3.1 Menus, Icons and Gestures
Fire OS has enough similarities with standard Android that make it easy to get started with an
Amazon Fire.
For instance, a Home button is almost ubiquitous (along with the Back and Overview buttons),
across the bottom of the screen, as per the most recent versions of Android. Similarly,
the
Settings
menu can be opened via the
Quick Settings
drop down menu. Opening this will
enable you to toggle the rotation lock, adjust volume, brightness and connect to Wi-Fi, as well
as syncing books with Amazon and providing access to a whole host of additional advanced
settings.
Using the Amazon Fire on a day-to-day basis, however, you will find the Home button and the
Back button are the most regularly used.
Like any touch-sensitive device, a number of gestures enable you to interact with your Amazon
Fire. First and foremost is the basic tap, the tablet version of a left-mouse click on a computer.
Following this is the tap-and-hold which offers a context menu of additional options in some
scenarios. The swipe will enable you to browse your device contents while the pinch-to-zoom
gesture uses the forefinger and thumb and is used to zoom in and out of images and web
pages.
Across the top of the device is a narrow bar, displaying your name, the time and information
such as wireless connectivity and battery life. Dragging this bar down reveals the Notification
Area, where you will find information about apps, new emails, etc. Often these notifications can
be tapped to take you to the appropriate app. When you’re done checking the notifications, tap
the
Clear All
button.
Wake your Amazon Fire from sleep mode with the power button on the lower edge of the device.
You can also use this button to restart the tablet.
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