In desktop solutions, we can show contextual actions when the mouse is positioned on top of an element or when the user right-clicks on an item, but it is more complicated to create different types of secondary actions on mobile.

Brands such as Samsung and Apple are testing new ways to interact with the mobile screen. Samsung's Air View technology detects a hovering finger before it touches your mobile screen, while Apple's 3D Touch technology allows you to detect different levels of pressure.

Also, at the software level, developers test different solutions to enrich the user experience. The gestures allow us to explore new options to show secondary actions, the long tap is one of the most used. In return, these gestures are usually hard to discover and require some learning for users since there is not always a simple and reliable way to signal that an element can be swiped, pinched or rotated.

Gestures can become convenient shortcuts, but you need to be careful not to rely on them as the only way to support a key action for the user. For example, long-tap can be used in grid views to enter multiselection mode. If you use the long-tap gesture or 3D Touch functionality, it is advisable to offer an alternative way to perform the same actions with common menus accessible with taps on the screen following user-interface elements. Those more advanced users will be able to benefit from these additional functionalities, and those with less experience will still have a way to perform the same actions.