is iPhone 17 Coming Out?

Wednesday August 20, 2025 5:00 am PDT by
Apple's iPhone 17 series is expected to debut in September 2025. This release follows Apple's recent trend of introducing new iPhone models annually in the fall. To unveil the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Air, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max, Apple is expected to hold its annual iPhone announcement event during the week of September 8, 2025, with September 9 or 10 emerging as the most likely...
maxresdefault

The MacRumors Show: Apple Watch Series 11 and Ultra 3 or Wait for Next Year?

Friday August 22, 2025 9:15 am PDT by
On this week's episode of The MacRumors Show, we talk through what to expect from the Apple Watch SE 3, Series 11, and Ultra 3, and whether it's worth holding off on an upgrade until next year. Subscribe to The MacRumors Show YouTube channel for more videos The third-generation Apple Watch SE is rumored to feature a larger display (perhaps like the Apple Watch Series 7), the S11 chip, and...

Top Rated Comments

red elma Avatar
20 months ago
Make sure your dog/cat is not sitting right next to you while doing all these pinch'n flicking...
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
japanime Avatar
20 months ago

For the best experience with Vision Pro, Apple recommends using it in a well-lit room, without long sleeves or large jewelry
So, you've got to take off your wedding band and show some skin? I think we can all see where this is going. ?
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Fuzzball84 Avatar
20 months ago
Breaking news…

It has been reported that during a long haul flight a passenger was accused of inappropriately touching a fellow passenger. The victim claims they then started pinching and flicking, so they responded by slapping the passenger.

The accused claims they were composing an email ?
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ChromeAce Avatar
20 months ago
I have some bad news. Gestures don't work in the dark, and especially when you're lying reclined. So there goes my plan for watching movies in bed while my dog is trying to sleep.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Fuzzball84 Avatar
20 months ago

I wonder if there are any undocumented finger gestures that Apple software people snuck in :).
Im sure a repetitive motion with clenched fist has been reserved for adult content ?
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Gasu E. Avatar
20 months ago
You can rub your thumb against your index and middle finger to indicate how much you spent on it.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)