How To: Enable Multitouch Browsing on Your Nexus One (Using the Native Browser)

So you can finally shut up those iPhone friends of yours that can’t find anything wrong with your Nexus One besides the fact that they can pinch to zoom on a webpage and you can’t, nanny nanny boo boo… Here’s how to enable MultiTouch Browsing in the Native Browser of the Nexus One (instead of downloading the inferior Dolphin Browser).

Thanks Cyanogen!

I. Before You Begin

1. You MUST have root access. Do our How To Root the Nexus One procedure then come back to this one when you are done (it is also recommended to do the How To Load a Custom ROM procedure as well after that one and load the Modaco ROM from our Downloads section, but up to you).

2. Please be aware that this will reset your bookmarks and browser settings.

II. Download the files

1. Download these 3 files and save them to the tools folder of the Android SDK you have downloaded from the root procedure:

Browser.apk
XML file
Jar File

2. Make sure they are saved to the Tools folder inside the Android SDK folder.

(If you do not have an AndroidSDK folder, follow this procedure first: How To Setup ADB)

III. Transfer them to the Phone

1. Plug the phone in via USB cable and ignore the notifications in the notification bar.

2. Make sure that USB Debugging is on in the Applications > Development menu of the settings on the phone.

2. Open the command prompt by opening the Start menu and typing CMD in the search box (or typing that into the Run program if on XP).

3. Type the following into the command prompt with hitting enter at the end of each line:

cd\
cd c:\AndroidSDK\Tools

*The above assumes your sdk folder was renamed to AndroidSDK and is on the root of the C drive like in our rooting procedure.

adb devices

*Make sure that a serial number pops up indicating the computer can see your phone.

adb shell stop
adb remount
adb shell rm /system/app/Browser.odex
adb push Browser.apk /system/app
adb push com.cyanogenmod.android.jar /system/framework
adb push com.cyanogenmod.android.xml /system/etc/permissions
adb shell reboot

4. Once the phone reboots you are all set, enjoy!

Reported Issues:

Issue: When I type ADB devices, no serial number shows up.

Solution: Download the following file and extract it to somewhere on your computer:

Nexus One ADB Drivers

Then find the Nexus One in your Devices menu on your computer and right click the Nexus One.

Click Properties, click the Hardware Tab, click Properties, click Change Settings, click the Driver Tab, click Update Driver and then click manually search from the driver on my computer and select the USB Driver folder you just downloaded and extracted and let it update the driver.

21 thoughts on “How To: Enable Multitouch Browsing on Your Nexus One (Using the Native Browser)”

  1. I used the superboot during the root procedure and there is not an androidsdk file with it. Is there a place to download that file so I can put the files I need into the tools file? Hope this question makes sense. Thanks, Dennis

  2. shonanthebarbarian

    Honestly, I just got my nexus and I don’t want it to be ANYTHING like the iPhone! Everything on this phone is ten times better than that outdated piece of sh@# ! Nexus one is the iPhone killer and Google didn’t even have that intention. HTC is the future. All the companies will have to step up their game to trump this thing.

  3. hey dennis have no worries about being a dev or not just follow the unlockers instructions on how to setup adb and steps to root the unlockr wont do you wrong man just follow there instructions !

  4. Unlocker ,
    Alright , just for grins i Tried this and i did everything and everything seemed to work all of the commands were applied and everything but , I have no pinch zoom on my browser .

  5. My computer can detect the phone under the boot mode, but it can’t find any device under the androidsdk section. I need help , please

  6. i don’t know what had happen, but i had lost my origin google browser after all the steps, so i had to install a third party brower in order to surf. Is there a way that i can get the origina browser back?? this is driving me crazy. thanks

  7. when i type in adb shell rm /system/app/Browser.odex
    it says no such file or directory. i made sure to type everything case sensitive and i do have an android sdk folder from setting up the adb drivers. any solutions

  8. when i type in adb shell rm /system/app/Browser.odex
    it says no such file or directory. i made sure to type everything case sensitive and i do have an android sdk folder from setting up the adb drivers.

    Same thing happens to me. Any ideas? Thanks TheUnlockr.

  9. Will the multitouch browsing still work if we don’t load a custom rom to the phone? What’s the advantage in having the ROM custom? Sorry that i ask many questions.

  10. who cares about pinch zoom anyways (pretty boys in their fancy pants)? cell phones are meant to be handled one handed. I have the multi-touch enabled browser and think the long press options on the ‘steel’ or the ‘x-scope’ browsers are much better.

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