Georgia recently wrote an editorial about the frustration she's experienced using Cydia, the jailbreak app store. I'm a long time advocate of jailbreak and the benefits it brings with it. While Cydia may not be perfect, and it definitely isn't the same experience as using Apple's App Store, there are reasons for why it works the way it does, and some huge advantages that come along with it.

When you use an iPhone, iPod touch, or iPad, you expect your experience to be seamless and intuitive. Apple has long been known for creating devices that are extremely accessible to just about anyone, and work incredibly well with other Apple devices. It's like training wheels or rails. As long as you stay on the track, everything goes exactly as it's supposed to. When you decide to jailbreak, however, you're deciding to go off that Apple approved track, and you have to realize your experience is going to change.

You're not sacrificing much. Your iPhone will still make calls, your iPad will still be able to visit websites, and you can still buy anything you want from the official iTunes App Store, the same as always.

But you're gaining a lot. You can tweak your device so it behaves the way you want it to, including providing quick access to settings and in-app SMS replies, and you can theme it so it looks the way you like, including icons and user interface elements.

A stock iPhone or iPad user is typically after the convenience and ease of use Apple provides. A jailbroken iOS user is typically willing to part with some of that convenience and ease of use in exchange for the additional functionality and control.

Cydia is not the App Store

One of the biggest frustrations new jailbreakers have to overcome is Cydia, the jailbreak app store. If you've decide you want more control over your iPhone or iPad, and the ability to install applications and utilities that are not given the Apple stamp of approval, there's a price to be paid. You're classifying yourself as an expert and a power user, and you have to take on the responsibility that comes with it. You've entered a different level and you'll have to check some of your carefully curated expectations at the door.

While Cydia does play host to almost all available jailbreak apps, just as the App Store does for official applications, the similarities pretty much stop there.

The App Store is a simple "search, tap, enter password, and you're done" experience. Cydia is not.

Load some vs. load all

First, Cydia takes a lot longer to load and update. There's a reason for that. Cydia doesn't handle data in the same way the App Store does. The App Store, for example, has chosen to only present you with 25 applications at a time. That saves time up front but if you'd like to view more, you'll need to tell it by tapping to "View more" button and waiting again. And again, each time.

Cydia actually loads all packages at launch and you can page through every single one of them after the data is done loading.

The App Store also only loads data from one source -- iTunes. Cydia typically loads data from several different repositories. With the App Store, you're limited to that iTunes data source. With Cydia, you can add additional repositories if you wish.

Manually entering and managing repositories is a more complicated process than the App Store's iTunes-only approach, but it means you have access to a wider range of software, including betas. Downloading beta software isn't something the iTunes App Store supports at all.

It means you have access to cutting edge, even bleeding edge technology. If you're willing to do the work, you'll find ways to get iPad-like gestures (and more) on your iPhone, custom widgets and settings toggles in Notification Center, and other enhancements that may not come to Apple's official iOS for months, if ever. (Apple does seem to take inspiration from jailbreak now and then.)

Cydia has long been the breeding ground for amazing apps and utilities. If I have to wait a few more minutes for packages to load or deal with an occasional error or instability, that's a choice I've made and I'm okay with that trade-off.

Fragmentation vs. functionality

The iTunes App Store handles compatibility in a fairly straight forward manner. If your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch isn't able to run the version of iOS an app requires, you can't install that app. Developers list their requirements and if your device can't meet them, you can't have the app.

There's still a lot of crap in the App Store, some buggy apps slip through (including major apps from major developers like Google and Facebook!), and older devices can glitch or crash more on the most cutting edge, most demanding games, but for the most part you don't have to worry about whether or not an app will run on your device.

Cydia does things a bit differently. While some Cydia packages won't allow you to purchase them if they're not 100% compatible, others do not have this safeguard. There are many repositories you can add to Cydia that aren't curated for compatibility at all.

Generally, the ability to download what you want to download when you want to download it is considered a huge benefit of jailbreak. But with great power comes great responsibility, right? In other words, you have to do your homework. You have to check and make sure what you download is compatible with your device and your version of iOS.

(Incompatible or conflicting apps are often the reason for jailbreak headaches, especially for new users.)

Read release notes and app descriptions, and ask in our Jailbreak Apps Forum and your Cydia experience will be a much more enjoyable one.

Payments and process

Even before Apple introduced the App Store, iTunes was one of the biggest online payment systems in the world. Now they can handle credit cards and other forms of transactions in more parts of the world than just about anyone. Because they completely control iTunes and the App Store, they can also make using their payment system incredibly streamlined and simple. You tap a button, you type in a password, and you're done. One login to rule them all.

Cydia doesn't have that luxury. Cydia is dependent on third-party payment systems, namely Amazon and Paypal.

Apple also has a massive cloud infrastructure so your iTunes account can be tied to all the apps you've ever purchased and those apps can be easily restored to any device you own, new or old.

Again, Cydia doesn't have that type of account authentication system, so they've tied into Google and Facebook.

Apple's way is simple, but it's also without choice or option. You use iTunes or you use nothing. With Cydia you can choose to use Facebook or Google for account authentication, and you can choose to use Amazon or Paypal for payment.

Because the App Store is entirely controlled by Apple, they can store your credit card information and credentials and provide that really simple one tap, one password purchasing experience.

Because Cydia doesn't control Facebook, Google, Amazon, or Paypal, it can't store your credit card information and credentials, and so you do have to enter them more places, and more often, than you do with iTunes.

Again, it's the price of operating outside the Apple approved process, and again, the complexity has drawbacks but it also comes with some benefits.

Conclusion

No system is perfect. Not Apple's iTunes App Store and not Cydia, the jailbreak app store. I'm willing to overlook a lot of Cydia's flaws because I benefit from the apps and utilities it delivers. Without Cydia, many developers would have no way to distribute their apps, and to earn enough money to keep developing them.

While I think what Cydia brings to the table greatly outweighs its problem areas, I do think there's room for improvement. My biggest peeve is actually the organizational method Cydia uses. While discoverability on the App Store is a long standing problem, it's not always easy to find something on Cydia either unless you know what you're looking for or have a lot of time to browse through cluttered sections.

Making it easier to find really great apps and utilities is something that would make the initial Cydia experience better and a lot less overwhelming for new users.

If you're a Cydia user, new or long time, what are your thoughts on its usability? What would you most like to see changed or improved?

Additional resources:

• How to use Cydia, the jailbreak app store
• Jailbreak starters guide
• iMore jailbreak forums

Saurik has posted some comments regarding the way the Cydia jailbreak store functions and why some of the processes act the way they do, specifically the black loading bar you see upon first launching Cydia. He goes on to compare how Cydia loads data to how the App Store loads data and why they're different.

The biggest complaint we see from jailbreakers is how long Cydia takes to load their data. Jay Freeman has posted up some comments that explain a bit better how Cydia handles packages in comparison to the App Store.

While Apple chooses to only load 25 apps on any one page, Cydia actually loads the entire database of packages in real time. This is why you can scroll through so many packages at once and in one go as opposed to the App Store way of doing things which is by tapping a Load More.. button continuously to load 25 more applications.

"...Cydia, unlike the App Store (or almost any similar service), stores the entire package catalog locally. This is why it can (quite quickly, in fact) render an insanely long table with all packages in it that you can just fling your way through, while the App Store shows you 25 packages at a time with a slow "load more" button."

He goes further on to explain that a lot of how Cydia loads can heavily depend on what repositories you have added within Cydia. While Saurik has actively made suggestions as to how repos should be hosted, that doesn't mean all developers choose that route. If a source is offline or not available, that's when you'll get errors. I tested this theory by removing all repositories from my device except the big 3 - BigBoss, ModMyi, and ZodTTD. Cydia definitely loaded a lot quicker in comparison. It was almost instantaneous.

"Users are honestly more willing to believe they don't have the right source installed (as to them there are so many and they think they should have all of them on their phone... there are users out there with over 50 sources installed... I can't imagine what their refresh time must be like) than that they need to refresh some weird offline database."

In short, if you'd like your data to refresh a lot quicker, limit the amount of repositories you install to the ones you need. He also goes on to explain that new devices with faster processors obviously speed up the process as well. You can hit the link below to read the entire explanation of how Cydia data is handled.

Source: reddit

iTweak looks to be a lightweight, web-based jailbreak app store set to compete with Cydia and, from what we understand, will allow you to install applications from the web app directly onto your jailbroken device.

Developed by @roktheworld27 and @mtamermahoney, the description reads as follows:

Welcome to iTweak! iTweak is one of the best places to get all of your Tweaks, Themes, Utilities and more on your jailbroken iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad! We serve as an alternative to Cydia, and the Apple App Store. For more information on multiple different topics, such as security information, our Mac and PC clients, or how to use iTweak, please tap 'More Information' below.

It looks as if users will have logins just as they do through Cydia. We don't know what type of payments will be supported or how that will be handled as of yet.

There were jailbreak app store before Cydia, and competitors that have sprung up in the past. They either seem to fade away or get acquired. We've also seen rumors of other web based jailbreak app stores in the recent past that haven't come to fruition just yet.

We've got our own issues with Cydia and some good competition may be a great thing for the jailbreak community. The developers of iTweak plan on a launch within a month or so's time, and we'll update you as soon as we hear more.

In the meantime check out the screenshots below, and let us know -- are you interested in a Cydia alternative? And if so, is a web based app store like iTweak a plus or a minus in your book?

More: iTweak Store, @itweakstore, @roktheworld27 and @mtamermahoney, via @applecpugeek

Jailbreak apps and tweaks have to updated just like apps you buy from the official App Store. While the process is a bit different, Cydia, the jailbreak app store, makes it pretty simple.

Much like the App Store, Cydia will let you know when you've got updates available for any apps installed on your iPhone, iPod touch, or iPad. If you see a little red badge on your Cydia icon, it probably means you've got updates waiting to install.

To install jailbreak app updates:

1. Launch Cydia
2. Tap on the Changes tab.

3. Look for Available Upgrades to see what's pending.
4. Tap on the Upgrade button at the top right to begin.
5. Restart your springboard, if needed, or return to Cydia

All of your apps and utilities should now be up to date and ready to go.

Note: If developers provide them, always check out the change logs before doing an update. There have been certain situations where an update may only be recommended for a certain device or firmware version. It doesn't happen often but it's always a good practice to read any release notes that come with any update a jailbreak utility may have.

That's it! You've updated your jailbreak content to the most current versions and you're good to go! If you run into any issues or have any questions, be sure to check out our other jailbreak resources below.

Additional jailbreak resources:

• Jailbreak news, how to's, and guides
• Genreal jailbreak help and discussion forums

Cydia is the jailbreak app store -- the place to get all the great, useful, functional programs that for various reasons Apple doesn't allow in the official iTunes App Store, like in-app SMS, themes that change the look of your entire phone, quick toggles for Wi-Fi or Bluetooth settings, and much, much more. But whether you're new to the iPhone or to jailbreak, or have been hacking your gear since day one, you know Cydia can be as much pain as pleasure. You can find the most amazing utilities, themes, tweaks, and apps there - but buying them can sometimes cause way more frustration than fun.

Now, I fully realize that by jailbreaking my iPhone 4S I've classified myself as a power user who's chosen to jump through hoops go the extra mile to get some of my apps outside of Apple's official app store. But while waiting for the iPhone 4S jailbreak, and living with a stock iPhone for a week, I was reminded of the sheer difference in user experience between the App Store and Cydia. I went over this already on the first episode of our Apps & Accessories Live podcast, but here's the gist.

Buying an app on the App Store

Buying from the App Store is as simple as tapping the price, typing your password, and tapping OK.

1. See an app you want
2. Tap the price tag
3. Enter your iTunes password
4. Get the app

That's it. Sure, tapping the price tag isn't always intuitive for new users (a big BUY or DOWNLOAD button would be easier). Sure, you had to set up the iTunes account and decide to trust Apple with your credit card information. But once that's done, aside from having to verify you credit code if you use a new device, you're good to go. If you have multiple devices, like an iPad and iPod touch, or you upgrade to a new device, you just re-download the app. It couldn't be easier. It makes buying a snap, especially impulse buying.

Buying an app on Cydia

With Cydia you have to login to your account via Google or Facebok (even if you don't like either service)

And login separately to pay via Amazon or Paypal, which sometimes has errors and sends you back to the beginning

1. See an app you want
2. Tap to buy
3. Choose to login with a Google or Facebook account
4. Login with your email and password
5. Choose to pay with Amazon or Paypal
6. Login with your Amazon or Paypal account
7. Hope the app recognizes the payment, if not, try to restore the license
8. Sometimes re-spring the Springboard (iOS Home screen system)

On the surface it may seem only twice or three times as complex, but what the simple list could easily be expanded with:

1. Trying to figure out what to do if, like me, you've consciously decided not to have a Google or Facebook account due to privacy concerns. (I ultimately made a Google account just for Cydia and for Google's strong-arm Google+ authorship drive.)
2. Sometimes being thrown back to the very beginning of the buying process, over and over again, when something goes wrong with the payment process (why can't it just send me back to the payment screen?)
3. Sometimes having a huge struggle getting the app to realize you've paid for a license
4. The problems often associated with changing devices, like when you get a new iPhone, and trying to use a previous license.

Now you can choose to pre-authorize a certain amount via Amazon, if that's your preferred checkout option, but that really only delays the inevitable.

And still that doesn't cover the apps that choose not to be part of the Cydia system.

I recently tried to buy IntelliScreenX to check out it's iOS 5 integration. The process was so labored, so error-prone, I ultimately gave up and waited and calmed down for several days before going back to try again. (And sent Rene a string of incredibly angry text messages in between fully laying out my frustration at the process.)

Not only does it absolutely discourage me from impulse buys (good for me, bad for developers), it discourages me from any buys (bad for everyone).

Again, I understand that by jailbreaking and buying jailbreak apps, I'm stepping outside the Apple eco-system and the ease of use it provides. I also understand the Herculean task Saurik, the creator of Cydia, tackles every day in making and improving the Cydia app store.

Maintaining a user account system isn't easy. Having a checkout system isn't easy. Getting developers the money they deserve and protecting apps from unlicensed use isn't easy.

But the current process is still too hard and often too frustrating.

Time for Cydia to strike back

Figuring out a way to store the user-account on-device would be a good step. If Google or Facebook force a timeout, investigating a Cydia account system proper would be a great alternative. Storing the associated payment system username would further reduce the friction (not the password, of course). And if a problem occurs, returning the user to the previous screen, not the very beginning of the process, would be a huge improvement.

I love my jailbreak. I lasted 6 days with a stock iPhone 4S before I jailbroke. I love the ability to customize my phone -- to make my device work the way I want it to work. I love Cydia and all the great apps it gives jailbreak users access to.

I'm offering these criticisms and sharing these experiences because I love it so much, and really hope it gets even better. We've been hearing whispers about improvements coming to Cydia for a while now, so hopefully those will be released and address a lot of what's mentioned above.

iOS 5 stole a lot of ideas from jailbreak. It's jailbreak's turn to strike back!

Complete dictionary of iPhone and iPad jailbreak terminology from Absinthe to Zephyr

New to jailbreak and running across a bunch of strange looking terms and not exactly sure what they mean? Jailbreak is a unique culture among iPhone, iPod touch and iPad users that combines a lot of technical terms, like Unix commands and utilities, on one hand, and modern hacker jargon like pwn and pwnage on the other. And because jailbreak lets you add a whole new world of functionality to your iPhone, iPod touch also means you'll be adding a bunch of new words to go along with it.

