What is a Stylus Used For and Why Should You Use One?

In other words: Why using a stylus is like eating pizza with a knife and fork… and why we’re ok with that.

When you have a built-in stylus attached to your hand (also known as a finger) using a stylus may seem redundant and pretentious, like using forks and knives for eating finger foods. Most people can effectively use their touchscreen without the extra precision that a stylus offers, plus, fingers are free and not so easy to lose down the side of your sofa. So, what is a stylus pen used for, and why use a stylus at all?

What Is a Stylus Pen Used For?

What is a stylus and why do people use them? A stylus is any writing utensil made for writing on touchscreens, whether it’s a stylus and pen combo with a precision-point tip or just a metal stick with a round rubber end. What is a stylus used for? No matter how simple or sophisticated your stylus is, they all have the same purpose: to write, swipe and select on touchscreens.

Fingers Are Messy, a Stylus is Tech-Friendly

As it turns out, just like using utensils for messy finger foods, using a stylus for your touchscreen has a lot of benefits that you may not appreciate until you try it.

To begin with, fingers are messy, and messy is not good for technology. Greasy fingerprints leave lasting smudges on your screen that can be difficult to clean. After all, you can’t just use soap and water on your smartphone the way you do with a dinner plate. Plus, messier substances like cheese powder from pre-packaged snacks and any other powders or liquids your fingers may carry can get into the seams of your phone and cause lasting performance issues. When you regularly use a stylus, your phone is more protected from whatever may be on your fingers.

Then there are germs. While grease and other food-related messes are clearly visible and obvious things to keep away from your screen, human fingers are always covered in germs that can’t be so easily seen and wiped away. This may not seem like an issue with your personal phone — it’s all your own germs coming back to your fingers, after all. However many people prefer not to touch public screens that have been prodded and swiped with the germs of countless previous users. Consider how many germs you could avoid if you used your own stylus to operate a cash machine, the card machine at the supermarket or the electronic check-in at your doctor’s surgery.

This trick for living life a little more germ-free isn’t just for you, either. Businesses like hospitals, clinics and more can benefit by offering their patients promotional products that can be used to create a healthier lifestyle, and that includes branded stylus pens.

A Stylus Offers Precision

But clean touchscreens and better public hygiene aren’t the only benefits of using a stylus. Have you ever noticed that when you sign your name with a pen, it looks elegant and refined, but when you do it with your finger it looks like it was signed by a toddler? Even the most unsophisticated stylus tips offer much greater control and precision when writing, swiping and selecting on touchscreens than when using your finger, even before you learn how to use a stylus pen to its full potential.

A stylus can be used to increase the accuracy of your typing and swiping on any smartphone or touchscreen device. It can also help you more precisely highlight and select specific text, or make selections on forms or drop-down menus. Plus, no more clumsy finger writing. A stylus offers the same precision on your screen as you get when writing with a pen and paper.

With a stylus, you can also take full advantage of creative apps that let you draw or write on your screen. Whether that means being more accurate with doodles or diagramming ideas for your virtual work teams, a stylus is an important tool for anyone who wants to unlock their full creative potential online.

While a stylus may seem like an unnecessary tool to many, the truth is that it offers an elevated experience with your technology that your fingers just can’t replicate. So, next time you have the option to work with your fingers or a stylish stylus pen, give yourself the gift of a heightened touchscreen experience and choose the stylus.