Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for providing gesture discoverability with a mobile computing device. In one aspect, a method include actions of obtaining gesture definition data for a particular gesture. The gesture definition data specifies a predefined onset position associated with commencement of the particular gesture, a predefined motion associated with completion of the particular gesture, a particular action that is triggered upon the completion of the particular gesture, and a visual indicator for visually indicating a progress toward the completion of the particular gesture as the predefined motion is performed. Additional actions include determining that an orientation of a mobile computing device matches the onset position of the particular gesture, providing the visual indicator, determining a motion, determining whether the motion matches the predefined motion, and determining whether to update the visual indicator.