Enter this complete guide to jailbreak terms. It's a glossary, or dictionary if your prefer, of all the most common words you're likely to hear when looking to jailbreak your iPhone, iPod touch, or iPad, or once you've jailboken and are looking for hacks, apps, themes, utilities, tweaks, and all the other goodies that come with it. We've already posted our general iPad and iPhone glossary, as well as our SMS/iMessage slang glossary, and social networking slang glossary. This one is just for jailbreakers.

So, whether you're brand new to jailbreak or a veteran who's been jailbreaking and unlocking since the very first iPhone back in 2007, the scene moves so quickly, new code is pushed out so continuously, that's there always something new to learn or pick up. And, frankly, keeping up with it can sometimes be overwhelming. That's why we're putting the bulk of the jailbreak glossary, namely the entries themselves, on the Jailbreak Forum. That's what makes them a living, breathing document that everyone can help add to, correct, and update as time goes on. Because it's your jailbreak dictionary, and we're just getting it started for you.

If you're about to jailbreak for the first time, or you're looking for help troubleshooting common jailbreak issues, go give the jailbreak glossary a read first. It's a great place to start. If you've been jailbreaking since literally day one, go give it a read and tell us what else needs to be included. We want the best resources possible.

Dive right in via the link below, and if you think we missed anything, let us know asap!

• Access the jailbreak glossary

New to iPhone, iPod touch, or iPad and heard about Jailbreak, but not sure if it's for you, and how to get started if it is? No problem, TiPb's here to help! Jailbreak lets you change the look of your entire iPhone, put extra icons in the dock, reply to SMS or iMessage without leaving a game, preview events from the lock screen, toggle settings with a swipe, and much, much more. Compiled here is a master list of basic Jailbreak terms, tools, apps, tweaks, themes, and utilities, and a break down the pros and cons, so you'll know if you're comfortable taking the plunge.

Already a Jailbreak wizard? Save this link as a handy reference to shoot friends and family who are just getting started.

Note: If you need extra help or want to get into more advanced areas of Jailbreak, check out:

• Jailbreak Forums
• Jailbreak Apps, Hacks, and Themes Forum
• Jailbreak Dev Forum

Common ways to Jailbreak

There are usually several ways to jailbreak depending exactly when a new version of iOS is released, when a new exploit is found, and when new jailbreaks are released. Some are one-button easy, others command-line complicated. Here are the latest and the simplest. We'll continue to update this page and our main jailbreak page whenever new jailbreak tools are released or updated.

If you're not sure which tool you'd need, here's how to find out which iOS software and iPhone modem firmware you're running.

iOS 5 & 5.0.1 (GSM/CDMA) Jailbreak (tethered)

• How to Jailbreak iOS 5 & 5.0.1 via RedSn0w (does not work on iPad 2 or iPhone 4S)

iOS 4.3.3 (AT&T/GSM) Jailbreak (untethered)

• How to Jailbreak iOS 4.3.3 via JailbreakMe (including iPad 2)
• How to Jailbreak iOS 4.3.3 with redsn0w

iOS 4.2.6 (Verizon) Jailbreak (untethered)

• How to jailbreak iOS 4.2.6 on your Verizon iPhone 4 with Greenpois0n

Common Jailbreak Terms

Jailbreak

The most obvious of all terms, but yet the most confused. Jailbreak comes from "breaking open" the root "jail" that Apple uses to secure iOS against running unsigned -- aka unapproved by Apple -- code. (You might have heard this called "rooting" on other platforms.) While Apple does this for security reasons, so bad guys can't put viruses and malware on iOS, it also prevents good guys from making some incredibly useful but currently frowned upon features -- like ssh access, shortcuts, themes, side-loading, and much more.

Jailbreaking applies to iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad, and at its core is about control and customization, letting you do what you want with the device you purchased.

Tethered vs. Untethered

Two common terms you'll see associated with Jailbreak are Tethered and Untethered. These refer to whether or not you need to connect your Jailbroken iPhone, iPod touch, or iPad to your PC over USB in order to reboot it.

An Untethered Jailbreak can be rebooted any time, anywhere, without having to connect to your PC. It works just like a non-Jailbroken device.

A Tethered Jailbreak needs to be plugged into your PC over USB, and you typically need to re-run your Jailbreak utility -- like redsn0w -- and choose the "reboot" option to restart your device.

Rebooting a Tethered Jailbreak without plugging into your PC could result in your device not restarting, or restarting but with no access to Cydia, or other side effects.

An Untethered Jailbreak is typically harder to develop and takes longer to release than a Tethered Jailbreak, so Untethered Jailbreaks are often only available for older versions of iOS while Tethered Jailbreaks get updated more quickly.

For example, iOS 5 can currently only be Jailbroken with a Tether.

Unlocking

If you bought your iPhone from a carrier like AT&T, or at a subsidized (on-contract) price, it will almost certainly be SIM-locked to that carrier. That means, for example, you can't take out your AT&T SIM and put in a T-Mobile SIM if you want to change plans, or put in a Rogers or Vodafone SIM if you're traveling.

While you can buy SIM-unlocked iPhones directly from Apple in many countries, and some carriers will unlock an iPhone for you after a certain period of time or for a certain amount of money, many won't, including AT&T. So, unlocking is a Jailbreak method of removing the carrier SIM-lock so you can use your iPhone on the network or networks of your choosing.

The unlock process can change from firmware to firmware but typically, you'll need to jailbreak your phone and then install a program via Cydia like ultrasn0w or yellowsn0w, which will then unlock your iPhone.

Note: There are also other ways to unlock such as the Gevey SIM but they're typically frowned upon considering you've got to dial an emergency number for the process to work.

Cydia

Apple has the App Store, jailbreakers have Cydia in addition to Apple's App Store. (If you want to be technical, Jailbreak had Installer even before Apple had the App Store.) Because Cydia isn't run by Apple, Cydia apps don't have to be approved by Apple and you can find all sorts of highly useful themes, utilities, tweaks and other software in Cydia you simply can't find anywhere else.

Cydia works with repos, or repositories. These are simply the sources for the software files that Cydia lets you install. ModMyi and BigBoss are two of the largest. They are already added when you install Cydia. You are always welcome to add custom repos if you choose, however, you really want to stick to well known, trusted sources. Just because good guy developers are making great software for Jailbreak, doesn't mean a bad guy won't try to sneak in something you don't want.

Recovery Mode and DFU Mode

There are two "modes" you might have to enter in order to Jailbreak your iPhone, iPod touch or iPad -- Recovery Mode and Device Firmware Update (DFU) mode. While they may seem similar, there are some differences.

If your screen shows a "Connect to iTunes" logo with a "Slide for Emergency" control, that's Recovery Mode. If you only see a "Connect to iTunes" (no "Slide for Emergency" control), or more commonly, a black screen, you are in DFU mode.

The main difference between these two modes is what they will and won't bypass for installs. Recovery mode will implement iBoot (basically a portion of the bootloader than runs an integrity check) which will not allow you to downgrade your device's current version of iOS.

DFU mode will still talk to iTunes but it bypasses iBoot which will then allow you to downgrade firmware. Most jailbreaks will require DFU mode for these reasons.

• How to put your iPhone or iPad into DFU mode

SHSH Blobs

Signature HaSH or SHSH* blobs are the signature system Apple has created to verify iOS firmware for authentication. Apple uses them to prevent iTunes from restoring older versions of iOS to iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch. For example, a short time after iOS x.1 is released, Apple will stop signing iOS x.0 and you'll no longer be able to restore that version to your device.

This is important because iOS x.0 might have a Jailbreak and iOS x.1. might not yet have been Jailbroken (or may be a tethered vs. untethered Jailbreak. So, if you upgrade you could lose your Jailbreak, your untether, etc.

SHSH blobs save you from this headache. It will basically give iTunes a fake authentication, which in turn, makes iTunes think your restore has been verified.

Cydia will save SHSH blobs for you but occasionally their servers get flooded and they disable it for a period of time. If that happens, you can use TinyUmbrella as well. I highly recommend saving your blobs early on in case you ever find yourself in this predicament.

• How to save SHSH blobs via TinyUmbrella.

Baseband

The baseband is essentially the part of your iPhone that controls the antenna. This has everything to do with your service and signal. This is why most unlockers have to be extremely careful when upgrading. If the baseband changes, it can permanently keep them from achieving an unlock again. This is the main reason most unlockers tend to favor PwnageTool. It creates a custom firmware bundle for you to upgrade to that doesn't upgrade the baseband, only the main OS. If you are running on the same carrier you bought your iPhone from and don't care about unlocking, the baseband it typically less of a concern. Wifi and Bluetooth don't run on the baseband either, so iPod touch or wi-fi only iPad owners typically don't have concerns when it comes to new baseband versions.

Springboard and Re-Spring

On a computer you have a desktop, on an iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad you have a Springboard. That's the technical name of the iOS Home Screen system, and it's basically the interface you constantly interact with. Another term you'll come in contact with is respringing.

Which leads us to Re-Spring, or the process of restarting the Springboard. Some jailbreak apps you install will require you to do this. All changes in the appearance of your phone via Winterboard (explained below) will require a respring as well. It's nothing more than refreshing your desktop on a computer.

Popular Jailbreak Utilities

Winterboard or Dreamboard

A lot of people jailbreak for the ability to change the look -- aka theme -- of their device. Enter Winterboard and the newly released Dreamboard. Both are free downloads in Cydia. When you install a Winterboard theme, all the components will show up in Winterboard. Depending upon how a theme developer decided to bundle their theme, you may have only one package in Winterboard, or you may have several. I personally prefer when developers separate theme elements.

Since Winterboard works as a hierarchy, I can select a theme and if I don't like the sounds, I can download a sound pack I "do" like and apply that in Winterboard. The key is to move it above the main theme so it overrides the sounds I don't want. I highly suggest jailbreakers become very familiar and comfortable with Winterboard. If you do, there is no limit to what you can do to your phone and you'll be able to tweak and customize even the littlest details of your springboard.

Dreamboard is a relatively new tweak to the jailbreak scene but one I've already decided to include it on my must have iOS 5 jailbreak list . It gives you even more theming ability straight from the device. Swap out icons, customize your theme, and simply apply it. Even though it's in its early stages, it shows a lot of promise so far.

SBSettings

SBSettings is a free utility that allows you to add quick toggles that will drop down onto your springboard. There are also several plug-ins and themes you can download for SBSettings as well. It'll also allow you to hide icons you don't want or use. This is especially useful for hiding stock apps you can't uninstall. I hide the default weather and stock apps among others that are simply wasting space on my springboard. You'll also be able to more closely keep tabs on your memory and running processes. This was extremely useful before multitasking. It's still useful today for freeing up memory and seeing what may be eating through battery or slowing your phone down.

Notification Replacement Apps

Even though iOS 5 introduced Notification Center, some users may still feel there's a lot to be desired when it comes to customizing their notification preferences. Jailbreak developers have stepped up once again to provide other options such as IntelliscreenX. Developers such as Intelliborn and David Ashman (creator of LockInfo]) have frequently stepped in to fill the gaps. I think jailbreak tweaks and customizations for Notification Center will just get better and better.

SMS Apps and Add-Ons

There are many apps that improve SMS capabilities as well. Again, iOS has come a long way in terms of how messages are handled but I'm still waiting for that magic quick reply button to appear as a stock option. Until then, apps like BiteSMS have kept me content. There are other options like TLert available via Cydia as well. Before iOS offered a default option for custom text tones, BiteSMS was reason alone for me to jailbreak.

MyWi

Many users are left bitter when certain carriers want to charge them an additional fee just for the privilege of tethering. MyWi is a wonderful little app and in my opinion, a major reason to jailbreak on its own. MyWi alllows you to create a wifi hotspot with your iPhone.

If you aren't to keen on paying tethering fees every month to your carrier for the same bits and bytes of data, MyWi may be a better solution. Just keep in mind a lot of carriers are cracking down on unauthorized tethering. This isn't a viable solution for heavy data users but if you only need the ability here and there, this is a good option if you jailbreak.

Jailbreak next steps

Once you're comfortable with the basics, you can start jumping into the Jailbreak deep end. Here are the best places to start.

• Everything Jailbreak
• Jailbreak Forums
• Jailbreak Apps, Hacks, and Themes Forum
• Jailbreak Dev Forum

As always, if you guys think of anything awesome you think should be on this list, shoot me an e-mail to ally.kazmucha@tipb.com or post it in the comments below!

Are you jailbreaker eager to test a theme or jailbreak app and need to know how to find your Cydia account number? Chances are if you've ever downloaded or purchased an app or tweak from Cydia, you have one. In case you ever need to know where it is and how to find it, we've got you covered!

1. Launch Cydia and go to the main Cydia tab.
2. Tap on Manage Account.

3. Cydia will ask you to log in if you aren't already. Simply sign in with Facebook or Google.

4. Once signed in, you'll see a screen that shows your Cydia account information. Underneath Installable Purchases you'll see your Cydia account number in small font.

Simply make note of this number and give it to any developer you're testing for. This will allow them to give you access to paid apps so you can simply install them without having to pay first. This is very similar to how official App Store developers utilize your UDID number. Once the developer adds your Cydia account number you'll be all set to start testing their jailbreak apps. Just make sure you add their repository as well if you don't already have it.

Daily Tips range from beginner-level 101 to advanced-level ninjary. If you already know this tip, keep the link handy as a quick way to help a friend. If you have a tip of your own you’d like to suggest, add them to the comments or send them in to dailytips@tipb.com. (If it’s especially awesome and previously unknown to us, we’ll even give ya a reward…)

Cydia founder Jay Freeman talks to TiPb about what iOS 5 might mean for Jailbreak, whether or not Apple uses Jailbreak as a incubator for their own iOS updates, and where Jailbreak fits going forward.

Live from WWDC 2011, right before the keynote!

Amazon has an Android Appstore to compete with Google's Android Market, and according to The Loop they've just released a Mac Download Store to compete with Apple's Mac App Store, so how long until they decide they want to be in the iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch space and try to buy Cydia, introduce a Jailbreak app store alternative all their own, or try some fancy HTML5 web app store?

iOS is theoretically a closed garden, yet Jailbreak and HTML5 apps are both alternatives, the latter even officially supported by Apple. Cydia has shown there can be commercial alternatives. Google has shown there can be great web apps. Playboy has shown there can even be subscriptions outside the app store.

Amazon is starting to feel their strength and, like when they launched CloudLocker without label support, they're getting less shy about showing it. Their international support isn't great compared to Apple's, but if they fix that most of the other pieces are already in place.

Would Amazon buy Cydia? I doubt it. But iOS is far too lucrative a market for Amazon not to be considering attacking it in some way.

[The Loop]

Planet-iPhones has released a browser-based Cydia Search. You can browse cydia's default repositories, or add your own, which the website will refresh every hour. You can also search through categories or look for a specific app directly.

The app view on the site is very clean and and clearly lists: the description, the price, the developer and the repository including whether its from a trusted or untrusted source. It also shows, the iPhone's cydia UI, for screenshots and any other notes.

Tell us, will you use this as an alternative cydia search?

