How to Access the Secret Hidden Panorama Mode in iOS

The trick to enabling the panorama mode in iOS 5 is as simple as editing a .plist file and writing it back to the device. The panorama software might be included in a future software update, but for now, it is actually a good way of taking very wide photos. We expect that the iPhone uses a combination of image detection and motion data taken from the gyroscope and accelerometer to stitch the pictures together to create one large image.

Anyone running iOS 5 on a iPhone 4 can now access this hidden feature by following my steps below.

Please Note: Modifying the OS is frowned upon by Apple and is only recommended for experienced users. This guide is for research purposes only and SonnyDickson is not responsible for any damages caused by this process. Proceed at your own risk.

1. You’ll first need to download a program called iBackupBot, which lets you modify certain settings on your mobile device through a backup and then restore that backup to the device. This software is available for both Windows and the Mac.

2. You’ll next want to connect your mobile device to your computer and run a full backup in iTunes.

3. After you’ve backed up your device, launch iBackupBot. The software should automatically detect and display all of the backups you’ve run in iTunes.

4. Click on the backup you just ran. Among all the files listed on the right, look for one that says: Library/Preferences/com.apple.mobileslideshow.plist.

5. The com.apple.mobileslideshow.plist will open as a simple text file that you can edit.

6. Add the string <key>EnableFirebreak</key><string>YES</string> to the file. added it before the two closing tags: </dict > and </plist >, which seemed to be the logical spot. Close and save the file.

7. Next restore the backup from within iBackupBot (right-click on the backup and select the Restore command).