Hidden iOS 7 Settings Reveal Potential Gesture and Folder Enhancements

As the developer beta testing period for iOS 7 continues, user Hamza Sood (via 9to5Mac) has discovered hidden settings within Apple's latest iOS that include toggles for additional gesture, folder and multitasking options. It is unclear, however, how Sood came across the settings.

hiddensettingsImage via Hamza Sood

The gesture settings include options for a new "corner swipe" gesture. In addition, there appear to be expanded options for the "press and hold" gesture, which has so far only been used to prompt "edit mode", which allows users to move and delete apps. There also appears to be a section for "edge swipe", which has become prominent in Apple's redesigned stock iOS 7 apps. 9to5Mac notes that the settings indicate that these gestures could be used for quick app switching.

Other settings include additional functionality on the home screen, such as being able to completely delete stock apps like Newsstand, which has long been a requested feature from some users. The ability to create folders within folders is also present.

The final group of settings is used to tweak the visual flow of the new operating system, with settings responsible for blur effects, coloring and animation speed.


As 9to5Mac notes, it is highly unlikely that most of these features will make their way into the final public version of iOS 7. Instead, the hidden settings are likely to be used and tested by Apple internally to not only tweak iOS performance but explore future features. Some could, however, be adopted as public options to allow for further customization of the user experience.

Related Forum: iOS 7

Popular Stories

iOS 26 on iPhone Feature

Here's When iOS 26 Rolls Out Today in Every Time Zone [Update: Out Now!]

Monday September 15, 2025 12:00 am PDT by
Update 10:06 a.m.: iOS 26 is rolling out now, though it may take a bit for all users to see it, so keep checking! Today's the day! Apple is about to release iOS 26, which will deliver the biggest redesign since iOS 7 and bring a range of new features and improvements to iPhones worldwide. It's Apple's biggest software update of the year, and Apple announced at last week's iPhone event that...
iOS 26 Battery Glass Feature

Apple Says Installing iOS 26 Might Impact Battery Life

Monday September 15, 2025 10:56 am PDT by
In the iOS 26 release notes, Apple is warning iPhone users that installing the new software might have a temporary impact on battery life, which is normal. A new support document explains that major iOS updates require background setup like indexing data and files for search, downloading new assets, and updating apps. Further, Apple says that new features could require more resources,...
Tim Cook Rainbow

Apple Reportedly Plans to Launch These 10 Products in 'Coming Months'

Sunday September 14, 2025 8:45 am PDT by
Apple's annual September event is now in the rearview mirror, with the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, iPhone 17 Pro Max, iPhone Air, Apple Watch Series 11, Apple Watch Ultra 3, Apple Watch SE 3, and AirPods Pro 3 set to launch this Friday, September 19. As always, there is more to come. In his Power On newsletter today, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said Apple plans to release many products in the...
AirPods Pro Firmware Feature

AirPods Pro 2 and AirPods 4 Get iOS 26 Features With New Firmware Update

Monday September 15, 2025 10:50 am PDT by
Apple today released updated firmware for the AirPods Pro 2 and the AirPods 4, introducing support for the new AirPods features that are included in iOS 26, iPadOS 26, and macOS Tahoe. The firmware has a build number of 8A356, and it replaces the current 7E93 firmware. With Apple's new software updates, the AirPods Pro 2 and the AirPods 4 support better audio quality for phone calls and...
iphone 17 lineup

iPhone 17 Models Launch on September 19 With These New Features

Friday September 12, 2025 7:58 am PDT by
Apple will launch its new iPhone 17 lineup and ultra-thin iPhone Air in stores on Friday, September 19, and the company has already shown off the new devices at its fall event, which ran with the the tagline "Awe dropping." The iPhone 17 series brings a host of new features and enhancements. Here's a rundown of the biggest upgrades and changes: iPhone 17 Display Changes The iPhone...
iOS 26 Feature

iOS 26 Available Now With These 8 New Features

Monday September 15, 2025 5:45 am PDT by
Following three months of beta testing, iOS 26 was released today, September 15. The update is compatible with the iPhone 11 series and newer, and it is available to install via the Settings app, under General → Software Update. Below, we have highlighted eight new features included in iOS 26. Even more new features and changes are outlined in Apple's release notes for the update. Some of ...
iPhone 17 Pro Air Boxes

iPhone Air and iPhone 17 Pro Boxes Revealed

Sunday September 14, 2025 1:36 pm PDT by
T-Mobile President Jon Freier today shared real-world photos of Apple's boxes for the iPhone Air, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 models, which launch on Friday. Image Credit: Jon Freier Apple has typically included iPhone box renders in its product environmental reports, but it did not do so for the latest models. However, Apple's iPhone Upgrade Program page does offer some images of the boxes, ...

Top Rated Comments

Jack Delgado Avatar
160 months ago
News: Apple uses Springtomize 2 for internal testing.
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Michaelgtrusa Avatar
160 months ago
Glad to see more good stuff. More to come.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
blueinc Avatar
160 months ago
Are any of Apple's ideas not copied from an existing jailbreak tweak.

Original. Not.

When iOS blogs presented popular JB tweaks they were literally begging for Apple to implement them. Now that they are implemented, we hear crap like this.

And why does everything has to be original? What's next, you won't even consider buying/umpgrading to iPhone 5S/6 because it has an antenna, display and microSIM card, all things which were previously available?

I like MacRumors, but some people around here are just plain ... you know ... ****ing dumb!
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
mahood Avatar
160 months ago
What I'd like to see...

Is the option to select which apps handle which functions.

Such as setting a default browser, mail handler, calendar, etc.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
spcurtis81 Avatar
160 months ago
Are any of Apple's ideas not copied from an existing jailbreak tweak.

Original. Not.

I should say that this is a great thing. Apple taking note of what the end users ACTUALLY want rather than telling them. Kudos to Apple in my opinion. Saw an article accusing Apple of copying the best bits of all the other OS. Hell yes please! How can that be bad for the end user?
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
benjones Avatar
160 months ago
Are any of Apple's ideas not copied from an existing jailbreak tweak.

Original. Not.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)