A Client-Side Approach to Improving One-Handed Web Surfing on a Smartphone

Our work examines the impact of natural movements on usability and efficiency of one-handed website operation on touchscreen smartphones. We present and evaluate a JavaScript framework which transforms the controls of all page elements into an interface that corresponds to the natural arcing swipe of the thumb. This can be operated via swipe and tap, without having to stretch the thumb or change the grip on the phone. The interface can be toggled on or off as required and keeps the original presentation of the website intact. Two user studies show that this choice of interface and its simplified interaction model can be applied to a diverse range of interactive elements and websites and provides a high degree of usability and efficiency.