[Cydia Search] via [iSource]

xBackup for iPhone is a new jailbreak tweak available in Cydia that allows you to easily create backups of all your jailbroken applications and tweaks. I have personally always dreaded restoring my iPhone and re-jailbreaking to a new firmware since the task has always been so daunting. This program sets out to make that task not so irritating anymore.

xBackup will simply save your backup as part of your iTunes backup. All you'll need to do is open xBackup, tap Backup and it will create a backup of all your Cydia packages and settings. Then sync your iPhone with iTunes. After you're done with that, upgrade or restore your iPhone like you normally would (or use PwnageTool or another custom upgrade method, however you prefer). After you are done jailbreaking again, instead of having to re-download and install all your jailbreak settings, simply download xBackup again from Cydia.

You'll have to open xBackup and choose the restore tab this time. You should see your last backup. Just tap it and all your Cydia settings and apps will come back down. If you don't see your backup, you'll need to make sure that you chose to restore from your most recent iTunes backup.

You can also SSH into your iPhone and save your backup somewhere on your computer as well. I'd recommend this for safe keeping.

If you guys give this a try, let us know. xBackup is currently $1.50 in Cydia. Hit the jump for a few more screenshots of xBackup in action!

Cydia may be getting some competition from a new browser-based alternative called Lima. The development team behind the jailbreak installer, named Infini Dev Team, says the new package installer will be fully functional from Mobile Safari and let users install unapproved 3rd party apps and extensions just like Cydia.

Lima is going to be a browser-based dpkg Installer. Meaning all you have to do is visit a website in safari and you have a fully fucntional package installer!

The Infini Dev Team recently put out a working version of Icy, a Cydia alternative from Rip Dev that hasn't been in development for some time now. Icy was a fast, lightweight package installer that many users preferred over Cydia, and Infini Dev is apparently taking a very stripped-down approach with Lima as well. We're not exactly sure how the technology behind Lima works or when it will be available, but things appear to be functioning as described. Check out the video after the break to see Lima in action!

Would you be open to the idea of a browser-based package installer, or would you rather stick with Cydia as a long-trusted option? Let us know in the comments!

[Infini Dev Team]

Jailbroken Verizon iPhone users on iOS 4.2.7 have been stuck on a tethered jailbreak until recently. Sn0wbreeze 2.6.1 will allow you to go from tethered to untethered quickly and easily. So if you used redsn0w to jailbreak your Verizon iPhone and you're currently tethered, hit the jump for a quick walkthrough on how to free your Verizon iPhone from its tethered state!

What you need

• Verizon iPhone 4 running iOS 4.2.7 currently jailbroken via redsn0w
• Sn0wbreeze 2.6.1 via a Cydia download

1. Launch Cydia on your iPhone and tap on the manage tab.

2. You'll need to tap manage sources and then add the following source: http://cydia.pushfix.info

3. Cydia will refresh your sources for you. Next tap search in Cydia and search for Verizon Untether for 4.2.7.

4. Install the package and reboot your Verizon iPhone.

You can now enjoy being untethered on iOS 4.2.7! Let us know if you have any questions or how the process went for you in the comments. If you experience issues, you can always visit our TiPb jailbreak forums for help and the answers to many questions.

Trying to rearrange one of your iPhone, iPod touch, or iPad home screens and curious how to move multiple apps around at once? Well, if you're Jailbroken, you can! Multiiconmove allows you to move multiple icons so you can get your home screen exactly how you want it, as fast as possible. We'll show you how after the break

Multiiconmover cuts your time down by letting you move multiple icons at one time. It's available from Cydia for iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad.

1. Launch Cydia on your jailbroken iPhone
2. Search for Multiiconmover
3. Install the app.

Once Multiiconmover is downloaded, there will be no app icon on your springboard, it automatically goes into action.

1. First, hold down an icon like you were going to move them.
2. Once the icons start jiggling, tap the icons you would like to move
3. Drag one of the icons you would like to move to the spot that you want. Note, you must have enough room on the page for all the icons you have selected to move.
4. Once your icon is where you want it, tap the home button and you will see all the icons you've selected move to the location you wanted.

Did you like this app? Did it help you cut your time down when moving icons around on your springboard? Let us know in the comments.

Tips of the day will range from beginner-level 101 to advanced-level ninjary. If you already know this tip, keep the link handy as a quick way to help a friend. If you have a tip of your own you'd like to suggest, add them to the comments or send them in to news@tipb.com. (If it's especially awesome and previously unknown to us, we'll even give ya a reward...)

In a short interview with RackSpace's Robert Scoble, Cydia founder Jay Freeman (better known as Saurik) demonstrates some of the Jailbreak tweaks and apps he uses on his iPhone, and also explains some of the benefits of having a jailbroken iOS device.

If you’re still on the fence over jailbreaking, have a look at the video after the break. If you decide to try it out, we have an awesome guide right here. If you do run into any problems, we also have a superb jailbreak forum that can help you out.

Video after the break!

UPDATE: YouTube pulled the video for "content violations" so we've switched the embed below to MusleNerd's Vimeo upload. Hopefully YouTube can get their act together and we can switch back...

[@scobleizer via iClarified]

Why jailbreak? Demo by @saurik from Muscle Nerd on Vimeo.

Ultrasn0w has been updated by the Dev Team to include support for unlocking iOS 4.3.2. So if you've been holding off on upgrading and waiting patiently (or impatiently) for an unlock, you can now have your cake and eat it too! As always, you'll need to be running a compatible baseband version (meaning don't upgrade to 4.3.2 via iTunes!) Hit the jump for a walk-through!

What you need

• AT&T/GSM iPhone running a preserved baseband (refer below for compatibility list)
• PwnageTool - download for Mac
• Ultrasn0w (downloaded via Cydia)

Compatible Basebands

• 01.59.00
• 04.26.08
• 05.11.07
• 05.12.01
• 05.13.04
• 06.15.00

Not sure? We have a tip on how to find out what iPhone baseband you're running. Check it out, and if yours is listed, you are okay to move on. If it isn't, please do not attempt an unlock at this time. As you can see in the screen above, mine is not compatible. I have AT&T so I have not been concerned about preserving my baseband.

Jailbreak with PwnageTool

If you have already done this, skip ahead to the next section. If you haven't, you will need to download PwnageTool for Mac as well as the iOS 4.3.2 IPSW file for iPhone 4 or iPhone 3GS

Make sure you save the IPSW file somewhere you can easily navigate to. I always save mine on my desktop for example.

Then simply follow the instructions on screen to jailbreak via PwnageTool. Once you're done with that and Cydia is installed, you're ready to move on. (Not sure what that is? Check out our how to use Cydia, the Jailbreak store tip.

Unlock your iPhone with Ultrasn0w

First you will need to add the repo for Ultrasn0w. Simply tap Manage and then Sources in Cydia. Tap edit and then the "+" sign to add the Ultrasn0w repository which is http://repo666.ultrasn0w.com

Next search for Ultrasn0w in Cydia under the search tab. Ultrasn0w 1.2.2 should now pop up. Simply install it and reboot your device. You should now have an unlocked iPhone running on iOS 4.3.2!

If you run into any issues or have any questions, let us know in the comments or check out our official TiPb jailbreak and unlock forums for answers to many commonly asked questions!

Jailbreak app store Cydia is finally back up and running after 86 hours of downtime. The problems began when Amazon’s EC2 cloud server started suffering problems. However, Saurik, (Jay Freeman), has now confirmed via twitter, that Cydia is now fully functional once more!

After 86 hours offline, Cydia is finally back! I’m eating some celebratory cake, and am looking forward to a night with >1.5 hours of sleep!

So there you go, if you held off jailbreaking your device until this was sorted out, you’re now good to go.

[@saurik]

As you can see from the tweet above, the Dev Team has updated their popular PwnageTool to support an untethered jailbreak under iOS 4.3.2. You now have the option of using either PwnageTool or redsn0w to jailbreak iOS 4.3.2.

We have experienced some issues with jailbreaking iOS 4.3.2. Some users say they have had issues as well while others are perfectly fine. I'm personally staying on 4.2.1 for now since I have no compelling reason to upgrade.

The updated version of PwnageTool is available at the link below. It supports the following devices -

• iPhone 3GS
• iPhone 4 (GSM)
• iPod touch 3G
• iPod touch 4G
• iPad First generation

So iPad 2 users and Verizon iPhone users need not apply. And a final note to unlockers - you should only ever use a custom IPSW when upgrading firmware. While ultrasn0w will unlock your iPhone running iOS 4.3.2, that only applies if you are running an older baseband. So never restore to a stock firmware in iTunes because that will not preserve your baseband! Check out more details and grab your download from the link below!

[Dev-Team Blog]

Amazon EC2, their cloud hosting solution, has been struggling with outages over the last day or so, taking down a lot of popular web services including the Cydia Store for Jailbreak users, FourSquare, among others.

While Amazon's EC2 status board shows things are back to normal, a bunch of Jailbreak readers (and some of our own #TeamJailbreak writers) still can't access Cydia.

Hopefully whatever issues remain will be solved quickly. In the meantime if you were considering Jailbreaking, we'd recommend holding off until Cydia is fully functional again or you may not be able to get access to any Jailbreak apps or other Cydia resources.

i0n1c has just confirmed via his Twitter account that the exploit behind the current untethered jailbreak is still working and alive on iOS 4.3.2. Apple has not patched it. He is currently running the jailbreak on his original iPad. Odds are that this will work for all devices minus the iPad 2.

I would still hold off on upgrading until a jailbreak tool has been updated if you can. But if any of you try out redsn0w on iOS 4.3.2, let us know what happens and how it turns out in the comments! If you run into any issues, check out our TiPb jailbreak forums too.

[@i0n1c]

Wondering how to put faces besides all the names in your iPhone address books? Adding contact pictures to your address book on stock iPhones will only show the contact picture when you actually click the contact. For jailbreakers, there's a nifty little jailbreak app called Cyntact that'll add them inline. Cyntact was actually one of the first apps available for purchase in Cydia. It was also written by the creator of Cydia, Jay Freeman (Saurik).

To get Cyntact working on your phone, it's as simple as installing the app from Cydia. The current price for Cyntact is $1.00 (USD).

1. Launch Cydia.
2. Tap Search on the bottom bar.
3. Search for Cyntact.

4. Purchase Cyntact for $1.00.
5. After your phone resprings, go into your address book and you should see inline contact pics now.

If for some reason you don't see them, respring your phone again. This has happened to me once or twice and a respring fixed it. It only ever happens on a new install of Cyntact. It's a dead simple little tweak but still remains one of my favorite jailbreak apps to this day. If you guys try it out, let us know what you think!

Tips of the day will range from beginner-level 101 to advanced-level ninjary. If you already know this tip, keep the link handy as a quick way to help a friend. If you have a tip of your own you'd like to suggest, add them to the comments or send them in to news@tipb.com. (If it's especially awesome and previously unknown to us, we'll even give ya a reward...)

iPad 2 jailbreak may be coming sooner than a lot of folks thought thanks to p0sixninja. In a recent tweet, he claims they are working on a jailbreak for the new iPad 2. As we all remember, with the release of the 4.3.1 jailbreak, the iPad 2 was left out of the fun, due to the difference in the bootrom.

p0sixninja appears to be confirming that the jailbreak does exist -

Since 4.3.1 is already exploited by the legendary @i0n1c, we're working on finishing iPad2 jailbreak now.

How many of you out there have been eagerly awaiting a jailbreak for your iPad 2?

[@p0sixninja]

Kevin Lee, a student at George Mason University, claims he has made over $50,000 in one calendar year just offering jailbreak services to people. It began when he helped his friends and family members Jailbreak. Then word of mouth started getting him over 30-40 clients a week. Believe it or not, some people really don't know they can just visit our TiPb jailbreak page or our TiPb Jailbreak forums and find guides and tutorials to help you do almost anything yourself (yes, that was a shameless plug).

Since the Library of Congress granted jailbreaking an exception to the DMCA, it seems as if more users have been willing to give it a try. We also recently saw Toyota use jailbreak as a way to market their Scion brand. Jay Freeman (Saurik), creator of Cydia reportedly makes over $10M in annual revenue off the jailbreak community. As a hardcore advocate for jailbreak, I think it's great to see others wanting to learn about jailbreak. Technology is driven by innovation and I firmly believe that the jailbreak community keeps Apple on its toes.

I own a small business locally and we've recently been in talks about hosting jailbreak workshops and classes. I was incredibly surprised by the amount of people in our community that were interested. Any of you offer up your jailbreak skills for cash? Let us know in the comments!

Washington Post

Don't use Spotlight on your iPhone very much and wondering how you can just remove the feature altogether? If you have a jailbroken iPhone, iPod Touch or iPad there's a free and easy way to stop Spotlight from ever bothering you again, and we're going to show you how after the break!

To remove Spotlight search go into Cydia and search for an app called NoSpot (free). What NoSpot does is removes Spotlight from your iPhone homescreen completely. I personally can't recall the last time I actually used Spotlight for searching my iPhone or iPad, so this is a great way to stop it from always showing up when you swipe left or press the home button on the main home screen.

Installing this extension will not put a new app icon on your springboard and won't add any additional settings in the settings app. There are no options for this extension, it simply removes Spotlight search from ever showing up. Brilliant!

Tips of the day will range from beginner-level 101 to advanced-level ninjary. If you already know this tip, keep the link handy as a quick way to help a friend. If you have a tip of your own you’d like to suggest, add them to the comments or send them in to dailytips@tipb.com. (If it’s especially awesome and previously unknown to us, we’ll even give ya a reward…)

Apple has asked Toyota to pull the Scion theme that was released via Cydia as part of their recent advertising campaign. Modymyi, who hosts the theme for Toyota's marketing company, received the request to pull the theme:

Apple also heard about the theme and ad campaign. I received a call from our contact at Velti this evening as well as an email asking me to please take the theme out of Cydia. On the phone, he explained Apple had contacted Toyota and requested they remove the theme and stop the advertising campaign. They (Velti) in turn contacted me relaying the message. The reason Velti listed for the removal request of the theme emailed through our dev portal was "Toyota’s making us take it down…" Toyota had agreed to do so to "maintain their good relationship with Apple," our Velti contact told me on the phone.

That the theme was released at all surprised a lot of users in the jailbroken community -- Jailbreak is not typically something that's recognized by larger companies. I personally have to give Toyota marketing props for going that far. Seeing a large company interact with our jailbreak community shows that jailbreak has come a long way since the days of Installer.

I'm assuming Toyota probably utilizes iAd and in order to maintain a good relationship with Apple, they'll pull the theme. I'm not surprised Apple requested it be taken down. Are you?

Modmyi

iQuickCall is a jailbreak tweak which allows you to use gestures to get to your favorite contacts. Do you live in a city where it is illegal to be on your mobile device while driving? iQuickCall makes it easy to get to that favorite contact with just a simple gesture!

Hit the jump to lean more about this great tweak!

iQuickCall allows you to have to have access to that favorite contacts with just the tap of the status bar or a swipe across the springboard. You can fully customize what gestures you would like to use.

To use iQuickCall, simply enter in the phone number and email of the person you would like to assign as your iQuickCall contact. Once you have done that, you simply choose the gesture you would like in order to activate iQuickCall. After you are are set up with the correct number, email address, and gesture, you are now ready to use it!

