Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

An Easy Method to Enable Gestures

lavrishevo

lavrishevo

macrumors 68000
Original poster
Jan 9, 2007
1,864
204
NJ
I used iPhone Explorer to easily copy com.apple.springboard.plist over to my mac. Edited the plist in Text Wrangler and just added the string listed below. Copied the .plist back over the original and respiring... Your done. That easy and all free software.

Location of file:
Navigate to var >> mobile >> Library >> Preferences and copy com.apple.springboard.plist

String to add:
<key>SBUseSystemGestures</key>
<true/>

Hope this helps!

Edit: .plist editor for windows
http://www.softpedia.com/get/Programming/File-Editors/plist-Editor-for-Windows.shtml
 
Last edited:
Thanx

Can confirms this works!! I'm on 4.3.1 jb. Added the string using ifile on my iPad. Presto I have gestures. Thanx lav
 
how do you disable them, without deleting the string....i cant find an option in settings etc.
 
lavrishevo said:
I used iPhone Explorer to easily copy com.apple.springboard.plist over to my mac. Edited the plist in Text Wrangler and just added the sting listed below. Copied the .plist back over the original and respiring... You done. That easy and all free software.

location of file:
Navigate to var >> mobile >> Library >> Preferences and copy com.apple.springboard.plist

String to add:
<key>SBUseSystemGestures</key>
<true/>

Hope this helps!
Click to expand...

Anyway to get this to work on iPhone 4?
 
I forgot to mention using iFile to edit it directly on the iPad. I did try this method initially but iFile would not allow me to save the .plist so I used the other method described above.
 
Last edited:
lavrishevo said:
Nice! So the above method with iPhone Explorer allows you access to the iPad 2's file system even though it's not jailbroken?
Click to expand...

Basically you perform a backup and follow these instructions
http://www.icopybot.com/blog/enable-multitouch-gestures-on-ipad-without-jailbreaking.htm

Just make sure to put exactly where they show it in the plist or it will not work. very issue. took 5 min

I take no credit find the info here:
http://www.ipadforums.net/ipad-gene...ch-gestures-windows-no-jailbreak-request.html
 
Fliesen said:
no offense, but that's not that much 'easier' than just getting Xcode from your OSX dvd ;)
Click to expand...

Never said it was easier. But this costly nothing for a feature that I bet in a near future fw will be free.

Your choice. I did not wait to pay $5 for app I would use once and likely never again.
 
It is very easy to do in ifile, just open it using the property list viewer, then hit the + button, type in SBUseSystemGestures in the name, change the type to Boolean, not String, and create it. Then turn it on and hit done at the top right. Respring or reboot and voila.
 
Oh and in case no one reads the thread on how to do this for the iphone, if you do this step on your ipad (I tried and tested it) it will turn the toggle on in the system preferences:


Navigate to Root > Applications > Preferences.app > General.plist

Copy it to you Mac and replace existing code with new. Old code is about 3/4 down in the file and replace old file with new.

OLD CODE TO DELETE:

<dict>
<key>cell</key>
<string>PSGroupCell</string>
<key>footerCellClass</key>
<string>MultitaskingGestureExplanationView</string>
<key>id</key>
<string>Mutltitasking_Gesture_Group</string>
<key>requiredCapabilities</key>
<array>
<string>multitasking-gestures</string>
</array>
</dict>
<dict>
<key>cell</key>
<string>PSSwitchCell</string>
<key>default</key>
<true/>
<key>defaults</key>
<string>com.apple.springboard</string>
<key>id</key>
<string>Mutltitasking_Gesture_Switch</string>
<key>key</key>
<string>SBUseSystemGestures</string>
<key>label</key>
<string>Multitasking_Gestures</string>
<key>requiredCapabilities</key>
<array>
<string>multitasking-gestures</string>
</array>
</dict>

NEW CODE TO ADD IN ITS PLACE:

<dict>
<key>cell</key>
<string>PSGroupCell</string>
<key>footerCellClass</key>
<string>MultitaskingGestureExplanationView</string>
<key>requiredCapabilities</key>
<array>
<string>multitasking-gestures</string>
</array>
</dict>
<dict>
<key>cell</key>
<string>PSSwitchCell</string>
<key>default</key>
<true/>
<key>defaults</key>
<string>com.apple.springboard</string>
<key>key</key>
<string>SBUseSystemGestures</string>
<key>label</key>
<string>Multitasking Gestures</string>
<key>requiredCapabilities</key>
<array>
<string>multitasking-gestures</string>
</array>
</dict>

Respring or restart and now you will have gestures and the ability to turn them on and off in preferences.
 
