Touch Cancellation Counter
Count interrupted touch events.
Tap, click or press Space to keep count.
Tap anywhere inside or press Space
How the Touch Cancellation Counter Works
Count touch events that end with a cancel instead of a normal release. A browser may cancel a touch when it takes over a scroll or when an app loses focus.
- Touch the surface: Start a normal contact.
- Trigger a cancel: Swipe from the screen edge, receive a call or let the browser start scrolling.
- Count the cancel: The counter adds 1 and logs the pointer ID and time.
- Review the cancel rate: See cancels as a share of all touch starts.
Touch Cancellation Counter Formula
Divide cancels by all starts, then multiply by 100 to get the cancel rate as a percent.
- Cancels
- touchcancel or pointercancel events
- Starts
- Touch-start events
Example: A session logs 400 starts and 12 cancels. Cancel rate = 12 ÷ 400 × 100 = 3%.
Touch Cancellation Counter Reference Table
This table shows common causes of a cancelled touch and what to check next.
| Cause | Trigger | Event fired | Prevention |
|---|---|---|---|
| Browser scroll | Finger moves on a scrollable area | pointercancel | CSS touch-action: none |
| Edge gesture | Swipe from the screen edge | touchcancel | Keep targets away from edges |
| Incoming call | Full-screen call alert | touchcancel | None |
| Palm rejection | Large contact area detected | touchcancel | Hold device away from palm |
| Too many touches | Contacts above the device limit | touchcancel | Use fewer fingers |
About the Touch Cancellation Counter
A cancelled touch is a contact the browser can no longer track in the normal way. It differs from a finger being lifted.
The browser sends touchcancel or pointercancel for this case. Check these events along with starts and ends to find gaps in a touch test.
Ways to Use the Touch Cancellation Counter
Use cancel counts to find input problems and test how a page handles a lost touch. Here are five uses.
- Scroll conflict debugging: Find areas where scrolling cancels custom gestures.
- Game control testing: Confirm joysticks and buttons do not lose touches.
- Palm rejection checks: Count cancels caused by resting hands on tablets.
- Edge gesture conflicts: Measure cancels near screen edges.
- Device comparison: Compare cancel behavior across iOS and Android.
Tool Details
- Category
- Tally & Calculation
- Controls
- Taps and keys
- Input Support
- Touch, Pen, Mouse, Keys
- Offline Ready
- On your device