Think you know everything about iOS 5? Before you answer that question, you should know that there are a few hidden features you might not know about. The Camera app has a feature that allows you to take panoramic shots just by shifting your iDevice left or right.
What was once restricted to WiFi only, high definition YouTube videos can be played over 3G. Finally, an Android-like Autocorrect bar appears over the standard keyboard when enabled. The best part is that it will take you less than 30 minutes to enable all three features and we’re here to show you how!
What You’ll Need
Before enabling any of the following features, be sure to sync your iDevice with iTunes to obtain a recent backup. We’ll be modifying the files within this backup, so it’s important that it’s as recent as can be. Next, install iBackupBot on your computer. This program automatically locates synced backups on your computer and will allow us to modify a few files to enable the hidden features.
Panorama Mode In Camera
One
Open iBackupBot and select the most recent backup of your iDevice.
Two
Sort the files alphabetically by clicking the Path column title. Then scroll down until you find a file called com.apple.mobileslideshow.plist located in Library/Preferences/ (highlighted below).
Three
Now double click on the com.apple.mobileslideshow.plist file. If iBackupBot prompts you for a registration name and code, just close the window to continue. The file isn’t very big (only 48 lines), so it should be easy to find lines 33 and 34 where you’ll find <key>DiskSpaceWasLow</key> and <false/> respectively. Underneath line 34 add the following two lines: <key>EnableFirebreak</key> and <true/> like you see below. Then click the Save button.
Four
You have two options now: continue reading below to enable the other two hidden features or stop after this step to enable the Panorama feature only. Right click your iDevice in the left panel (as seen below) and choose Restore. Note: This will not delete any data or restore your iDevice as new. It will simply restore your iDevice using the backup we modified.
Once iBackupBot is done restoring the modified backup to your iDevice, open the Camera app and select Options. You should now see a Panorama button to enable Panorama mode.
HD YouTube Playback Over 3G
One
You should still have iBackupBot open. If not, open it now and select your iDevice as we did above. Scroll down until you see another file called com.apple.youtubeframework.plist located in Library/Preferences/.
Two
Double click the file to edit it. Simply add the following code anywhere between the <dict> tags: <key>HD3G</key> and <true/>.
Three
Save the file and Restore using iBackupBot (like we did above) if you prefer to stop here. Otherwise, continue reading below to find out how to enable the Autocorrect bar above the keyboard.
Autocorrect Bar Above The Keyboard
One
You should still have iBackupBot open. If not, open it now and select your iDevice as we did above. Scroll down until you see another file called com.apple.keyboard.plist located in Library/Preferences/.
Two
Double click the file to edit it. Now add the following anywhere between the <dict> tags: <key>KeyboardAutocorrectionLists</key> and <string>YES</string>.
Three
Save the file and finally restore the backup using iBackupBot. Once your iDevice is done restoring, you should have Panorama mode in the Camera app, HD YouTube streams over 3G, and the Autocorrect bar over the keyboard (or a combination depending on your own preferences). Enjoy!
If you’re concerned that syncing your iDevice after making these changes will wipe these settings, take comfort knowing that it won’t. I synced my iPhone 4S right after enabling all three features and all of them were still enabled.
Which features did you enable? Do you know of any others that are hidden in iOS 5? Let us know in the comments below!
