Enabling iPad 2 multitouch gesture support takes $5, one click [updated]

By on Mar 14, 2011 at 7:00 PM
Tablets March 14, 2011

Apple has been testing multitouch gestures for quite a while, and we reported in January that this will likely lead to Apple ultimately ditching the home button on future iPad and iPhone devices. The feature, which simplifies certain tasks such as app switching, still isn’t available to the general public. But as it turns out, anyone can enable multitouch gestures on the iPad or iPad 2 with just a few minutes and $5. As pointed out by Gizmodo, users can simply purchase Apple’s iOS developer software Xcode 4 — available for $5 from the Mac App Store — and enable the nifty feature with a single click. Once enabled, users will be able to use a four-finger swipe from side to side in order to switch open apps, swipe up with four fingers to open the app switcher, and use a five-finger pinch to return to the home screen. Hit the break for the simple instructions.

Before following the steps below, ensure your iPad is updated to iOS 4.3.

  1. Purchase Xcode 4 from the Mac App Store [iTunes link] (UPDATE: You can also download the older version of Xcode (v3.2) for free)
  2. Launch Xcode and connect your iPad or iPad 2 to your computer
  3. Click the “use for development” button
  4. Ignore Xcode’s request for developer credentials and disregard the ensuing error
  5. Once developer mode is activated, you can enable gestures from within Settings > General on your iPad

[Via Gizmodo]

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43 Comments

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  • http://twitter.com/clientsfromhell Mr Multimedia

    $5?

    I think i’ll stick to singletouch thank you very much!

    • Anonymous

      coming from anyone who bought one, $5 is nothing

      • Anonymous

        Yeah, people who want a reasonably-priced tablet go for the Xoom.

        Sigh.

      • Anonymous

        well anyone who wants something better, not just because everyone has it then yes, reasonably priced at $600

    • Shugsgraphics

      What if a person has les than 5 fingers? I hope the home button is not ditched. Apple certainly isn’t going to be my product of choice if they discriminate against handicapped people!

      • 1eyebandit

        I shouldn’t laugh (especially with my 1 eye) but that is funny! LMAO

    • Anonymous

      You can actually go to apple’s developer site and get Xcode 3 and make and make an account according to other sources. Totally free and same results.

      Just as a note I don’t have a Mac and can’t actually vouch for the above mentioned way but I’ve heard good things.

  • Nicknyhk

    cant anyone just go to apple and get a developer os?

  • QNXlover

    lol @ launching without multitouch support.

    Playbook FTW.

    • Lechero

      you had a genius comment up until you mentioned Playbook, or was it a joke, if it was im still laughing.

      • QNXlover

        you’re the joke, sir.

        Playbook walks all over your beloved iPad. Not all humans are gifted with functional brain cells. Those of us who are lucky enough to have a brain will own a Playbook come April 10th.

      • Anonymous

        Go back into the sewer where you came from.

        Vaporware vs real iPad2 shipping in large quantities!!! Whom are you kidding? RIM might even go back to the drawing board and start all over. No chance for copycats with second rate hardware!!

    • Anonymous

      lol moron. It has nothing to do with multitouch. ios has had that for years now. Maybe reread the article.

      • KCRic

        Oh right you can use five fingers, pretty lame honestly. It’s a stupid gimmick but even more stupid that they didn’t include it from the start. I laugh so hard over how easy it is to keep you iFans enthralled and how easily surprised you are.

      • macboy15

        They didn’t put it in from the start because dev’s are testing it to see how it works. Typical fandroid yapping about something you know nothing about.

  • Anonymous

    Lol $5, this is a joke right? Soon people will have to pay to turn on the power buttons on Apple products. Playbook is worth the wait now for sure and I get multitasking for free lolololol.

    • Anonymous

      I think you’re misunderstanding the article

  • http://twitter.com/TuckerPeterson Tucker A. Peterson

    $5 per iPad sold (lets just say 5 million) is an extra 25 million in revenue for something my Android Smartphone from 2009 does. This is bullshit.

  • http://twitter.com/TuckerPeterson Tucker A. Peterson

    $5 per iPad sold (lets just say 5 million) is an extra 25 million in revenue for something my Android Smartphone from 2009 does. This is bullshit.