JohnDoe98 said:
Oh and in case no one reads the thread on how to do this for the iphone, if you do this step on your ipad (I tried and tested it) it will turn the toggle on in the system preferences:


Navigate to Root > Applications > Preferences.app > General.plist

Copy it to you Mac and replace existing code with new. Old code is about 3/4 down in the file and replace old file with new.

OLD CODE TO DELETE:

<dict>
<key>cell</key>
<string>PSGroupCell</string>
<key>footerCellClass</key>
<string>MultitaskingGestureExplanationView</string>
<key>id</key>
<string>Mutltitasking_Gesture_Group</string>
<key>requiredCapabilities</key>
<array>
<string>multitasking-gestures</string>
</array>
</dict>
<dict>
<key>cell</key>
<string>PSSwitchCell</string>
<key>default</key>
<true/>
<key>defaults</key>
<string>com.apple.springboard</string>
<key>id</key>
<string>Mutltitasking_Gesture_Switch</string>
<key>key</key>
<string>SBUseSystemGestures</string>
<key>label</key>
<string>Multitasking_Gestures</string>
<key>requiredCapabilities</key>
<array>
<string>multitasking-gestures</string>
</array>
</dict>

NEW CODE TO ADD IN ITS PLACE:

<dict>
<key>cell</key>
<string>PSGroupCell</string>
<key>footerCellClass</key>
<string>MultitaskingGestureExplanationView</string>
<key>requiredCapabilities</key>
<array>
<string>multitasking-gestures</string>
</array>
</dict>
<dict>
<key>cell</key>
<string>PSSwitchCell</string>
<key>default</key>
<true/>
<key>defaults</key>
<string>com.apple.springboard</string>
<key>key</key>
<string>SBUseSystemGestures</string>
<key>label</key>
<string>Multitasking Gestures</string>
<key>requiredCapabilities</key>
<array>
<string>multitasking-gestures</string>
</array>
</dict>

Respring or restart and now you will have gestures and the ability to turn them on and off in preferences.
Click to expand...

Is there a similar plist file for windows users, that would allow the multitasking gesture toggle to appear in settings on the ipad?

The only method I know is to manually go into iFile and add a line of code to enable, but this is cumbersome as one would have to navigate to ifile and delete the code when they want to disable gestures.
 
for some reason i couldn't even run the program from my win7 x64. it keeps on getting stuck on that pop up saying it's loading device information. any idea?
 
gochi said:
Is there a similar plist file for windows users, that would allow the multitasking gesture toggle to appear in settings on the ipad?

The only method I know is to manually go into iFile and add a line of code to enable, but this is cumbersome as one would have to navigate to ifile and delete the code when they want to disable gestures.
Click to expand...

The plist file is on the ipad itself you only need to download it and edit it then put it back on the ipad. I don't know if there is a windows program that reads plist files. You'd have to figure that out on your own. The other option is to use ifile and manually make all the changes necessary. Once the general.plist file is edited though turning the feature on and off in the settings is a breeze.

Also, you do not need to delete any code in the ifle if you follow the original instructions. There will be a toggle to turn SBUseSystemGestures on or off. That is all you need to switch.
 
MMakoto said:
for some reason i couldn't even run the program from my win7 x64. it keeps on getting stuck on that pop up saying it's loading device information. any idea?
Click to expand...

None, I don't have windows. What you can do is from ifile itself, email yourself the file and make the changes. Then email it back and open the file in ifile and place it in the appropriate directory. But you need a plist editor that works on windows.
 
JohnDoe98 said:
The plist file is on the ipad itself you only need to download it and edit it then put it back on the ipad. I don't know if there is a windows program that reads plist files. You'd have to figure that out on your own. The other option is to use ifile and manually make all the changes necessary. Once the general.plist file is edited though turning the feature on and off in the settings is a breeze.

Also, you do not need to delete any code in the ifle if you follow the original instructions. There will be a toggle to turn SBUseSystemGestures on or off. That is all you need to switch.
Click to expand...

Thanks. I will try this, and re-post my findings.
 
JohnDoe98 said:
None, I don't have windows. What you can do is from ifile itself, email yourself the file and make the changes. Then email it back and open the file in ifile and place it in the appropriate directory. But you need a plist editor that works on windows.
Click to expand...

i had it working not too long after i wrote the above post. it just needed more time to load the files, now it works very nicely.
 
I am too lazy to go back and look up the code (sorry!), but your code works, except that an <array> is missing somewhere. After I fixed that error manually with iFile, gesture toggles work well!


I may be asking too much, but would it be possible to have the option to enable/disable gestures via sbsettings?

On another note, can I perhaps download skins for sb settings? The default ones look nice, but they seem to be too technical for my taste.

Thanks for the code!
 
Is there a way to do this on a non JBed iPad2 on a Mac? (without installed xcode (don't have room for it))
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back