A method of inputting commands through a touch-sensitive screen of a portable electronic device includes displaying a plurality of soft buttons on the touch-sensitive screen, detecting touch input on the touch-sensitive screen at a touch location, identifying a closest soft button that is nearest to the touch location, magnifying the closest soft button and one or more other soft buttons in the immediate vicinity of the closest soft button that are located in a same row or in a same column as the closest soft button, reducing the size of other soft buttons, detecting release of the touch input on the touch-sensitive screen at a release location after the soft buttons have been magnified, identifying a selected soft button located at the release location upon detecting release of the touch input, and executing a command corresponding to the selected soft button.