diff --git a/apps/automated/src/ui/gestures/gestures-tests.ts b/apps/automated/src/ui/gestures/gestures-tests.ts
index 8ab92d7a76..8c82f3d77f 100644
--- a/apps/automated/src/ui/gestures/gestures-tests.ts
+++ b/apps/automated/src/ui/gestures/gestures-tests.ts
@@ -1,14 +1,5 @@
 /* tslint:disable:no-unused-variable */
-import { GestureEventData, Label, GestureTypes, PanGestureEventData, PinchGestureEventData, SwipeGestureEventData, RotationGestureEventData } from '@nativescript/core';
-
-export var test_DummyTestForSnippetOnly0 = function () {
-	// >> gestures-double-tap
-	var label = new Label();
-	var observer = label.on(GestureTypes.doubleTap, function (args: GestureEventData) {
-		console.log('Double Tap');
-	});
-	// << gestures-double-tap
-};
+import { GestureEventData, Label, PanGestureEventData, PinchGestureEventData, SwipeGestureEventData, RotationGestureEventData } from '@nativescript/core';
 
 export var test_DummyTestForSnippetOnly01 = function () {
 	// >> gestures-double-tap-alt
@@ -19,15 +10,6 @@ export var test_DummyTestForSnippetOnly01 = function () {
 	// << gestures-double-tap-alt
 };
 
-export var test_DummyTestForSnippetOnly1 = function () {
-	// >> gestures-long-press
-	var label = new Label();
-	var observer = label.on(GestureTypes.longPress, function (args: GestureEventData) {
-		console.log('Long Press');
-	});
-	// << gestures-long-press
-};
-
 export var test_DummyTestForSnippetOnly11 = function () {
 	// >> gestures-long-press-alt
 	var label = new Label();
@@ -37,15 +19,6 @@ export var test_DummyTestForSnippetOnly11 = function () {
 	// << gestures-long-press-alt
 };
 
-export var test_DummyTestForSnippetOnly2 = function () {
-	// >> gestures-pan
-	var label = new Label();
-	var observer = label.on(GestureTypes.pan, function (args: PanGestureEventData) {
-		console.log('Pan deltaX:' + args.deltaX + '; deltaY:' + args.deltaY + ';');
-	});
-	// << gestures-pan
-};
-
 export var test_DummyTestForSnippetOnly22 = function () {
 	// >> gestures-pan-alt
 	var label = new Label();
@@ -55,15 +28,6 @@ export var test_DummyTestForSnippetOnly22 = function () {
 	// << gestures-pan-alt
 };
 
-export var test_DummyTestForSnippetOnly3 = function () {
-	// >> gestures-pan-pinch
-	var label = new Label();
-	var observer = label.on(GestureTypes.pinch, function (args: PinchGestureEventData) {
-		console.log('Pinch scale: ' + args.scale);
-	});
-	// << gestures-pan-pinch
-};
-
 export var test_DummyTestForSnippetOnly33 = function () {
 	// >> gestures-pan-pinch-alt
 	var label = new Label();
@@ -73,15 +37,6 @@ export var test_DummyTestForSnippetOnly33 = function () {
 	// << gestures-pan-pinch-alt
 };
 
-export var test_DummyTestForSnippetOnly4 = function () {
-	// >> gestures-rotation
-	var label = new Label();
-	var observer = label.on(GestureTypes.rotation, function (args: RotationGestureEventData) {
-		console.log('Rotation: ' + args.rotation);
-	});
-	// << gestures-rotation
-};
-
 export var test_DummyTestForSnippetOnly44 = function () {
 	// >> gestures-rotation-alt
 	var label = new Label();
@@ -91,15 +46,6 @@ export var test_DummyTestForSnippetOnly44 = function () {
 	// << gestures-rotation-alt
 };
 