When you use the gesture you previously assigned you will get a pop up box with the option to call, text, or email. Another great feature about this tweak is it also gives you the option to quickly type a number or email address into the a pop up box and it will call or email that number or email address right from the springboard.

For only $0.99 I thought it was definitely worth the purchase! In future updates I think I would like to see the option to have more than one contact offered for a quick call. What do you think? Are you going to purchase this tweak? Let us know in the comments!

How to back up application data is a question I get asked almost on a daily basis. This question seems to get asked even more frequently every time a new jailbreak is released. I never recommend restoring from a jailbroken backup, ever. It can bring all kinds of problems with it and cause crashes and freezes. I always recommend a new restore.

But what about all your game save data and other app data? If you don't restore from a backup, it's gone right? Not exactly. There's tons of reasons why you may need to completely restore your device. Whatever the reason is, appbackup is a huge aid that helps bring your application data with you.

Hit the jump for a walkthrough!

Cydia plays host to a wonderful little app called appbackup. It's free and will back up and save application data for any App Store apps you choose. As a side note, it will not save jailbroken data. There is another app lurking in the Cydia store that will aid you in doing that called aptbackup. We will look at that in a future tutorial.

What you'll need

• A currently jailbroken iPhone, iPad, or iPod Touch
• appbackup
• iPhone explorer or an SSH client of your choice on your Mac or PC. I recommend iPhone Explorer as it is dead simple to use and it's free.

Backing up App Store applications

1. Download appback for free via Cydia.

2. Launch appbackup. You'll be presented with a huge list of all App Store applications currently installed on your device.

3. You have two options, you can save all application data or just choose certain application data to backup. I typically save only game data and data from apps that tend to be a pain when wiped clean. To save all, tap "All" in the bottom left hand corner. To selectively create backups, tap the name of the app you'd like to back up and click back up. Do this with all the apps you'd like to save your data from.

4. You'll see the app save your data before displaying that it was successful. It's also worth noting you won't see a restore option until you have a backup saved for a specific application.

Obtaining your backups and transferring them to your Mac or PC

1. Plug your device into your Mac or PC after you've created backups for all the apps you care to save.

2. This is where you'll need to open either iPhone Explorer or SSH into your device. If you're not sure how to SSH, check out the guide referenced above. I still recommend iPhone Explorer, which is what I'm using in all screenshots.
3. appbackup saves your backups in a specific file path. That path is as follows: /var/mobile/Library/Preferences/AppBackup

4. You will need to navigate to the above file path. After you've found the folder, you'll need to make a copy of that folder on your Mac or PC. I typically keep them in a folder on my desktop called App Backups. However you choose to do it is fine as long as you save them in a location you'll remember. After you've found the folder, all you need to do in order to copy it to your computer is drag it to whatever save location you choose.

5. You now have your backups saved in a secure location. Go ahead and restore your device as new and rejailbreak.

Restoring your application data to your device

1. After restoring your device and rejailbreaking, go back into Cydia and re-install appbackup.

2. Plug your device back into your computer and navigate back to /var/mobile/Library/Preferences/AppBackup

3. This time you will want to replace the AppBackup folder with the one you saved earlier. If iPhone Explorer or your SSH client prompts you, choose to overwrite or replace the file. Just make sure you are copying it in the correct directory.

4. Now launch appbackup on your device. In the bottom left hand corner, tap "All" and choose "Restore". It will restore all your application save data from your backup.
5. You're done! You can now enjoy playing Angry Birds and all your other games exactly where you left off!

If you guys try this, let us know how it works for you! If you run into issues, make sure to check out our TiPb Jailbreak Forums for answers to many common questions.

Tips of the day will range from beginner-level 101 to advanced-level ninjary. If you already know this tip, keep the link handy as a quick way to help a friend. If you have a tip of your own you'd like to suggest, add them to the comments or send them in to news@tipb.com. (If it's especially awesome and previously unknown to us, we'll even give ya a reward...)

Toyota have released a jailbreak theme in Cydia to advertise their new 'Scion 2011' car range. The theme is available for free in Cydia, by searching for Scion 2011 Theme. The theme itself includes wallpapers of the 4 different models of Scion (tC, iQ, xB and xD) which you can choose for your homescreen or lockscreen, it also includes custom buttons and a custom slider.

Will you be downloading this theme? How many other major companies will follow suit, and start to advertise to the jailbreak community? And will Apple have any response to this, given advertising dollars are now on the line?

[ModMyi]

SBSettings is a wonderful little jailbreak app that adds tons of quick toggles to your iOS springboard. The one thing I don't care for in SBSettings is the default theme. It's just downright ugly. I get tons of questions on whether or not you can theme SBSettings like you can the rest of your springboard. The answer is yes. It's quite simple actually. Hit the jump to find out how!

Downloading SBSettings Themes

1. Open Cydia and tap on Sections.

2. Scroll down to themes and you'll see a section for "Themes (SBSettings)". Browse through all the available themes for SBSettings and install the ones you like.

Changing your SBSettings theme

1. Now open SBSettings (by swiping to the right or left on your top status bar). You'll see a "More" option. Select that and you'll see the window below.
2. Tap the "SBSettings Themes" option. You should see some default themes and all the ones you installed.
3. Tapping the blue arrows will let you see a quick preview of each theme.

4. Simply select the theme you'd like to use by tapping it.
5. Respring your phone and your new theme should now be active!

That's all there is to it. Try it out and let us know which themes are your favorites in the comments!

Tips of the day will range from beginner-level 101 to advanced-level ninjary. If you already know this tip, keep the link handy as a quick way to help a friend. If you have a tip of your own you'd like to suggest, add them to the comments or send them in to news@tipb.com. (If it's especially awesome and previously unknown to us, we'll even give ya a reward...)

Developer Stefan Essen recently demoed an iOS 4.3 untethered jailbreak exploit on video. Today on Twitter, he has stated that the exploit has been turned over to the iPhone Dev-Team. He stated when he released the demo video that he had no intention of releasing a jailbreak tool himself.

What the iPhone Dev-Team will do with the untether isn't completely clear at this point, but we can hope that it allows for a untethered jailbreak in the near future under iOS 4.3. For all of you iPad 2 users out there, Stefan Essen has already stated that this exploit won't do you any good.

The iPhone Dev-Team is currently beta testing the exploit. We'll see if they decide to implement it in a tool in the near future. How many of you are waiting to upgrade and still on iOS 4.2.1?

biteSMS has just been updated to version 5.2 which includes integration with TextFreek, a service that provides free SMS messaging between iOS, Android, and Blackberry users. This update to biteSMS also includes iOS 4.3 compatibility. The update also includes a few new features such as remembering contact settings for the bite network and carrier network. Jailbreakers should still keep in mind that even though iOS 4.3 compatibility has been added, there's still no easy untethered iOS 4.3 jailbreak solution available yet. Click through for a full list of changes.

• TextFreek integration (text for FREE!!!) - See biteSMS, Settings, TextFreek.
• iOS 4.3 compatibility.
• New feature for the default send method to be 'Remember per Contact'. Especially useful when you’d like to switch to using the biteSMS network for specific friends (say international or not included in your carriers unlimited plan).
• Added ringtone support for iOS 4.2.1 such that biteSMS now interacts correctly with the new iOS per contact ringtone feature.
• For biteSMS Ringtones (packaged or in directory structure) the volume is now reduced by 50% if headphones are plugged-in.
• With privacy set, the [Open] and [Call] buttons should display as active / inactive as expected.
• Fixed up bug when composing a new scheduled message it did not always show the scheduled clock icon.

Anyone download the new version? Let us know of any bugs or issues you experience in the comments!

BiteSMS changelog

Annoyed by the having to use Cydia to delete Jailbreak apps and wondering how to delete them faster? There's a nifty little tweak available that makes this process much easier. In fact, CyDelete lets you delete jailbroken apps just like you would delete an official App Store app. Follow us after the break for a rundown of how to use CyDelete.

To delete jailbroken apps via Cydia can be rather irritating. You have to launch Cydia, click on manage, scroll and find the package you'd like to delete, and then wait for Cydia to reload. CyDelete aims to simplify this process.

1. First, search for CyDelete in Cydia and install it (it's free).

2. You don't see an icon on your homescreen. But you can find a few settings for CyDelete inside your iPhone settings panel.

3. Hold down any icon until they start jiggling. You should now see that jailbroken applications also have a delete X option by them just like official apps do.

4. Simply tap the X to delete the app just like you would any other. That's it!

As a side note, CyDelete does not let you delete Cydia and some mobilesubstrate apps for stability reasons. Other than that, it should work on just about any other jailbreak app. If you're jailbroken, try it out and let us know how it worked for you!

Tips of the day will range from beginner-level 101 to advanced-level ninjary. If you already know this tip, keep the link handy as a quick way to help a friend. If you have a tip of your own you'd like to suggest, add them to the comments or send them in to news@tipb.com. (If it's especially awesome and previously unknown to us, we'll even give ya a reward...)

Jailbreakers have been patiently waiting for an easier jailbreak option on iOS 4.3. We are already aware there are working exploits but no easy process has been released. Now it appears iOS developer Stefan Esser is showing off a working iOS 4.3.1 untethered jailbreak on video. For the demo, he used an iPod Touch fourth gen.

Don't get your hopes up too high as he doesn't plan to release it any time soon, if at all. He has stated before he has no intention of releasing a jailbreak tool but that he would offer up an untether solution. This may even be possible via a Cydia package. Hit the jump for a video of the jailbreak in action!

Redmond Pie

YouTube Link

Some AT&T iPhone users, Jailbroken and tethering via MyWi, are getting text messages and e-mails from AT&T that imply they know they are tethering even though they aren't on an official tethering plan. One of our own writers, Andrew was one of those who received the message.

I use MyWi to tether as well but have not received anything yet. (I actually was just tethering today.) I'm not sure how they are detecting MyWi users but I can make some educated guesses.

1. Since AT&T offers Personal Hotspot under iOS 4.3, they may have access to data they didn't before, and they're choosing to use it in a pretty crappy way. So if you're on iOS 4.2.1 still (almost all jailbreakers are) and they see you're generating traffic that looks like Personal Hotspot, they know you're doing so without a plan.
2. Like Chris says below, browsers use the wap APN. Tethering uses the ISP APN. As such, larger data is expected through ISP not through WAP. So if AT&T sees a lot of WAP data it may raise a flag.
3. As several people say in the comments and Twitter, if AT&T sees a TTL reduction that suggests a device like a laptop or iPad in between the connection, it may raise a flag.
4. They're just going after heavy data users again and trying to bluff them into switching to a tethering plan and losing their unlimited data. Andrew tethers a heck of a lot more than me. I only consume a fraction of what he does. So that's a viable answer too.

Originally Jailbreakers used MyWi because AT&T took a year longer to offer iPhone tethering than international carriers. Since then they've used it to get around AT&T's ridiculous fees for tethering. (Tethering is free on some international carriers as well.)

Hit the jump to read the e-mail AT&T has been sending out as well as to let us know what you think! Anyone else been getting messages from AT&T? Anyone on iOS 4.3 using official Personal Hotspot? Any PDANet users?

UPDATED: AT&T spokesman Seth Bloom told Phone Scoop:

We've just begun sending letters, emails, and text messages to a small number of smartphone customers who use their devices for tethering but aren't on our required tethering plan. Our goal here is fairness for all of our customers.

[ModMyi Forums and Phone Scoop]

Dear [Customer],

We've noticed your service plan may need updating.

Many AT&T customers use their smartphones as a broadband connection for other devices, like laptops, netbooks or other smartphones– a practice commonly known as tethering. Tethering can be an efficient way for our customers to enjoy the benefits of AT&T's mobile broadband network and use more than one device to stay in touch with important people and information. To take advantage of this feature, we require that in addition to a data plan, you also have a tethering plan.

Our records show that you use this capability, but are not subscribed to our tethering plan.

If you would like to continue tethering, please log into your account online at Cell Phones and Cell Phone Plans - Wireless from AT&T, or call us at 1-888-860-6789 Monday - Friday, 7 a.m. - 9 p.m. CST or Saturday, 8 a.m. - 7 p.m. CST, by March 27, 2011 to sign up for DataPro 4GB for Smartphone Tethering.
Here are details on the plan:

DataPro 4GB for Smartphone Tethering
• $45 per month (this gives you 4GB in total, combining both your smartphone data plan for $25 and the tethering feature, $20)
• $10 per each additional GB thereafter, added automatically as needed
• Mobile Hotspot capabilities are included for compatible Smartphones

If we don't hear from you, we'll plan to automatically enroll you into DataPro 4GB afterMarch 27, 2011. The new plan – whether you sign up on your own or we automatically enroll you – will replace your current smartphone data plan, including if you are on an unlimited data plan.

If you discontinue tethering, no changes to your current plan will be required.

It's easy to track your usage throughout the month so there are no bill surprises. For example, we send you free text messages when you reach 65, 90, and 100 percent of your plan's threshold. If you would like to monitor your account more closely, go towww.att.com/dataplans to learn about other ways to track your data usage.

As a reminder, our smartphone data plans also include unlimited usage of Wi-Fi at no additional charge. AT&T smartphone customers can use Wi-Fi at home or on-the-go at any one of our more than 23,000 U.S. hotspots already included in your data plan.

Thank you for bringing your account up to date. We appreciate the opportunity to continue to serve your mobile broadband needs.

Sincerely,

AT&T

Jailbroken and curious how you can diagnose those annoying springboard crashes that plague jailbreakers? While the benefits of jailbreaking outweigh the annoyances for many users, a crashing springboard can still be beyond frustrating. If your springboard is crashing sporadically, there can be several reasons why. There is also an easier way to fix it than to completely restore your phone. Hit the jump for some helpful tips and tricks on ridding yourself of evil crashing springboards!

Resprings are, of course, a necessary evil when it comes to jailbreaking. While stock apps don't typically have access to lower level parts of the phone, jailbreak apps do. Anytime you install something that changes lower level files, you'll typically have to restart the springboard in order for those changes to take affect. But what happens when your springboard starts resprining on its own? Or if your jailbroken iPhone starts crashing into safe mode? I know it can be frustrating, but there's typically a reason.

An app you installed is not compatible with your version of iOS

I know this is easy to point out, but it's something a lot of beginning jailbreakers overlook. Most jailbreak apps will tell you in the app description if you need to stay away from it based on your version of iOS. They probably mean it. Running an app that doesn't play nice with your iOS version can cause considerable headaches, so heed their warnings. A lot of people had issues related to compatibility on 4.2.1 after the tethered jailbreak was released.

Most apps were not updated for 4.2.1 so if you installed them, the odds your springboard was going to crash or your phone was going to start rebooting randomly was pretty good.

You have certain apps installed that don't play nice together

This one is a bit harder to diagnose. Sometimes the best to do is ask around a jailbreak forum. If your device just recently started producing random crashes, uninstall any apps you've installed recently. If the issue goes away, one of the apps you uninstalled was the issue. I typically start installing them again one by one. When the crashes start occurring again, I know what app is the culprit.

And as a common courtesy, shoot an e-mail to the developer and let them know what apps you have installed, what iOS version your'e on, and what issues you were having. Feedback is crucial when it comes to making good apps. The more a developer knows, the better their apps can be.

