How does a touchscreen work?

Quick Answer

Most modern touchscreens sense the tiny electrical charge in your finger, detecting exactly where you touch the glass.

The Full Story

Most smartphones and tablets use capacitive touchscreens. The screen is coated with a transparent conductive layer that holds a small electric charge. Because the human body conducts electricity, touching the screen draws a tiny amount of that charge to your fingertip, and sensors detect the change at that precise spot. The device then works out where you touched and responds. This is why capacitive screens usually do not respond to a gloved finger or a regular stylus, which do not conduct the charge.

Key Facts

1.Most phones use capacitive touchscreens

2.They sense the small charge in your finger

3.They often do not work with ordinary gloves

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