-export var test_DummyTestForSnippetOnly5 = function () {
-	// >> gestures-swipe
-	var label = new Label();
-	var observer = label.on(GestureTypes.swipe, function (args: SwipeGestureEventData) {
-		console.log('Swipe direction: ' + args.direction);
-	});
-	// << gestures-swipe
-};
-
 export var test_DummyTestForSnippetOnly55 = function () {
 	// >> gestures-swipe-alt
 	var label = new Label();
@@ -109,15 +55,6 @@ export var test_DummyTestForSnippetOnly55 = function () {
 	// << gestures-swipe-alt
 };
 
-export var test_DummyTestForSnippetOnly6 = function () {
-	// >> gestures-tap
-	var label = new Label();
-	var observer = label.on(GestureTypes.tap, function (args: GestureEventData) {
-		console.log('Tap');
-	});
-	// << gestures-tap
-};
-
 export var test_DummyTestForSnippetOnly66 = function () {
 	// >> gestures-tap-alt
 	var label = new Label();
@@ -127,25 +64,6 @@ export var test_DummyTestForSnippetOnly66 = function () {
 	// << gestures-tap-alt
 };
 
-export var test_DummyTestForSnippetOnly7 = function () {
-	// >> gestures-stop-observe
-	var label = new Label();
-	var observer = label.on(GestureTypes.tap, function (args: GestureEventData) {
-		console.log('Tap');
-	});
-	observer.disconnect();
-	// << gestures-stop-observe
-};
-
-export var test_DummyTestForSnippetOnly8 = function () {
-	// >> gestures-multiple
-	var label = new Label();
-	var observer = label.on(GestureTypes.tap | GestureTypes.doubleTap | GestureTypes.longPress, function (args: GestureEventData) {
-		console.log('Event: ' + args.eventName);
-	});
-	// << gestures-multiple
-};
-
 export var test_DummyTestForSnippetOnly88 = function () {
 	// >> gestures-string
 	var label = new Label();
diff --git a/packages/core/ui/button/index.android.ts b/packages/core/ui/button/index.android.ts
index 869d472368..f46eeb63e4 100644
--- a/packages/core/ui/button/index.android.ts
+++ b/packages/core/ui/button/index.android.ts
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ import { paddingLeftProperty, paddingTopProperty, paddingRightProperty, paddingB
 import { textAlignmentProperty } from '../text-base';
 import { CoreTypes } from '../../core-types';
 import { profile } from '../../profiling';
-import { TouchGestureEventData, GestureTypes, TouchAction } from '../gestures';
+import { TouchGestureEventData, TouchAction, GestureTypes } from '../gestures';
 import { Device } from '../../platform';
 import { SDK_VERSION } from '../../utils/constants';
 import lazy from '../../utils/lazy';
@@ -126,9 +126,9 @@ export class Button extends ButtonBase {
 							break;
 					}
 				});
-			this.on(GestureTypes.touch, this._highlightedHandler);
+			this.on(GestureTypes[GestureTypes.touch], this._highlightedHandler);
 		} else {
-			this.off(GestureTypes.touch, this._highlightedHandler);
+			this.off(GestureTypes[GestureTypes.touch], this._highlightedHandler);
 		}
 	}
 
diff --git a/packages/core/ui/core/view/index.d.ts b/packages/core/ui/core/view/index.d.ts
index 06d21abe73..adcea91b23 100644
--- a/packages/core/ui/core/view/index.d.ts
+++ b/packages/core/ui/core/view/index.d.ts
@@ -595,7 +595,7 @@ export abstract class View extends ViewCommon {
 	 * @param callback An optional parameter pointing to a specific listener. If not defined, all listeners for the event names will be removed.
 	 * @param thisArg An optional parameter which when set will be used to refine search of the correct callback which will be removed as event listener.
 	 */
-	off(eventNames: string | GestureTypes, callback?: (args: EventData) => void, thisArg?: any);
+	off(eventNames: string, callback?: (args: EventData) => void, thisArg?: any);
 
 	/**
 	 * A basic method signature to hook an event listener (shortcut alias to the addEventListener method).
@@ -603,7 +603,7 @@ export abstract class View extends ViewCommon {
 	 * @param callback - Callback function which will be executed when event is raised.
 	 * @param thisArg - An optional parameter which will be used as `this` context for callback execution.
 	 */
-	on(eventNames: string | GestureTypes, callback: (args: EventData) => void, thisArg?: any);
+	on(eventNames: string, callback: (args: EventData) => void, thisArg?: any);
 
