The key to staying alive in temple run 2 is to avoid obstacles, which you do by swiping the screen with your finger. If there is something blocking your path, you can jump over it or slide under it by swiping up or down on the screen, respectively. Every so often the path will turn sharply, and at this point you have to swipe left or right on the screen depending on which way you would like to go.
To make more minute adjustments to your route, you can just tilt your device. This is used primarily for collecting Coins or avoiding pitfalls in the level, as well as the mine Cart Riding section that is unique to this sequel.
Shield:
Your Shield can protect you from everything in temple run 2, except for falling to your death. Any other obstacles and dangers will be deflected by activating the Shield. You can see the Shield Meter in the upper left-hand corner of the screen, and activate it by double-tapping on your device's screen. To increase the amount of Shield available, and fill your Shield Meter, simply focus on collecting Coins during your run.
In a game all about staying alive for as long as possible, it stands to reason that the Shield is one of the most important parts to a good strategy of survival.
Traps:
There are a few areas in temple run 2 that regularly catch people out, either because they are too enticing, or because it is so hard to work out where to go. One is a large, stone structure that is hanging in mid-air after a few minutes. Players frequently jump into it without realizing that it is in fact a trap and will cause you to fall to your death. The best tactic for avoiding it is to simply swipe to the left or right to turn.
Part of your run in the game involves cliffs where, for people who haven't got very far through a run, it looks like there is nowhere for you to go. In this instance, where the cliffs look like a dead end, look to the sides as you should be able to see some very small paths leading off in either direction.
During a session on temple run 2 if you haven't experienced everything the game can throw at you, so you haven't had a really long run yet, the key to progression is to look out for visual clues that the developers have put in the game to make it physically possible to survive a run. Keep one eye on the floor as there are many locations on each run where looking ahead, at the horizon, will not give you enough indication of where to go. Watch the floor for clues as to what's coming up, and which direction you should turn.
Sometimes, to keep things as difficult as possible and to force players to purchase Power-Ups and Gems, obstacles are put in front of you which are pretty much impossible without a Shield or losing a 'life' at the cost of your Gems.