It's also worth noting that jailbreak developers typically will list issues with other apps in the release notes. Always read those before updated a jailbroken application. That brings us to our next culprit.

A recent app update is causing the crashes

This isn't typical but sometimes app updates can cause compatibility issues either with your iOS version or with another app. This is far less common but still an issue from time to time. If you recently updated an app and your iPhone starting misbevaving afterwards, uninstall that app completely. If the issue resolves itself, the update was an issue. Again, report the issue to the developer so they can fix it. Most developers (especially jailbreak) are extremely responsive to user feedback.

This is another example of why it is important to read update release notes as well. If the developer knows the update creates an issue with another app, they'll list it. You can save yourself the headache by passing up that update.

You installed a bad app from an untrusted repository

Cydia allows you to add repositories at your own will. For new users or easily gullible users, this can be dangerous. I can not stress this one enough - do not EVER, EVER install an app from a repository that you are not 100% positive is safe. Adding a repository for a beta from a trusted developer is one thing, but don't add random repos on your device unless you either know the person hosting it, or know the app you are downloading is tested and from a trusted developer.

If you do happen to install an app from an untrusted source, immediately remove the app from your phone and delete the repository.

You restored from a backup that was previously jailbroken

This is the big one. And typically the most common cause of crashy springboards. I never recommend jailbroken users to restore from a backup. For example, if you are jailbroken on iOS 4.1 and want to upgrade to 4.2.1 and jailbreak using greenpois0n, you should not restore from a backup.

Never ever restore from a backup that could potentially have bits of an old jailbreak in it. I see this cause issues more than anything. And unfortunately, the only remedy is to completely restore your phone and start over. Not fun for anyone.

If you guys have any other springboard issues and remedies, be sure to share them with us in the comments. We'd love to hear them!

Tips of the day will range from beginner-level 101 to advanced-level ninjary. If you already know this tip, keep the link handy as a quick way to help a friend. If you have a tip of your own you'd like to suggest, add them to the comments or send them in to news@tipb.com. (If it's especially awesome and previously unknown to us, we'll even give ya a reward...)

Twizzler, a new jailbreak tweak, will remove the annoying new trending bar in the new 3.3 version of Twitter for iPhone. The tweak was just recently released for free by @chpwn who has contributed several apps including ProSwitcher and had a hand in several jailbreak tools.

I'm still baffled as to why Twitter did not give us the option to choose whether or not we wanted it in settings. Either way, you'll have to be jailbroken in order for this to work. Simply download the tweak for free from Cydia and it should just work. If you go back into Twitter and the trending bar is still there, close Twitter out of the multitasking tray and relaunch it. It should be gone after you do that.

This reason enough for anyone to jailbreak? (I'm looking at you Chad!) If you guys try it out, let us know how it worked for you! Another point for #TeamJailbreak!

Thanks @RobT43 for the tip!

Will I be able to Jailbreak iPad 2 running iOS 4.3 when it launches? That's a question on a lot of user's minds. We already know the jailbreak community is working towards an iOS 4.3 jailbreak. What we "do" know is that a tool won't go official until iOS 4.3 is out of beta and in the hands of consumers. Most of the reason behind this is so Apple doesn't patch it in a last minute update.

Where the iPad 2 is concerned, it's anyone's guess whether or not the solution they're currently working towards will definitely jailbreak the iPad 2. According to @p0sixninja, one of the main contributors of greenpois0n, they are hoping the SHAtter exploit will still be a viable solution on the iPad 2 as well.

While we wait for a definitive answer, check out our massive jailbreak guide and mingle with other fellow jailbreakers in waiting over in our TiPb jailbreak forums.

MobileNotifier is a great start to what iOS notifications should really look like. Keep in mind this app is still in beta before you go replacing LockInfo. I've been playing with MobileNotifier today and it's got a lot of potential.

One thing I really like is the ingenious way MobileNotifier makes use of the wasted space while multitasking. When the tray is pulled up, the top of the screen is really just a bunch of empty space. Why not make use of it? MobileNotifier does by putting all your notifications in it. The latest beta also adds support for a lockscreen mode. The app doesn't currently have any built-in settings but we'll have to keep in mind it's an early release of the app.

With an early release comes compatibility issues and bugs. BiteSMS currently doesn't seem to want to populate in MobileNotifier for me. Hopefully this and several other compatibility issues will be addressed in a future beta. Hit the jump for a couple more screens and to find out how you can grab MobileNotifier!

You can get MobileNotifier for free by adding the following repo to Cydia -

http://phajas.xen.prgmr.com/repo

Check it out and let us know what you think!

Greenpois0n not only works for the AT&T iPhone 4, it will also jailbreak your Verizon iPhone 4 on iOS 4.2.6. I had no issues the first time out. It's pretty straight forward and pretty much the exact same process you'd use to jailbreak an AT&T iPhone 4 with Greenpois0n running iOS 4.2.1. HIt the jump to find out what you'll need. We'll also give you a quick walkthrough as well.

What you'll need

• Verizon iPhone 4 running iOS 4.2.6
• Either a PC or a Mac
• Greenpois0n RC5 b4, Mac Version - PC Version

This jailbreak is also untethered so you won't have to worry about having to connect your iPhone 4 to your PC every time you want to reboot like a lot of users did under redsn0w on iOS 4.2.1 (until greenpois0n came along).

How to jailbreak

1. Download Greepois0n from one of the links above (Mac or PC).

2. Save it somewhere easily accessible. I always put mine in the dock of my Mac. It's easy to find if I ever need it again.

3. Make sure you have backed up all of your data via a sync in iTunes before proceeding any further.
4. Plug your Verizon iPhone into your computer via USB and turn it OFF.
5. Launch greenpois0n

6. Once you are ready to begin click Jailbreak. greenpois0n will walk you through putting your iPhone into DFU mode. If you mess up the first time, that's okay, it will fail and you can simply try again.

7. After you have correctly entered DFU mode, greenpois0n will begin jailbreaking your phone. (As a side note, a lot of users reported the jailbreak failed because they did not hold the home button down long enough. I suggest holding it down for a few seconds even after the jailbreak begins installing, just to be safe.)

8. Let greenpois0n do its thing. Once it says "Complete!", click it to close out greenpois0n.

9. When your phone boots back up, you should see a Loader Icon on your screen, tap it.

10. Then choose to install Cydia. Once it's done, close out of Loader, let your phone respring and make sure Cydia is on your homescreen.

11. Once Cydia is installed, go back into Loader, tap options and uninstall Loader.

12. Close out of Loader and your phone will respring one more time in order to uninstall Loader.
13. Congrats! Your Verizon iPhone 4 is now jailbroken! Launch Cydia and let it update. If it asks you to do a complete or essential upgrade, click complete.

14. Once it is done, you should be able to re-enter Cydia and start enjoying all kinds of fancy jailbreak tweaks and apps!

If you're new to Jailbreak check out our Jailbreak Starters Guide for all the basics. If you have any issues or just want to talk tweaks and apps, be sure to visit our TiPb jailbreak forums. We've got lots of awesome jailbreak forum members willing to help you out and talk jailbreak!

Tips of the day will range from beginner-level 101 to advanced-level ninjary. If you already know this tip, keep the link handy as a quick way to help a friend. If you have a tip of your own you'd like to suggest, add them to the comments or send them in to news@tipb.com. (If it's especially awesome and previously unknown to us, we'll even give ya a reward...)

Greenpois0n RC5, the latest Jailbreak for iOS 4.2.1 iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad, has been updated to version 2, which should fix some of the issues users have been experiencing. Mainly the issue where your jailbreak will just sit at "Greenpois0n Initialized". Hopefully this version will take care of that bug. I know a few people have been having issues even loading Greenpois0n.com. There are also several mirrors available, so keep checking the comments for the latest on those.

Also, some users have been noting that their Cydia icon is completely missing or they can't get Cydia to install. You can alternately use redsn0w RC8 to install Cydia. Basically use Greenpois0n to jailbreak untethered and then run redsn0w just to install Cydia.

Let us know in the comments if the second version of Greenpois0n is working any better for you! If you need instructions on jailbreaking under iOS 4.2.1, check out our how to jailbreak via Greenpois0n walkthrough and if you need more help, our Jailbreak Forum.

[greenpois0n.com via (iPhone Download Blog - they also have a list of mirrors]

Greenpois0n RC5 now allows you to jailbreak iOS 4.2.1 untethered on most devices including iPhone 4 and iPad. The best part? You won't need any SHSH blobs saved. redsn0w beta required you to have 4.2b3 blobs saved (and it was pretty unstable). Hopefully greenpois0n is going to be a much smoother experience for you guys. Hit the jump for a walkthrough on how to jailbreak iOS 4.2.1 with greenpois0n and for the answers to some commonly asked questions.

What devices will greenpois0n RC5 jailbreak?

• iPhone 4/3GS
• iPad
• iPod Touch 2G/3G/4G
• AppleTV second generation

You'll need to be running iOS 4.2.1 in order for this version of greenpois0n to work (4.1.1 for AppleTV second generation users).

Should I do a full stock restore first?

In short, most likely. If you're already stock and haven't been jailbroken, you're fine. Still back up your phone first in case anything goes wrong.

If you are currently jailbroken on 4.1, yes. Do a full stock restore to 4.2.1 and restore as a new iPhone. After jailbreaking, I still don't recommend restoring from a backup. Old jailbreak pieces can come with your backup and cause issues for you. Just my personal recommendation.

If you are currently tethered on 4.2.1 via redsn0w, you should be able to just run greepois0n right over your current jailbreak to untether. Some of the devs are saying if you have issues installing Cydia via greenpois0n after running it, simply run redsn0w again and let it re-install Cydia. Basically, as long as you aren't running a Monte version jailbreak on 4.2.1, you should be able to run greenpois0n to untether.

Will this jailbreak iOS 4.3 beta?

No. You'll have to wait a bit longer on a tested jailbreak for 4.3.

Jailbreaking iOS 4.2.1 via Greenpois0n

1. Download greenpois0n onto your Mac. (Some users have been reporting the servers being down. If you can't get it to download right away, just be patient. Their servers are probably just lagging from all the traffic. There are a few mirrors out there so be sure to check the comments for the latest updates on those.
2. Plug your iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad, or AppleTV in via USB (make sure the power is off) and follow the on-screen instructions to enter DFU mode.

3. Greenpois0n will recognize when your phone is properly in DFU mode and start to do its thing. After it's done, you'll see a Loader icon on your homescreen. Tap it and install Cydia. (Note: This only differs for AppleTV jailbreakers. You'll be done but need to continue accessing and installing apps via Terminal and SSH.)

4. You're done! Restore all your stuff (if you choose to or were stock before) and enjoy being jailbroken!

Note: Some users in the comments have been reporting sometimes the initializing error is a result of not holding the home button long enough when entering DFU mode. Even when the text is not greyed out anymore, continue holding the home button if you're getting the Initializing error even after trying Greenpois0n RC5 version 2.

If you guys have already used this version of greenpois0n, let us know how it's going in the comments! Have other questions? Check our our Jailbreak Starters Guide and jailbreak forums!

Jailbreak developer chpwn is at it again and plans on releasing his new tweak VoiceActivator hopefully this week. VoiceActivator will allow you to take full control of your iPhone or iPod touch's voice control feature. It will allow users to launch apps, open URLs, use Activator actions all within the standard voice control feature.

As of now all we can tell you is he plans on releasing it sometime this coming week through Cydia and we are yet to hear anything as far as pricing goes but it should be well worth the money if you are jailbroken and have a lot of apps and many things you do daily that causes you to tap through folders and menus. If you want to follow to the status of this tweak, follow @chpwn on Twitter.

We want to hear from all you jailbreakers on who is interested in this new tweak. Also do you think Apple should have already included this as part of iOS out of the box or do you think they will include it in the next generation of iOS? Tell us your thoughts in the comments below! Check out a video of this awesome new tweak after the break!

[ @chpwn ]

Cydia has been showing up empty, with no files today, due to a source file corruption. If you're experiencing the problem on your iPhone, iPod touch, or iPad we are going to walk you through how to fix it.

The fix is fairly simple as long as you know how to SSH into your iPhone. If you don't know how to do so check out our SSH Guide and follow the instructions to get you started.

Once you get into your iPhone as navigating to a few menus and then renaming a file. What you want to do is navigate to:

/etc/apt/sources.list.d/

Once you get there you will see a source titled zodttd.list and you will want to rename it so zodttd.list.old. Once you do this go ahead and respring your iPhone or iPad and relaunch Cydia. Now you will have everything back to normal (minus the ZodTTD source for now.

Cydia's creator, Saurik, has Tweeted to try to go to "Changes" inside of Cydia and hit refresh and let it reload and all will be fine as well. I personally tried this several times to no avail. So go ahead and try either method and let us know what works for you.

If you have any other issues check out the thread dedicated to this issue in our Jailbreak Froums.

Cydia has pushed out a revamped themes section which allows users to search for themes depending on their device and even by featured artists. It lets users have greater discoverability and quicker access to the best of the best themes specifically for their device. Also in the update is a slightly new page layout when you choose a theme. It shows you a broad overview of what the theme will look like when installed, quick access to the package itself, and information on the artist of that theme.

Also the Theme It theme store has officially launched! Currently all the themes available are paid but free themes will be coming soon. To get the Theme It app you can visit their website or add the following repository in cydia:

http://www.themeitapp.com/repo/

So what are you waiting for? Go get your theme on and let us know what themes you download and how you like the new found theme experience! Oh and check out some screenshots after the break!

Theme It is a new site and app (via Cydia) that will feature themes for iOS. Anyone currently jailbroken knows how big of a pain it can be weeding through themes and tweaks in Cydia. Hopefully having something like Theme It will reduce some of the clutter and allow users to more efficiently browse for quality themes.

Theme It boasts to provide only the highest quality themes to their users. They've already gotten some of the best theme creators on board in an attempt to offer a better option for browsing themes. The app will be available via Cydia and will have an actual website as well. The counter along the top of the site shows we have less than 2 days before launch.

I know I'm looking forward to seeing if this makes me more apt to install and download themes. I don't theme as much as I used to since weeding through Cydia for quality themes can be pretty time consuming. How many of you are excited to have a new way to browse and obtain new themes?

Demo video after the break!

[iClarified]

I got a chance to look at the brand new version of LockInfo a bit early so I've put together my thoughts for you guys to check out while you (im)patiently wait for the public release.

For those of you that don't know, LockInfo is a great little jailbreak app that makes up for the poor (read: lack of) notification system Apple has left us with under iOS. I wrote a LockInfo setup and walkthrough a while back and now we're going to look at the newest version of LockInfo by David Ashman.

As you can see from the screenshot above, LockInfo has gotten a pretty big face-lift in 3.0. You now have the option to select different themes within the app. The themes provided are much cleaner than the add-ons in Cydia as well. As of now, you've got the option of classic, dark, light, and iOS. All of them look exceptionally good. I also like the fact that you don't have to respring in order for a theme change to take effect. You do, however, need to exit out of settings.

Besides themes, you'll now notice that LockInfo has added support for in-line images. When you receive a Facebook notification, the Facebook icon will appear in your notification feed. Same with Twitter, Boxcar, games, and pretty much anything you get notifications for. E-mails and texts also have in-line image support as well. It just makes the entire notification feed look more streamline. Less Windows today screen like and more iOS like. Along with in-line images, you'll also notice that text will wrap instead of cutting off. Extremely nice for reading a whole text message from the lockscreen. Obviously longer messages or e-mails will cut off at some point, but the preview is significantly longer.

