In addition to the several new user-facing features introduced by Apple for iOS 7, hidden settings inside the new system have revealed that Apple has been testing other new enhancements. Hamza Sood discovered the hidden settings options, and these toggles reveal additional gesture, multitasking, and folders options. The settings are not readily available to users of the iOS 7 beta, but acces requires some unspecified tweaking.
Notably, Apple is testing system-wide edge-swipe and corner-swipe gestures for iOS 7. These gestures would bolster the already present edge-swipe feature in iOS 7 for Messages, Safari, and a couple of the other pre-installed iOS apps. According to these settings, Apple’s testing of these gestures would expand to being used for quick-app-switching.
Video and more details below:
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9DP7q9e3K68?rel=0]Video by Hamza Sood
In terms of new functionality being tested, the ability to hide pre-installed apps (a feature that many users have been requesting) is present in these settings. The ability to create a new folder inside of a folder is also present. This function would seem more important in the old folders implementation as iOS 7’s folders system allows for multiple pages of apps to be stored inside of each folder. The option to pinch to close folders is also present in these settings.
Other hidden settings are present for tweaking blur effects, coloring, and animation speeds. Because these are hidden settings, it is likely that these functions will not appear in future public version of iOS 7. These options will likely remain internal to Apple. Nonetheless, it is intriguing to see what Apple has tested (or is still testing) for its first major iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch OS redesign.