 	/**
 	 * Raised when a loaded event occurs.
diff --git a/packages/core/ui/core/view/view-common.ts b/packages/core/ui/core/view/view-common.ts
index 8fd11d1f13..f792d92e2d 100644
--- a/packages/core/ui/core/view/view-common.ts
+++ b/packages/core/ui/core/view/view-common.ts
@@ -290,14 +290,9 @@ export abstract class ViewCommon extends ViewBase implements ViewDefinition {
 		return this._gestureObservers[type];
 	}
 
-	public addEventListener(arg: string | GestureTypes, callback: (data: EventData) => void, thisArg?: any) {
-		if (typeof arg === 'number') {
-			this._observe(arg, callback as unknown as (data: GestureEventData) => void, thisArg);
-			return;
-		}
-
+	public addEventListener(eventNames: string, callback: (data: EventData) => void, thisArg?: any) {
 		// Normalize "ontap" -> "tap"
-		const normalizedName = getEventOrGestureName(arg);
+		const normalizedName = getEventOrGestureName(eventNames);
 
 		// Coerce "tap" -> GestureTypes.tap
 		// Coerce "loaded" -> undefined
@@ -312,14 +307,9 @@ export abstract class ViewCommon extends ViewBase implements ViewDefinition {
 		super.addEventListener(normalizedName, callback, thisArg);
 	}
 
-	public removeEventListener(arg: string | GestureTypes, callback?: (data: EventData) => void, thisArg?: any) {
-		if (typeof arg === 'number') {
-			this._disconnectGestureObservers(arg);
-			return;
-		}
-
+	public removeEventListener(eventNames: string, callback?: (data: EventData) => void, thisArg?: any) {
 		// Normalize "ontap" -> "tap"
-		const normalizedName = getEventOrGestureName(arg);
+		const normalizedName = getEventOrGestureName(eventNames);
 
 		// Coerce "tap" -> GestureTypes.tap
 		// Coerce "loaded" -> undefined
diff --git a/packages/core/ui/gestures/gestures-common.ts b/packages/core/ui/gestures/gestures-common.ts
index 434b80bd57..744bafd8d8 100644
--- a/packages/core/ui/gestures/gestures-common.ts
+++ b/packages/core/ui/gestures/gestures-common.ts
@@ -284,38 +284,42 @@ export interface RotationGestureEventData extends GestureEventDataWithState {
  * @param separator(optional) - Text separator between gesture type strings.
  */
 export function toString(type: GestureTypes, separator?: string): string {
-	const types = new Array<string>();
+	// We can get stronger typings with `keyof typeof GestureTypes`, but sadly
+	// indexing into an enum simply returns `string`, so we'd have to type-assert
+	// all of the below anyway. Even this `(typeof GestureTypes)[GestureTypes]` is
+	// more for documentation than for type-safety (it resolves to `string`, too).
+	const types = new Array<(typeof GestureTypes)[GestureTypes]>();
 
 	if (type & GestureTypes.tap) {
-		types.push('tap');
+		types.push(GestureTypes[GestureTypes.tap]);
 	}
 
 	if (type & GestureTypes.doubleTap) {
-		types.push('doubleTap');
+		types.push(GestureTypes[GestureTypes.doubleTap]);
 	}
 
 	if (type & GestureTypes.pinch) {
-		types.push('pinch');
+		types.push(GestureTypes[GestureTypes.pinch]);
 	}
 
 	if (type & GestureTypes.pan) {
-		types.push('pan');
+		types.push(GestureTypes[GestureTypes.pan]);
 	}
 
 	if (type & GestureTypes.swipe) {
-		types.push('swipe');
+		types.push(GestureTypes[GestureTypes.swipe]);
 	}
 
 	if (type & GestureTypes.rotation) {
-		types.push('rotation');
+		types.push(GestureTypes[GestureTypes.rotation]);
 	}
 
