When iOS 5 was introduced, it brought with it many great features like new notifications, iMessenger, Reminders and a tabbed browser. One feature we enjoyed in the iOS 5 beta that disappeared for original iPad owners was gesture navigation. The feature worked on the iPad2 but the ability to turn it on for the Original iPad was missing.
Today’s iOS 5 update, taking it to 5.01 brought the navigation option to the Original iPad too!!
This is the first iOS update that you don’t have to hook your iPad up to your desktop iTunes to install. If you have iOS 5 on your iPad, go to the ‘Settings’ app, choose General, then Software Update. You should see the option to download 5.01.
After it finishes it’s install, go back to the ‘Settings’ app and about half way down on the right should be “Multitasking Gestures”, flip the slider to ‘on’.
Now, whenever your in any app, you can pinch the screen with four fingers and you will be taken back to the ‘Home’ screen (Launcher)… no need to press the hardware button.
You can swipe four fingers up on the screen to reveal the Multitasking bar (apps that were recently used). Again, taking away the need to double tap the hardware button. Swipe back downwards if you don’t find what you where looking for to hide the Multitasking bar.
Lastly, when you have an app on the screen, swipe side-to-side to move between apps. No need to go to the Home area at all. This is a super fast way to jump back and forth between two or three apps your using in a meeting like a power point and a document your taking notes in.