Another new feature is the addition of favorites which aggregates all your favorite contacts from your phone book into LockInfo. I honestly don't know how I'd live without this feature after using it. To be able to just tap a favorite contact from the lock screen to call or text them is a breath of fresh air. It'll aggregate all your favorites so all you have to do is swipe left and right in order to page through them, just as you do on your home screen already.

The settings panel hasn't changed much except for the addition of themes. Everything will be exactly like your used to. It wasn't a huge transition from the last version. All your current settings and tweaks should still be there when you upgrade so no re-configuring everything.

Overall, LockInfo 3.0 is an amazing improvement to an already great application. It's obvious David Ashman has put a tremendous amount of work into making this version the best release of LockInfo yet. It'd be wise of Apple to take a look at programs like LockInfo and learn from them. LockInfo brings the iPhone to a whole new level of usability for me and bringing it to mainstream users should be inevitable by now. But if iOS 5 doesn't bring a new notification system with it, I'll be perfectly content with LockInfo 3.0.

LockInfo currently runs for $7.99 in Cydia. You can also follow the developer, David Ashman, on Twitter as well at @Stimpy5050.

To all you jailbreakers out there, let us know what you think!

Installed some Cydia apps onto your Jailbroken iPhone, iPod touch, or iPad and curious how to delete them? Tried the regular method of tapping and holding and making them jiggle but not seeing the handy App Store app "delete" icon in to corner? Don't worry, if your Cydia apps or extensions aren't working, are causing conflicts, or are simply no longer desired you can delete them as well. We'll show you how after the break!

With Cydia there's a few more steps involved in deleting an app than the App Store method but it's still rather easy

1. Launch Cydia.
2. In Cydia, tap the 'Manage' tab along the bottom toolbar.
3. Tap 'Packages' at the top of the Manage pane.
4. Scroll through the alphabetical list to find the app you want to remove.
5. Tap the app to be taken to its respective pane.
6. Tap 'Modify' in the upper-right corner.
7. From here you'll have the option to reinstall the app or remove it altogether. Tap 'Remove'.
8. Tap 'Confirm' in the upper-right corner.

Cydia will then perform some magic and wipe the app from your iDevice, and you'll no longer see the app icon on your springboard. If you'd like to reinstall the app, simply launch Cydia and search for the app you just deleted to reinstall.

Bonus Tip: If you'd like to remove jailbreak apps the same way you remove App Store apps, go into Cydia and search for CyDelete. CyDelete is a free extension and won't install any app icon, but instead allows the user to tap-and-hold Cydia apps on the springboard in order to remove them by tapping the 'x' once in wiggle-mode. We've tested CyDelete on 4.0, 4.0.1 and 4.1, but haven't confirmed it working on 4.2.1 yet so let us know if you have it up and running.

As always, if you have any questions or run into an issue, let us know and we'll do our best to help out in the comments below!

Tips of the day will range from beginner-level 101 to advanced-level ninjary. If you already know this tip, keep the link handy as a quick way to help a friend. If you have a tip of your own you’d like to suggest, add them to the comments or send them in to dailytips@tipb.com. (If it’s especially awesome and previously unknown to us, we’ll even give ya a reward…)

Seas0nPass has just been released for jailbroken AppleTV users. Up until now, there hasn't been easy to use jailbreak tools for the AppleTV. Hopefully Seas0nPass can change all that.

Seas0nPass offers some of the same basic functionality utilities like PwnageTool already offers iPhone, iPod Touch, and iPad users. It will currently jailbreak the most current version of AppleTV iOS (4.2.1). Seas0nPass for AppleTV also offers an easier tethered boot option as well as an ability to create and restore from custom firmwares (IPSW) files. This will be nice for users on newer firmwares that may not offer an untethered option yet.

Currently Seas0nPass is only available for Mac users running Mac OS 10.6 or later but a Windows version should be coming soon.

Seas0nPass is available for free and the code is open source and available on Github now. If you give it a try, let us know how it works for you!

[Firecore]

Interested in installing multiple apps from Cydia and want to know how to do it all at once in a batch queue? This is especially useful if you are installing things that will make you respring your phone. We all know respringing is a necessary evil in the jailbreak world, but this way you can get away with one respring instead of several. Click on through for the simple tutorial.

If you're browsing Cydia and there's more than one thing you'd like to download, there's an easy way to install all of them at the same time. Once you've found an app you want to install follow these easy steps to queue it for download.

1. Tap the name of the app to bring up the download screen.
2. Tap install.

3. Tap Cancel/Queue in the upper left hand corner.
4. A menu will pop up, tap Continue Queuing.

Some users have pointed out that if you're using the newer version of Cydia (I'm still on 4.1), the Cancel button isn't what you want, the queue button is at the bottom of the page.

You'll notice when you go back to browsing apps, anything queued for download will now show up in green. Once you've decided on the last app you'd like to download, when you click install, it will also install anything you have queued as well.

Let's say you don't find anything else you'd like and want to just download what you have queued (or want to remove something from your queue), you can use manage to install your queue.

1. Tap Manage at the bottom
2. Tap the blue Queue button in the upper right corner and confirm to download your queue

That's all there is to it. You now know how to install multiple Cydia tweaks and apps at once. This can be a life saver when downloading several things that require a respring. You won't have to keep respringing and reloading Cydia to download them individually. If you've used this method and have any additional input, let us know. If this is new to you, give it a try and let us know how it works out!

Tips of the day will range from beginner-level 101 to advanced-level ninjary. If you already know this tip, keep the link handy as a quick way to help a friend. If you have a tip of your own you'd like to suggest, add them to the comments or send them in to news@tipb.com. (If it's especially awesome and previously unknown to us, we'll even give ya a reward...)

Jailbreak developer Ryan Petrich has released a great new extension, named Icon Renamer, for changing the names of 3rd party apps on your iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch. It has similar functionality to jailbreak tweaks like Rename but executes in a much more efficient and straight-forward way.

All you need to do after installing the extension is tap and hold any app icon until you get into wiggle-mode, then tap the icon again to rename the app. There's no need to reboot or respring your device in order to see the changes -- they are instantaneous.

This extension is very useful if you have apps with longer names, have an app named as an acronym that you want to change or if you just want to rename an app to your liking. A perfect example is if you use Five-Column Springboard and have a lot of apps with longer names that are situated near each other. With Icon Renamer you can edit apps with longer names so they don't overlap.

Icon Renamer is a free jailbreak extension and is available in Cydia now. Let us know what you think of this tweak in the comments below!

Apple has the App Store, jailbreakers have the Cydia Store in addition to the default App Store. And if you want to be technical, Cydia was THE first App Store. It was available with iOS 1.x and allowed jailbreakers to download apps before the App Store even existed. Those who jailbroke their first generation iPhones on 1.x have seen several jailbreak ideas and concepts become parts of iOS. We would mention the other Jailbreak App Store, Rock, but seeing as Cydia acquired Rock, there's probably no point now.

Another term you may hear when it comes to Cydia is repos, or repositories. These are simply sources you add in the manage section. ModMyi and BigBoss are two of the largest. They are already added when you install Cydia. You are always welcome to add custom repos if you choose. I highly advise only adding repos from trusted sources. If you have a weird feeling about adding it, I'd probably pass.

For more information, check out our Jailbreak Starters Guide, and if you have any questions, get help in our Jailbreak Apps Forum.

SBSwitcher is a new mod in the Cydia Store that allows you to relocate all SBSettings toggles to the iOS 4 app switcher dock. Just scroll to the left to reveal all your toggles! The tweak is very useful, especially when you're in system apps (like Cydia) that don't allow you to use SBSettings from the status bar. Additional features include the ability to call up the app switcher from the lockscreen, letting you manipulate toggles or get into a running app without even unlocking your iPhone!

One small caveat is that you don't have the ability to respring from the app switcher without going into SBSettings from the status bar. An easy way to side-step this is by setting Activator to respring by using one of the available options, making it easier to respring on command without the need of getting into SBSettings whatsoever.

SBSwitcher is available in the Cydia Store for $2.99. Unfortunately for now, the mod doesn't work with the iPad. Check out the full feature list and screenshots after the break, and let us know what you think in the comments!

• Set SBSwitcher to default to the Now Playing section of the app switcher.
• Exit the app switcher by pressing the home button instead of exiting the app itself when hitting home.
• Hide the volume slider (iOS 4.2.1 only).
• Easily turn on/off your WiFi, 3G and Bluetooth radios from the app switcher.
• Quickly get back into an app or manipulate an SBSettings toggle right from the lockscreen -- no need to unlock!

A lot of people are curious how to theme their iPhone's -- not just change the wallpaper but customize the whole look of the interface, including icons, menu bars, fonts, and more. Enter Winterboard, a free Jailbreak app you can download for free via Cydia.

Winterboard is a necessary utility to install themes and most customizations. Many veteran jailbreakers will remember the days of Summerboard as well. Winterboard took its place a few years back and improved upon several things. When you install a theme, all the components will show up in Winterboard.

Depending upon how a theme developer decided to bundle their theme, you may have only one package in Winterboard, or you may have several. I personally prefer when developers separate theme elements. Since Winterboard works as a hierarchy, I can select a theme and if I don't like the sounds, I can download a sound pack I "do" like and apply that in Winterboard. The key is to move it above the main theme so it overrides the sounds you don't want.

I highly suggest jailbreakers become familiar and comfortable with Winterboard. If you do, there is no limit to what you can do to your phone and you'll be able to tweak and customize even the littlest details of your springboard.

If you want to more, check out our complete guide to Jailbreak basics. If you need help, head on over to our Jailbreak Themes Forum! If you're a veteran themer already. let us know some of your favorites!

As everyone waits patiently for an untethered 4.2.1 jailbreak, I thought I'd let you know about some popular Cydia iPhone app updates including Bytafont, Barrel, Scrollingboard and more. Read on for the updates!

Bytafont 1.1

Bytafont got a much needed update and is now the app that most were hoping would be released. As with fontswap before it, this app can now individually skin different parts of your device (System, Lockscreen Clock, Notes, etc.) with the font of your choice. Simply download fonts from Cydia and skin away! This app is free on Cydia! Note: This app is NOT 4.2.1 compliant. If you are on this firmware hold off until an update is released!

Barrel 1.1

This springboard tweak gives your springboard pages a 3D cube transition and has now been updated with two new modes: Scroll down and scroll up. This app is available on Cydia for $2.99.

Scrollingboard 1.14

This extremely powerful springboard app allows for scrolling folders and dock apps similar to infinifolders and infinidock respectively. It has been updated to allow for custom dock icons which would allow you to place Sbsettings toggles directly in your dock! This app is available on Cydia for $1.49.

More

Some other apps that are now 4.2.1 compliant: Infiniboard, Gridlock, Infinifolders, Infinidock, DisplayOut, MyWi

Any comments or questions about these Cydia apps? Let us know by leaving a comment below or in our new Jailbreak App, Hack, and Theme Forums!

CallLock is a new tweak available for Jailbroken iPhones that does exactly what it says -- it locks your phone once an incomming or an outgoing call is connected. If you are like me and your iPhone 4 is still having proximity sensor issues issues then this will prevent you from ever face dialing, muting and ending calls ever again.

The setup is also simple. Once you have it installed just go into Settings and you will find CallLock. Select it and you have two options: Manually Lock and Automatically Lock. Manual lock allows you to press the lock button to lock your phone without ending the call. Automatic lock will lock your phone once your call is connected, no button press needed.

To download this tweak visit the Cydia store and simply search for CallLock. It is currently available and it is only $0.99.

If you have an iPhone 4 with proximity sensor issues and decide to try CallLock out, leave us a comment let us know how it works for you!

What are the top 5 best, or just our most favorite, Jailbreak apps and tweaks for iPhone? That's something we get asked a lot in comments, in the forums, and during the podcast chat. Cydia is filled with wonderful tools and applications to enhance your iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad. In this version, we're going to look at the top 5 jailbroken apps or tweaks to help you make the best of your iPhone experience. Some of these may apply to other devices as well, but we'll strictly be looking at the iPhone variants. Hit the break for what we think are 5 jailbreak utilities every jailbreaker should check out!

Winterboard

Winterboard is a must have if you intend to apply themes to your iPhone or customize the interface. Of course, you can always SSH and install themes on your own, but Winterboard will make almost everyone's lives a lot easier. A lot of the times, if you download a theme that has a dependency on Winterboard, it'll automatically install it for you. Once you've got Winterboard installed, browse Cydia for themes and UI tweaks you'd like to put on your phone. The great thing about Winterboard is that it works as a hierarchy. Say you download a theme but you don't like the sounds. You can download a sound pack from Cydia you do like, check it in Cydia and drag it above the main theme. It will then override the theme's default sounds with the ones you've selected. It's an amazingly powerful tool that allows you to customize your iPhone just the way you'd like.

YouTube Link

SBSettings

SBSettings is more of a tweak than an actual app. It will allow you to add quick toggles to your springboard. You'll swipe your status bar (or whatever gesture you prefer to configure with Activator), and it'll show a drop down with several options. It also monitors your available memory, which is a nice added feature. It comes with several toggles built in such as wifi, 3G, bluetooth, brightness, and airplane mode. There are a lot of times I want to toggle some of these settings to save battery life. It's much easier to swipe my status bar and tap the ones I'd like to toggle than to dig through the settings panel for each individual setting and flip them off.

SBSettings also allows you to hide apps on your springboard. I personally prefer to hide some of the Apple default applications that I never use such as stocks, weather, compass, and a few others. You can still spotlight search for them but it hides them on your springboard. There are also many other tweaks and add-ons for SBSettings in Cydia, including themes.

YouTube Link

Folder Enhancing Applications

Under 4.x, Apple gave us the ability to create folders. Yet again, Apple limited the functionality of this feature. You can't create subfolders and you can only have 12 applications per folder. I have about 50 games installed on my iPhone at any given point. It's a pain to have to create 5 folders just for games. Apps like Folder Enhancer and Infinifolders seek to solve this problem. They give you the ability to create sub-folders within a folder. Not only that, it removes the app limit cap. Now I can have several applications in one folder. And if I choose, I can create sub-folders. I have all my games in one folder, then divided by sub-categories such as RPG, Strategy, Action, etc. Folder Enhancer will allow you to change the folder background image as well.

Text Message Replacement or Add-On Applications

Although Apple's default texting app is visually appealing, it's still got a long way to go in terms of functionality. Enter apps like BiteSMS, iRealSMS, & QuickReply for SMS. These apps pick up where Apple has left us hanging. I personally prefer BiteSMS but iReal is also an acceptable solution. I wouldn't recommend purchasing QuickReply for SMS as the dev has announced he isn't updating it any further. It's been rumored to go free any day now.

My biggest gripe with Apple's default texting app is that it's obtrusive and forces me to enter the app when I want to compose a text or reply to one. With apps such as BiteSMS, I can simply create a gesture that will bring up a quick compose screen. I can easily and quickly send a text without it interrupting my work-flow. When I receive a text, I can simply tap a reply button and reply without having to enter the texting app. BiteSMS is also highly configurable. You can configure options and tab through them on the QuickReply window. Options range from adding options such as reply, open, call, skype, delete, and many others.