    Oh and doesn’t Apple sue anyone with Multitouch support?

    • Amtorres92

      dout your android smartphone has these kinds of multitouch gestures! try again buddy!

      • KCRic

        My G2 can track up to 4 objects on the screen – had that from the day it was released, it’s just not used by many developers. What was that you said?

  • http://twitter.com/mtmjr89 Michael McNeeley

    What about if you have Windows? Is it just not possible then?

    • Anonymous

      Yeah people with windows get to keep their dignity

    • Brian

      Jailbreak.

  • Anonymous

    OR you can register under the free development program and download XCode 3 (again, for free) and follow the same steps.

  • Mptros09

    Why is everyone crying foul about paying $5 to activate something that is an unadvertised beta feature? Its like complaining that you have to pay more for the 22 inch aftermarket rims you put on your Honda Civic.

    You’re not paying $5 for the gestures, you’re paying for the latest developer tools, Xcode 4, that you’d otherwise have to pay $99 for a Apple Developer membership. One extra benefit of that is that you can enable the gestures.

    For everyone who doesn’t want to pay, you can download Xcode 3.2.6 for free with the free and basic iOS developer membership. That’s what I did and now I’m enjoying my unadvertised, beta level gestures.

    Or you can wait until iOS 5 or whenever they make it a real feature.

    • Anonymous

      What you have to realize is that none of these people actually read the article. They just read the (slightly misleading) headline and decided to flip because, hey, it’s Apple.

      If you can’t complain about them overcharging you for everything, what’s the world coming to?

  • Anonymous

    nice way to way to make money. $39 for a HDMI, $5 for a multi-touch ..what next?

  • Anonymous

    You can enable it with the FREE Xcode 3!!! You don’t have to pay $5 for this “feature”!

  • Anonymous

    A feature that really should be free. NTY.

    • Anonymous

      lol moron. It has nothing to do with multitouch. ios has had that for years now. Maybe reread the article.

      • KCRic

        lol moron. It has nothing to do with multitouch. ios has had that for years now. Maybe reread the article.

        See, I can copy and paste posts too!! It wasn’t that great the first time – maybe think of something new to say… moron.

  • Anonymous

    Maybe it’s me but I was able to install Xcode from my Mac install disc.

  • Ethos99

    Don’t forget the hundreds to thousands of dollars for the people who don’t own a Mac.

    • Brian

      Easy solution: hackintosh, or make a VM.

      Or better yet, jailbreak.

  • Brian

    OR you can just jailbreak.

  • Patty

    This is *ONE* click????

    The run iTunes.
    Find your way to the App Store.
    Enter password.
    Purchase Xcode 4
    Launch Xcode
    Connect your iPad to your computer
    Click the “use for development” button
    Ignore Xcode’s request for developer credentials
    Ignore the error
    Wait until the developer mode is activated
    Run Settings.
    Visit General
    Turn on the feature.

  • http://www.soundid.com/ Asher lloyd

    We’ll try out according to the steps you have mentioned above. I find ipad very difficult to operate…

  • Nuelo

    Multitouch or not, if you touched your iPad like the picture above depicts, you wouldn’t achieve anything. Maybe the screen would try to slide but you would fail to launch that app you were pointing at with your index finger…

  • Bobdonhim

    Sigh…poor poor sheep. PlayBook will have multi-gesture support out of the gate. Pretty soon Apple wont include a charger in the box and you will have to pay for that as well.

    Also, I came to BGR today looking for an article about how there are defects with the iPad2 (yellow spots, bleeding around the edge of the screen) yet, surprisingly there is no mention of such issues. Hmm, I wonder why.

  • KCRic

    Really? Another Apple fail. My phone has multi touch, other tablets have multi touch. I guess it’s just another thing for BGR to rave about when the iPad 3 rumors start flying.

  • Anonymous

    I thought people were having issues with syncing after enabling developer mode? Or maybe I’m confused with some other issue.

  • Whitehej4

    Does anyone know if you can also do this for the iPhone 4, since i saw something about them testing these multi-touch gestures on it as well.

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