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
Buyer's Guide: Vision Pro (Buy Now)
Related Forum: Apple Vision Pro

Top Rated Comments

red elma Avatar
15 weeks 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
15 weeks 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
15 weeks 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
15 weeks 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
15 weeks 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
15 weeks 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)

Popular Stories

General Apps Messages

iMessage Down for Some Users [Update: Service Restored]

Thursday May 16, 2024 3:00 pm PDT by
The iMessage service that Apple users to send messages to one another appears to be down for some users, and messages are failing to go out or are taking an extra long time to send. There are numerous reports about the issue on social networks and a spike of outage reports on Down Detector, but Apple's System Status page is not yet reporting an outage. Update: Apple's status page says...
iOS 17

Troubling iOS 17.5 Bug Reportedly Resurfacing Old Deleted Photos

Wednesday May 15, 2024 5:29 am PDT by
There are concerning reports on Reddit that Apple's latest iOS 17.5 update has introduced a bug that causes old photos that were deleted – in some cases years ago – to reappear in users' photo libraries. After updating their iPhone, one user said they were shocked to find old NSFW photos that they deleted in 2021 suddenly showing up in photos marked as recently uploaded to iCloud. Other...
iphone 15 pro max vs iphone 16 pro max

iPhone 16 Pro Max Looks This Much Bigger Beside iPhone 15 Pro Max

Thursday May 16, 2024 4:51 am PDT by
This year's upcoming iPhone 16 Pro Max is expected to get a boost in overall size from 6.7-inches to 6.9-inches, and a new image gives us a good idea of how the current iPhone 15 Pro Max compares to what could be Apple's largest ever iPhone. The image above, posted on X by ZONEofTECH, shows a dummy model representing the ‌iPhone 16 Pro‌ Max alongside an actual iPhone 15 Pro Max. Dummy...
iOS 17

iOS 17.5 Bug May Also Resurface Deleted Photos on Wiped, Sold Devices

Friday May 17, 2024 12:24 pm PDT by
A bug in iOS 17.5 is apparently causing photos that have been deleted to reappear, and the issue seems to impact even iPhones and iPads that have been erased and sold off to other people. A Reddit user wiped an iPad following Apple's guidelines in September of 2023 before selling it off to a friend. That friend updated the iPad to iPadOS 17.5 this week, and began seeing the Reddit user's old ...
oled m4 ipad pro grainy display reports

OLED iPad Pro Users Report 'Grainy' Displays, But It May Not Be a Defect

Friday May 17, 2024 5:57 am PDT by
Some new M4 iPad Pro models are exhibiting a visible static grain pattern across the OLED display, according to several user reports on Reddit (1, 2, 3) and the MacRumors Forums. Image credit: MacRumors user bk215 Users who see the grain generally report that it is most noticeable in dark environments with the display set at a low to medium brightness while viewing content with gray or muted...
Delta Hands On Feature

iPhone Emulators on the App Store: Game Boy, N64, PS1, PSP, and More

Thursday May 16, 2024 12:45 pm PDT by
In April, Apple updated its guidelines to allow retro game emulators on the App Store, and several popular emulators have already been released. The emulators released so far allow iPhone users to play games released for older consoles from Nintendo, Sony, SEGA, Atari, and others. A list of some popular emulators available on the App Store so far follows. Released Delta Delta is...