BiteSMS and iRealSMS also have the option to show contact pictures in line with your text messages. This is a feature I wish Apple would have added to contacts and texting a long time ago. For now, apps like BiteSMS and iRealSMS will give you that functionality until Apple decides to.

MyWi and My3G

Network add-on applications are also a welcome addition to the jailbreak community. For those of us lowly users in the United States, AT&T likes to charge a ridiculous amount for tethering. MyWi allows you to turn your iPhone into a wireless hotspot. I use this feature frequently to tether my iPad. Until some carriers come to the realization that data is data and if we're paying for it, we should be able to use it how we like, apps like MyWi and My3G are essential.

My3G allows you to trick your phone into thinking your on Wifi. This is useful if you're in 3G and would like to download an app that is over 20MB. Simply turn on My3G and you're iPhone will assume you're on wifi and it'll bypass Apple's 20MB cap on network downloads. My3G also allows you to use FaceTime over 3G as well. There are several other apps available in Cydia like My3G so you can take your pick. Some of the others are 3G Unrestrictor, FaceTime over 3G, and Facebreak. You can choose from whichever suits your needs the best.

Your top 5?

As always, this is a list of our favorite jailbreak applications here on TiPb that we think all jailbreakers should at least check out. We know you guys have favorites too, so let us know in the comments! If you're new to jailbreak or thinking about jailbreaking your phone, check out our guide to jailbreak terms and tools and if you need extra help, dive into our Jailbreak Apps Forum.

PhotoAlbums+, from the creators of iRealSMS and PwnTunes let's you manage your photos on your own, on your iPhone or iPod touch, without using your computer or iTunes.

Do you take a lot of photos with your iPhone/iPod but hate that you cannot manage them? Frustrated with the Photos app missing options to add and delete albums and move photos between them?

Here is the solution: PhotoAlbums+! And this comes with a 100% stock looking UI integration into Photos and Camera app!

PhotoAlbums+ is available now in the Cydia store and is currently priced at $2.99. To me this is worth it to be able to manage my photos on the go rather than having to wait to be connected to my computer.

If you purchase PhotoAlbums+ let us know how it works for you and, if you can think of any interesting new features that you'd like to see added in the future, drop them in comments!

[ PhotoAlbums+ ]

Jailbreak developer Aaron Ash released his latest tweak today in the Cydia app store named Barrel which makes your iPhone SpringBoard appear as if it is part of a 3D cube when you switch between pages. The premise of this tweak may be pretty simple but it looks stunning when installed. To make changes you can go into the Settings app and select between making your icons appear as if they are on the outside of the 3D cube or on the inside of the 3D cube.

The only caveat to this tweak is that it requires at least iOS 4.x and it will not work on the iPad at this time. If you are on an iPhone or iPod touch and are currently jailbroken, go check this out and pick it up for $2.99 now in the Cydia app store.

Check out a video of Barrel in action after the break and let us know what you think. Will you be using it?

[ iJailbreak ]

If you are a fan of some of the features the Android OS has to offer and currently have a jailbroken iPhone then you will be very happy to know that Bootlace v2.1 will now allow you to install Android on your device without even hooking up to your computer.

According to Twitter user @cpich3g:

Bootlace 2.1 Released, Installs OpeniBoot from userland! - http://bit.ly/a8ELoV Congrats to @nidawson @bluerisEN @nickpack

If you are unaware of what OpeniBoot or even Bootlace are here is a quick explanation:

Bootlace is an iOS application which allows the installation of iDroid and OpeniBoot as well as configuration of OpeniBoot settings. Also supported is QuickBoot – a way of directly booting into the selected OS without modifying normal OpeniBoot settings.

Bootlace can be found at the following repo in Cydia:

http://repo.neonkoala.co.uk

This version currently supports the iPhone 2G running 3.1.2 or 3.1.3 firmware and the iPhone 3G running 3.1.2, 3.1.3, 4.0, 4.0.1, 4.0.2 or 4.1 firmwares. If you are currently using backgrounder for multitasking on your 3G or even 2G iPhones then be sure to disable backgrounder to utilize Bootlace as there are known issues between the two applications.

If you utilize this feature and install Android onto your device let us know how it is running and how the entire process went in the comments section below.

[ GeekWord ]

We see quite a few questions in our Jailbreak Forums about jailbreak basics. So, we've decided to compile a master list of some basic jailbreak magic right here in one place. Hopefully this will help a lot of you beginner jailbreakers learn the ropes (and maybe even help some of you decide whether the leap to the jailbreak world has its advantages for you). We've included common jailbreak lingo, popular jailbreak apps and tools, and videos highlighting some awesome jailbreak utilities!

Common ways to Jailbreak

There are usually several ways to Jailbreak depending exactly when a new version of iOS is released, when a new exploit is found, and when new Jailbreaks are released. Some are one-button easy, others command-line complicated. Here are the latest and the simplest.

If you're not sure, here's how to find out which iOS software and iPhone modem firmware you're running.

iOS 5.0 & 5.0.1 (GSM/CDMA) Jailbreak (untethered)

• How to jailbreak iOS 5.0 & 5.0.1 via Greenpois0n Absinthe - iPhone 4S and iPad 2 users (Mac only so far)
• How to jailbreak iOS 5.0 & 5.0.1 via redsn0w CLI 0.4.3 - Windows only - iPhone 4S and iPad 2 users
• How to jailbreak iOS 5.0.1 via redsn0w - A4 users only (no support for iPhone 4S and iPad 2)

iOS 5 & 5.0.1 (GSM/CDMA) Jailbreak (tethered)

• How to jailbreak iOS 5 & 5.0.1 via redsn0w
• How to jailbreak iOS 5 & 5.0.1 via Ac1dSn0w

iOS 5 & 5.0.1 (GSM) Unlock

• How to unlock iOS 5 & 5.0.1 via ultrasn0w

iOS 4.3.3 (AT&T/GSM) Jailbreak (untethered)

• How to jailbreak iOS 4.3.3 via JailbreakMe (including iPad 2)
• How to Jailbreak iOS 4.3.3 with redsn0w

iOS 4.2.6 (Verizon) Jailbreak (untethered)

• How to jailbreak iOS 4.2.6 on your Verizon iPhone 4 with Greenpois0n

AppleTV Jailbreak

• How to jailbreak AppleTV 2 via Seas0nPass

Common Jailbreak Terms

Jailbreak

The most obvious of all terms, but yet the most confused. Jailbreaking simply allows users to have access to certain core functionality that Apple doesn't give us stock. A jailbreak also gives users access to applications Apple may have rejected via Cydia. It also allows custom loading of apps (on Android, loading applications yourself is referred to as side-loading, just as rooting is to Android, jailbreak is to iPhone). On the iPhone you can use the SSH method or use iPhone Explorer. Jailbreaking allows customization at its core meaning, but shouldn't be confused with unlocking.

Unlocking

Unlocking your iPhone allows you to use it on any GSM carrier. Simply meaning, if you have an AT&T iPhone, unlocking it will allow you to use it on T-Mobile USA or even Rogers Wireless in Canada by simply inserting a different SIM card. A lot of jailbreakers will unlock their iPhones not only to use on a different carrier, but to increase resale value. The unlock process can change from firmware to firmware but typically, you'll need to jailbreak your phone and then install a program via Cydia like ultrasn0w or yellowsn0w, which will then unlock your iPhone.

Cydia

Apple has the App Store, jailbreakers have Cydia in addition to the default App Store. And if you want to be technical, Cydia was THE first App Store. It was available with iOS 1.x and allowed jailbreakers to download apps before the App Store even existed. Those who jailbroke their first generation iPhones on 1.x have seen several jailbreak ideas and concepts become parts of iOS. We would mention Rock here, but seeing as Cydia acquired Rock, there's probably no point now. Another term you may hear when it comes to Cydia is repos, or repositories. These are simply sources you add in the manage section. ModMyi and BigBoss are two of the largest. They are already added when you install Cydia. You are always welcome to add custom repos if you choose. I highly advise only adding repos from trusted sources. If you have a weird feeling about adding it, I'd probably pass.

YouTube Link

Recovery Mode/DFU Mode

Many people still confuse these two terms. They ARE different. There IS an easy way to tell which mode your phone is in. If your screen shows a connect to iTunes logo with a slide for emergency option, you are in recovery mode. If the slide for emergency option is not there and you only see the connect to iTunes logo, you are in DFU mode (DFU mode can also present as a blank screen as well).

The main difference between these two modes is what they will and won't bypass for installs. Recovery mode will implement iBoot (basically a portion of the bootloader than runs an integrity check) which will not allow you to downgrade your device. DFU mode will still talk to iTunes but it bypasses iBoot which will then allow you to downgrade firmware. Most jailbreaks will require DFU mode for these reasons. To enter DFU mode, you will follow these steps:

• Turn off your iPhone
• Hold down your power and home buttons
• Release the power button when the Apple logo appears, but continue holding down the home button. You should be presented with a Connect to iTunes logo.
• Plug in your phone and iTunes should yell at you and say you must restore the device before it can be used.

SHSH Blobs

A lot of people ask about this one and why Cydia wants to save them. When you upgrade firmware in iTunes, you'll see at the top when you start a restore "Verifying restore with Apple". Apple only signs current firmware versions. If you accidentally upgrade and then try to downgrade, your restore will fail. SHSH blobs save you from this headache. It will basically give iTunes a fake hand to shake, which in turn, makes iTunes think your restore has been verified. This can be a life saver if you accidentally upgrade and need to downgrade. TinyUmbrella will save SHSH blobs to the Cydia server as well. I highly recommend saving your blobs for every firmware version in case you ever find yourself in this predicament. We have posted a guide on how to save SHSH blobs via TinyUmbrella.

Baseband

The baseband is essentially the part of your device that controls the antennae. This has everything to do with your service and signal. This is why most unlockers have to be extremely careful when upgrading. If the baseband changes, it can permanently keep them from achieving an unlock. This is the main reason most unlockers tend to favor PwnageTool. It creates a custom firmware bundle for you to upgrade to that doesn't upgrade the baseband, only the main OS. If you are running on a legitimate carrier and don't care about unlocking, the baseband it typically less of a concern. Wifi and Bluetooth don't run on the baseband either, so iPod touch or iPad owners typically don't have concerns when it comes to new baseband versions.

Springboard

On a desktop you have a desktop, on an iPhone you have a springboard. It's basically the interface you constantly interact with. Another term you'll come in contact with is respringing. This is basically the act of restarting the springboard. Some jailbreak apps you install will require you to do this. All changes in the appearance of your phone via Winterboard (explained below) will require a respring as well. It's nothing more than refreshing your desktop on a computer.

Common Jailbreak Utilities

Winterboard

A lot of people jailbreak for the ability to change the look of their iPhone. Enter Winterboard, which is a free download via Cydia. It's a necessary utility to install themes and most customizations. Many veteran jailbreakers will remember the days of Summerboard as well. Winterboard took its place a few years back and improved upon several things. When you install a theme, all the components will show up in Winterboard. Depending upon how a theme developer decided to bundle their theme, you may have only one package in Winterboard, or you may have several. I personally prefer when developers separate theme elements. Since Winterboard works as a hierarchy, I can select a theme and if I don't like the sounds, I can download a sound pack I "do" like and apply that in Winterboard. The key is to move it above the main theme so it overrides the sounds I don't want. I highly suggest jailbreakers to become very familiar and comfortable with Winterboard. If you do, there is no limit to what you can do to your phone and you'll be able to tweak and customize even the littlest details of your springboard.

YouTube Link

SBSettings

This free utility allows you to add quick toggles that will drop down onto your springboard. There are also several plug-ins and themes you can download for SBSettings as well. It'll also allow you to hide icons you don't want or use. This is especially useful for hiding stock apps you can't uninstall. I hide the default weather and stock apps among others that are simply wasting space on my springboard. You'll also be able to more closely keep tabs on your memory and running processes. This was extremely useful before multitasking. It's still useful today for freeing up memory and seeing what may be eating through battery or slowing your phone down.

YouTube Link

iWipeCache

Prior to 3.x, iOS didn't cache icons in a way that created issues. The problem now with 3.x and beyond is the way the file system caches icons. When you switch themes, sometimes you'll notice certain icons don't change or they stay stuck on the last theme you had active. Prior to iWipecache, you had to SSH into your phone and delete the cache in certain folders and respring. iWipecache simplifies this process and does it for you on the go. It's a free utility and something I'd highly recommend to anyone who likes to change UI elements and themes frequently. If there is ever a time iWipeCache doesn't work, especially under iOS 4.x, try going into Winterboard and toggling Summerboard mode on and off, then respringing. This seems force even the most stubborn icons to change.

OpenSSH

Open SSH is a utility that allows SSH access to your device. You can then use an SSH client to access your device's main file system for editing. Simpler utilities now exist, such as iPhone explorer which you'll download to your PC or Mac. When you plug your iPhone, iPod, or iPad in, it will bring up the file system and you can edit without SSH access. I recommend using a utility like iPhone explorer over SSH as it's safer. SSH can open you up to hackers and give others access to your file system if you forget to disable it. SSH is also a huge battery hog. The only benefit is that you don't have to have your phone plugged in to SSH. You must be plugged in to use a utility like iPhone explorer. If you decide to use the SSH option, make sure to change your iPhone root and user passwords. You can visit our Jailbreak Forums if you need help doing this.

Notification Replacement Apps

There are more than a few choices when it comes to selecting a notification app. LockInfo, Intelliscreen, and Notified Pro are all acceptable selections. Most offer trials so it's really up to personal preference. I'm a major fan of LockInfo and find it much more user friendly than Intelliscreen. Notified Pro has also been gaining some ground and continues to add many improvements as well. Since Apple has yet to improve upon their notification system, I highly suggest checking these out and implementing one of them. You'll be happy you did. I've already posted a guide to setting up LockInfo so be sure to check that out as well.

SMS Apps and Add-Ons

There are many apps that improve SMS capabilities as well. I personally use BiteSMS but apps such as TLert and iRealSMS are more than acceptable candidates as well. QuickReply for SMS is also a good app but be warned that the developer has decided to not continue with it. It's rumored to go free (if it hasn't already). So if you're okay with the current bugs and don't expect updates, it may be an acceptable option for you. Most of these apps allow you to reply quickly to texts without it interrupting your work-flow. They'll also allow you to create gestures on the springboard which will allow you to quickly send an SMS without ever leaving the current app you're already in.

MyWi

Many users are left bitter when certain carriers want to charge them an additional fee just for the privilege of tethering. MyWi is a wonderful little app and in my opinion, a major reason to jailbreak on its own. MyWi alllows you to create a wifi hotspot with your iPhone. I have a wifi only iPad and I never even considered purchasing the 3G version. I simply tether my iPad to my iPhone. Just be wary of doing this if you don't have an unlimited data plan. As of writing this, MyWi currently costs $19.99. It may seem like a hefty price tag but you'll pay that in data and/or tethering fees in less than 2 months. You'll only pay for MyWi once. You do the math.

My3G

Similar to MyWi, this app is a tweak that allows you to lift certain restrictions carriers and Apple have in place. It will allow you to trick your phone into thinking you have a wifi connection when you are really on the carrier network. This trick comes in handy if you need to download an app over 20MB and aren't in range of wifi. It also allows you to use FaceTime over 3G as well. There is also another app called 3G Unrestrictor which will also allow you to make FaceTime calls over 3G.

