A touchscreen is a display that responds directly to your touch, letting you control a device by tapping, swiping, or pinching the screen itself instead of using a mouse or keyboard. Your smartphone, tablet, and many library computers use touchscreen technology.

Early touchscreens from the 1960s and 1970s could only detect one touch at a time and weren't very precise. Modern touchscreens are far more sophisticated: they can sense multiple fingers at once, detect how hard you're pressing, and respond instantly to gestures. When you pinch to zoom on a photo or swipe to turn a page, you're using multi-touch technology that recognizes complex finger movements.

Touchscreens work in different ways. Most smartphones use capacitive screens that detect the tiny electrical charge in your fingertips, which is why they don't work well with regular gloves. Some ATMs and older devices use resistive screens that respond to pressure from any object, even a stylus or a gloved finger.

Before touchscreens became common in the 2000s, you had to learn where buttons were or how to use a mouse. Touchscreens made technology more intuitive by letting you interact directly with what you see on the display.