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Ravi Reddy Author

Level 1

12 points

4 finger swipe does not work in macOS Sierra!!

Hey all, I upgraded to macOS Sierra and noticed that one of my most regularly used feature on Mac OS, 4 finger swipe, for switching between desktops is not working! Mine is a April 2011 MacBook Pro.

Earlier, 2 finger swiping back and forth in folders, similar to switching back and forward for webpages in Safari, was discontinued for no fathomable reason. I hope it's not the same fate for 4 finger swipe for switching between desktops.

I probably use it hundreds of times every single day for switching between desktops since I have safari, MS Word and Mail apart from iTunes open on separate desktops. I hope a fix is released soon!

Apple, don't bite away useful features!!

Ravi Reddy

MacBook Pro, OS X Yosemite (10.10), Early 2011 MacBook Pro

Posted on Sep 22, 2016 7:31 AM

24 replies

Oct 8, 2016 6:33 AM in response to Ravi Reddy

Thanks LuisMataPop for solving this. Your fix worked instantly

Oct 11, 2016 6:22 PM in response to LuisMataPop

How do you do it when you have an iMac and no trackpad, only a wacom? The check/uncheck in the wacom system preferences does not fix the issue. Is there a way to set up the 4/3 finger option via code in terminal? Or any other fix?

Oct 14, 2016 12:41 AM in response to LuisMataPop

Turn on "three finger drag" for your Force Touch trackpad - Apple Support

I hope it helps! and thanks for your comment, it worked for me.

Oct 14, 2016 2:14 AM in response to ShahroozZ

Thanks for the answer but having a iMac without trackpad, i cannot try all these tricks to get the wacom to work again. I do not have these options available. Hence my question about another way to create the same kind of effect via the terminal or whatever. Of course the latest wacom driver does not solve anything by the way.

hopye

Level 1

4 points

Oct 21, 2016 8:52 AM in response to Ravi Reddy

its a fact. is happening, if you go to settings and renable them it works.. then.. somehow it stops working again. the feature is acting unstable in sierra. im on 10.12 . no full fix yet

Nov 6, 2016 3:12 PM in response to BWiest

Thank you for your post. Your solution worked for me as well -- both parts, the 4 finger swipe to change desktops, and the 3 finger drag...

+1 Apple fix this!

Pochop

Level 1

4 points

Nov 23, 2016 1:06 PM in response to LuisMataPop

This worked for me!!! Apple, please don't disable swiping between desktops. I use this all the time!

Nov 25, 2016 8:57 AM in response to Ravi Reddy

I wont be upgrading now then, I was just looking if Sierra had got rid of the slow slide effect when changing spaces, and now it doesnt even work.

Dec 14, 2016 11:54 AM in response to Ravi Reddy

A few weeks ago I installed Mac OS Sierra, and this installation somehow disabled the 4-finger swipe. However, after frustrated reading and following many different suggestions here, on reddit and other places, I discovered a quick and simple fix. Using the 3-finger + thumb pinch to reveal the Launchpad, I clicked on the Dashboard icon, and then my 4-finger swipe immediately became enabled. I can now switch between my desktop and dashboard (where all of my widgets [weather, calculator, post-it notes, etc.] are pasted). This solution may not work for everyone, but for me it went like this:

System Preferences > Trackpad > More Gestures > Swipe between full-screen apps (check) > Swipe left or right with four fingers (check)
Show Desktop gesture [actually, it should be Show Launchpad gesture] by using the 3-finger + thumb pinch [3-finger + thumb spread = Show Desktop]
Click the Dashboard icon in the Launchpad. This should automatically swipe to your Dashboard (it swipes to the right, in my case). You should now be able to use the enabled 4-finger swipe.

A ridiculously simple fix for a ridiculously absurd glitch that should never have occurred in the first place. Please let me know if this solution works for you, and may the odds be ever in your favor!

MacBook Pro OS Sierra 10.12.1 13" Mid-2012

4 finger swipe does not work in macOS Sierra!!