Intuitive scrolling for feed-based applications

This disclosure describes techniques to perform adaptive scrolling based on input gestures provided by a user. Input provided by the user is categorized as scroll, small fling, or big fling. The categorization is based on device-independent velocity thresholds. When the input is classified as scroll, e.g., a slow swipe gesture, a feed interface that scrolls over items is provided. When the input is classified as a small fling, the item list snaps to the item that is adjacent to a current item in the view, determined based on the direction of the swipe. When the input is classified as a big fling, the item list scrolls and skips items based on the gesture and snaps to the item that is nearest to the location where the scroll concludes, as determined based on the input. Such adaptive behavior that combines natural scrolling with snapping behavior improves recall and allows users to focus on each content item and provides a flexible browsing mechanism