 	if (type & GestureTypes.longPress) {
-		types.push('longPress');
+		types.push(GestureTypes[GestureTypes.longPress]);
 	}
 
 	if (type & GestureTypes.touch) {
-		types.push('touch');
+		types.push(GestureTypes[GestureTypes.touch]);
 	}
 
 	return types.join(separator);
@@ -327,28 +331,8 @@ export function toString(type: GestureTypes, separator?: string): string {
  * Returns a gesture type enum value from a string (case insensitive).
  * @param type - A string representation of a gesture type (e.g. Tap).
  */
-export function fromString(type: string): GestureTypes {
-	const t = type.trim().toLowerCase();
-
-	if (t === 'tap') {
-		return GestureTypes.tap;
-	} else if (t === 'doubletap') {
-		return GestureTypes.doubleTap;
-	} else if (t === 'pinch') {
-		return GestureTypes.pinch;
-	} else if (t === 'pan') {
-		return GestureTypes.pan;
-	} else if (t === 'swipe') {
-		return GestureTypes.swipe;
-	} else if (t === 'rotation') {
-		return GestureTypes.rotation;
-	} else if (t === 'longpress') {
-		return GestureTypes.longPress;
-	} else if (t === 'touch') {
-		return GestureTypes.touch;
-	}
-
-	return undefined;
+export function fromString(type: string): GestureTypes | undefined {
+	return GestureTypes[type.trim()];
 }
 
 export abstract class GesturesObserverBase implements GesturesObserverDefinition {
diff --git a/packages/core/ui/gestures/touch-manager.ts b/packages/core/ui/gestures/touch-manager.ts
index bd0baca95c..dd89b3ffa0 100644
--- a/packages/core/ui/gestures/touch-manager.ts
+++ b/packages/core/ui/gestures/touch-manager.ts
@@ -114,7 +114,7 @@ export class TouchManager {
 							(<UILongPressGestureRecognizer>args.ios).minimumPressDuration = (<View>args.object)?.touchDelay || 0;
 						}
 					});
-					view.on(GestureTypes.longPress, (args: GestureEventDataWithState) => {
+					view.on(GestureTypes[GestureTypes.longPress], (args: GestureEventDataWithState) => {
 						switch (args.state) {
 							case GestureStateTypes.began:
 								if (handleDown) {
@@ -133,7 +133,7 @@ export class TouchManager {
 			}
 		} else {
 			if (handleDown || handleUp) {
-				view.on(GestureTypes.touch, (args: TouchGestureEventData) => {
+				view.on(GestureTypes[GestureTypes.touch], (args: TouchGestureEventData) => {
 					switch (args.action) {
 						case 'down':
 							if (handleDown) {
@@ -280,7 +280,7 @@ export class TouchManager {
 				TouchManager.visionHoverStyleCache['default'] = createHoverStyleFromOptions(
 					defaultOptions || {
 						effect: 'automatic',
-					}
+					},
 				);
 			}
 
diff --git a/tools/scripts/api-reports/NativeScript.api.md b/tools/scripts/api-reports/NativeScript.api.md
index 9fb24694f9..2f1d2e45ed 100644
--- a/tools/scripts/api-reports/NativeScript.api.md
+++ b/tools/scripts/api-reports/NativeScript.api.md
@@ -2749,8 +2749,8 @@ export abstract class View extends ViewBase {
     modal: View;
     // (undocumented)
     _modalParent?: View;
-    off(eventNames: string | GestureTypes, callback?: (args: EventData) => void, thisArg?: any);
-    on(eventNames: string | GestureTypes, callback: (args: EventData) => void, thisArg?: any);
+    off(eventNames: string, callback?: (args: EventData) => void, thisArg?: any);
+    on(eventNames: string, callback: (args: EventData) => void, thisArg?: any);
     on(event: "loaded", callback: (args: EventData) => void, thisArg?: any);
     on(event: "unloaded", callback: (args: EventData) => void, thisArg?: any);
     on(event: "androidBackPressed", callback: (args: EventData) => void, thisArg?: any);