So this is great. Google might have the smartest new gesture we've seen in a while: a smart, simple way to zoom in and out with one hand. Just double tap the screen with your thumb—anywhere on the screen is fine—and on the second tap, hold your finger down. Now slide your finger up and down. Zooming!


It's so simple and so good, and works on Android and iOS. And no, not an April Fools joke. (And it's possible it's been around, but we haven't seen it, and are guessing a lot of you haven't either.) Really, this is the slickest new gesture since Apple introduced five-finger-pinch to go to the homescreen on tablets a few years back. Especially on a super widely used app like Maps, which everyone uses one-handed while they walk in circles and pretend they aren't lost.

There are plenty of hidden features in all of Google's stuff, sure, but man, this one is quite great, especially since Google hasn't really spent much time playing it up. This gesture is genius. Replace pinch to zoom with this on as many things as possible, please and thanks. [Carl Sednaoui via Hacker News]