Mobile gestures are touch-based movements that control device features. These include fingertip actions (tap, swipe, drag) and whole-device movements (shake, tilt, rotate). While system gestures like pinch-to-zoom are widely understood, app-specific gestures often serve as shortcuts for advanced users.

Common fingertip gestures include tap (select), double tap (zoom), long press (options), swipe (navigate), pinch (zoom out), and spread (zoom in). Device movements include rotation for changing screen orientation, shake for undo, and tilt for gaming controls.

However, gestures come with important limitations. The main challenges of gesture controls are: discoverability (users can't see what gestures are available), consistency (gestures mean different things in different apps), and accessibility (many gestures require two hands or fine motor control). Always provide visible alternative controls and consider users with different abilities and usage contexts.