As always, if you guys think of anything awesome you think should be on this list, shoot me an e-mail to ally.kazmucha@tipb.com or post it in the comments below!

Quake 3 Arena is coming to the iPad by way of Cydia, with integrated touchscreen controls and reportedly far more stable gameplay than the current version for iOS devices. The port comes courtesy of Alexander Pick, forum member at Paduser.com, who has been refining this unique verson so that it's a perfect fit for the iPad. Here are some of the additional features included in the game:

Being a huge fan of Quake 3 Arena (even still to this day), I'm really excited for this release. We'd suggest hitting up the link below in order to grab the high-res texture pack for the best fragging experience. You can also view a quick demo of the test version running on an iPad (Facebook link).

So will you be practicing your headshot skills on the iPad after this hits Cydia? Let us know in the comments!

[Paduser via Gizmodo]

iPhone Dev Team member MuscleNerd has announced on his twitter feed that Cydia creator Saurik and jailbreak dev Chpwn are hard at work on a Cydia update just in time for the release and jailbreak of iOS 4.2.

What changes are coming, if any, have not been specified but loading speed reduction and user reviews have long been rumored. What changes would you like to see? Let us know by leaving a comment or discussing it in our Jailbreak Forum!

[@MuscleNerd]

In the past Cydia has given the option to "Make my life easier" which automatically saved SHSH blobs on the Cydia server, but since the release of limera1n and greenpois0n, this option has disappeared and your saved SHSH blobs are not shown on the Cydia front page. The Cydia server is still up and running, and any SHSH blob that you saved previously is still saved. Also TinyUmbrella, which uses the Cydia server, still works perfectly and should be used to make sure your 4.1 SHSH blobs have been saved.

My guess is that with the huge flood of jailbreaks and Cydia downloads during the past couple weeks, Saurik decided to turn this feature off for the time being in order to save bandwidth. Fear not, your blobs are still safe and this feature should return soon...

[TinyUmbrella, image via ipodtouchfans]

by Farbod

Wondering how to Jailbreak iOS 4.1 with greenpois0n? Jailbreakers have a wealth of options when it comes to iOS 4.1.  We've already looked at how to jailbreak iOS 4.1 via limera1n and how to jailbreak via PwnageTool 4.1.  Now we're looking at the Mac version of greenpois0n.  PC users shouldn't have too much difficulty following along with any of these as the steps are generally the same.  It's really up to you what tool you decide to use.  I suggest unlockers use PwnageTool 4.1 though, as it will preserve your baseband for future unlocking.  And as always, we take no responsibility to any damage done to your iPhone, iPod touch, or iPad.

This version of greenpois0n will jailbreak the following devices:

• iPhone 4 and iPhone 3GS
• iPod Touch 4th and 3rd gen
• iPad (iOS 3.2.2)

Hit the jump for a walkthrough and video!

You'll need to download greenpois0n first.  After that you'll be able to launch it and it'll walk you through how to put your phone in DFU mode.

If for some reason it keeps failing, try making sure iTunes is running in the background.  I know some people were saying it would fail unless iTunes was running.  You'll know it worked when iTunes starts telling you you're phone must be restored before it can be used.

greenpois0n should then do its job of jailbreaking your phone.  You'll see a lot of random text across the screen of the phone and it'll reboot itself.  If all goes well, when it reboots, you should have a loader icon on your homescreen. (For some users it seems to be the greenpois0n icon, for others it's showing up as a white blank icon.)  Either way is fine.

Open the loader and install Cydia.  Once that's done, your iDevice will reboot once more and you should now have access to Cydia.  Pretty simple process.

But if you do have questions or issues, feel free to visit our Jailbreak Forums for help and tips.

LiveClock for iPhone is a simple tweak available to jailbreakers.  The iPhone's default clock app icon is forever stuck in time (10:15 to be exact).  It may not be that big of a deal, but if you'd like your clock icon to reflect accurate time, LiveClock will simply turn your icon into a living, breathing (and ticking) icon.  I've used this in the past and never noticed a decrease in battery life or an overall lag. I'd been wondering what happened to LiveClock when iOS 4.0 was released.  A lot of apps seem to be getting updated since the release of limera1n and greenpois0n.

This version looks like it was updated for iOS 4.x and for the iPhone 4's retina display. I'm not sure about the retina display part but it looks pretty good to me compared to icons I know are updated to support Retina display. You can also find tweaks in Cydia for LiveClock such as color skins and themed out versions. Anyone else find any cool Jailbreak apps recently updated for iOS 4.x?

[via iPhone Download Blog]

Notified for iPhone is a notification app available via Cydia.  It allows users to have more of an Android-style notification system.  I'd been on the hunt for a better notification system for quite a while.  This is one area I feel Apple has sorely neglected, and probably one of my biggest peeves.  Apps like LockInfo and Intelliscreen have stepped in to pick up some of the slack, but in my opinion, Notified does a cleaner job of presenting notifications.

[app site]

When you first install Notified, you'll see an icon to configure it. You can also create a gesture via Activator whether its a quick swipe up from the bottom of your screen or whatever you choose. This will allow you to access Notified from anywhere. Notified will simply drop down from the top of your screen and show all of your notifications.

Notified requires almost no user setup unless you want to route notifications to open a certain app when selected. There's also a free plug-in for Notified that adds a status bar along the bottom of your phone when you receive a notification. The only downside to this plug-in is that is runs from the same API pop-up alerts do (from what I can tell). If you disable pop-up alerts, the plug-in won't work. To me, this is somewhat counterproductive. I don't need 2 notifications at the same time, for the same thing. I'd like to be able to disable the pop-up alerts in notification settings and just use the unobtrusive notification system that Notified has developed. Hopefully this will come in an update to the plug-in. (Update: Notified also has another newer plug-in that runs across the top bar that's unobtrusive).

Compared to other jailbreak notification options, the UI looks much cleaner than that of Intelliscreen and LockInfo (and this is always, of course, a matter of personal preference). Priced at $2.99, it's also cheaper than either of its competitors. It does not however show any information on the lockscreen. This didn't bother me though. A quick swipe on your lock screen (with whatever gesture you chose in Activator), allows you to see your notifications on the lockscreen as well.

Pros

• Incredibly quick

• Doesn't eat memory or run unnecessary processes that decrease battery life

• Nice interface

• Monitors battery life as well

Cons

• Plug-in doesn't really serve a purpose since you can't disable pop-up alerts (newer bar solves this problem but folks that like the look of the bottom notified bar better may have an issue

• Notification plug-in doesn't have settings to make alerts disappear after a specific amount of time, they just sit there

Rock Your Phone has been acquired by Cydia, creating a unified place to download and buy Jailbreak apps for iOS devices like iPhone, iPod touch, and ipad.

After 18 months in the iOS Jailbreak scene Rock has been acquired by SaurikIT (makers of Cydia) and over the next few days we will be moving all products/users/licenses over to Cydia Store.

Licenses are being transferred to Cydia so you should still be able to re-install all your already purchased apps at will.

If you already have a Cydia Store login, your licenses have already transferred. Those who do not have a Cydia Store login, simply use (or create) your Google Account/Facebook account to login to Cydia Store, and your licenses will transfer automatically. If you’ve changed devices in the last day or two, don’t worry. You can simply type in your RockID and your licenses will transfer over.

Congratulations to the folks at Rock and Cydia both.

[rockyourphone.com via @kingjcaine]

Geohot has updated his blog to let us know that he's apparently jailbroken his iPhone 4 in less than one day.  There's a little caveat though -- he's said he probably won't release it.  Well I guess my question is, what's the point in posting it up then?  Most people are familiar with Geohot's blackra1n and purplera1n jailbreak tools.  They were simple and downright easy.

He also took the time to mention the rumors of limera1n.com -- basically stating that it's no more than a waterdrop on the web and he's never mentioned it before, so don't read too much into it.  My opinion? A picture of Cydia on an iPhone 4 is pretty unconvincing.  He certainly has the skills and the record to find an exploit and jailbreak iPhone 4, but why no video, and why no seeming interest in releasing it?

To say the least, the reason for the post is confusing.

As for now, we've got PwnageTool 4.0.1 for iOS4, but iPhone 4 users are going to have to wait a while longer.  I guess we'll see what the Dev Team and Spirit developers come up with.

[ Geohot]

iRealSMS 3.0 for iPhone is a jailbreak utility that you can use in place of the default messaging app.  Up until this point, I had always used QuickReply for SMS.  A several of you TiPb'ers recommended I look at iRealSMS 3.0 so I did. And I'm impressed.  iRealSMS 3.0 exceeds the features of QuickReply for SMS by a landslide.

When you launch the app, you're greeted with a screen that shows 3 tabs along the bottom; folders, conversations, and settings.  Everything you need is in one easy to access place.  I like that aspect a lot, as most apps put their user configurations in settings, which just means you have to go one more place to make changes.  I wish more developers would start including settings within their applications.

One thing I didn't like about QuickReply was if you closed out of a text, you still had to exit out of what you were doing in order to respond.  This isn't the case with iRealSMS 3.0, you simply set a shortcut in your settings to be able to access Quick Send.  I love this feature as I'm really forgetful.  I will be playing a game or reading news feeds and think of 2 other things I needed to tell someone and have to close out of my current task in order to do it.  With iRealSMS, this is no longer a problem for me.

You also have the option of a blacklist feature.  You can also choose to have all texts sent by a blacklisted number automatically deleted.  Another feature that most texting apps lack is delivery notification.  Very handy feature.  Some users reported it didn't work but I tested it with a friend and it seemed to work okay with me.

Emoji also show up in an easy to access drop down menu or you can choose to have any emoticons you type out automatically turned into Emoji.  I remember last summer Leanna introduced me to the world of Emoji via the app store, and I haven't been able to go a day without them since (thanks Leanna!).

The price tag for iRealSMS 3.0 is a bit steep compared to that of its counterparts, but for the feature set you get, the $9.99 price tag may be well justified.  There's a free trial as well, so you can always try it out and see if it seems like a good value to you, and purchase after giving it a test run.

iRealSMS also has an iRealNetwork, as they call it, which will allow you to buy texting credits if you don't wish to have a texting package.  The current rate is 8 EURO cents per text (of course you'll have to convert that to your own currency).  In almost every case, that'll average out to a heck of a lot cheaper than standard texting plans cost for those of you who are looking to save some cash or cut out texting charges.

If you picked up iRealSMS 3.0 or have another jailbreak text supplement you use, let us know what you think in the comments!

Pros

• Folders
• Blacklist
• Snappy response times
• Very configurable
• QuickSend option
• Credit System for those who don't have a texting package
• In-App Settings
• Voice Notification if you choose to enable

Cons

• Price is a bit steep
• Delivery Notification not very reliable

In lieu of iOS4 and iPhone 4 next week, we know a lot of you will be upgrading to either a new OS or new hardware altogether.  Those of you that jailbreak may find backing up your jailbroken apps a lot easier than reinstalling everything once you re-jailbreak.  Now keep in mind, I wouldn't suggest upgrading if you're unlocked as unlocks are never a sure thing until they're released.  But if you're just jailbreaking, we're already aware of a working jailbreak that's ready for iOS4.  Given nothing changes, this should ease your transition.

Before we proceed, one more warning; as with any OS upgrade on iDevices, not all apps will be compatible immediately.  We saw this with 3.0 with things such as custom keyboards not working.  This may very well be the case again, so if you have jailbreak apps you just can't live without, make SURE they'll be compatible with iOS4 before you upgrade. Now hit the jump for Cydia and Rock back-up walkthroughs!

Cydia

Now Cydia is a little bit more complicated than Rock, but a lot of users much prefer Cydia, so we'll cover this one first. It's still a pretty easy process. To backup your jailbroken apps via Cydia, you'll need to download a free app called Aptbackup.

Once you've got Aptbackup installed, you'll see this icon on your homescreen:

Tap that icon and you'll see 2 buttons, backup and restore. Before you upgrade or do anything, click backup.

After you do this, you'll need to sync with iTunes. This will allow Aptbackup to sync your jailbroken apps to your PC/Mac. After you've done this you are okay to go ahead and install iOS4. After your install is finished, go ahead and sync/backup with iTunes.

Once you've restored from your backup in iTunes, go ahead and re-jailbreak. Then go into Cydia and re-download Aptbackup. This time you'll click the restore button. This will restore all your jailbreak apps. Easy enough, right? Now lets cover Rock users...

Rock

Rock's process is dead simple. Every Rock user should already have a Rock ID, if you don't, you'll need to get one in order to save backups to it, so that after a new OS install or restore, you can just sign into your ID and have your backups waiting.  After you've saved everything to your Rock ID, you can do your restore.  After you re-jailbreak and install Rock, you'll just sign in and click on your settings tab like below:

You're going to want to click Settings and scroll down a ways. You'll see app backup options.  Now before you start installing a new OS, you need to make sure Rock is actually making backups for you. The option to save packages to your Rock ID should always be checked. If it isn't, check it and make SURE you have a backup if you're using Rock.

All you're going to do here is choose "Restore from Backup" - you'll then be presented with however many backups you have saved to your Rock ID. I normally choose the most recent under most circumstances.

That's pretty much it! Rock will do the rest for you. It may take a bit depending on how many packages you have installed, so if need be, turn your auto-lock to never and plug your phone in, leave Rock open, and let it do its thing!

Now you're all ready for a new jailbreak on iOS4! Questions, comments? Leave 'em below!

The jailbreak community offers an abundance of tools that allow you to make your iPhone fit your personality and mood.  If you're anything like me, I can be pretty picky about layouts and exactly how my phone is set up.  I want all my most frequently used apps in one place, neat and tidy, and ready to use.

For some iPhone users, that plain black background and all the stock icons get pretty boring.  I change my theme on my iPhone a couple times a month, if not more.  There are several jailbreak tools that can help turn your iPhone from boring, to brilliant.

There's always one problem with paid and free themes, you get what the theme developer gives you.  There may be some theme elements you don't like at all, or ones that are missing that you'd like to add.  There are several ways to edit themes and customize them to fit you individually. Today, we'll show you how to do just that.

There's a couple things you'll need in order to do this:

1. Winterboard - Free via Cydia and Rock
2. Custom theme - This can be your choice, paid or free. I chose iTopSB for this tutorial by ToyVan, available in Cydia and Rock for $1.99
3. OpenSSH - Free via Cydia and Rock
4. SBSettings - Convenient to toggle SSH and other settings on and off, Free via Cydia and Rock
5. iWipeCache - Clears your springboard cache for you instead of having to do it manually, Free via Cydia and Rock
6. SSHClient - Several free and paid available for PC and Mac. Here's an earlier article that links to popular choices
7. Optional installs: iBlank, FontSwap, CategoriesSB (there is a free version but I highly recommend CategoriesSB over plain Categories, it's worth the $0.99), FiveiRows, FiveIconDock (I say optional as these are totally user preference and not neccessary if you don't want them - they're all free so give them a try, you can always disable and they'll be there later if you want to use them with a different theme at some other point).

First thing I recommend doing is going into your iPhone's settings and turn the auto-lock to never. You can do this by going to Settings, General, Auto-Lock, and check Never.  Sometimes if your phone goes to sleep while you're making changes to the file system via SSH, it'll disconnect you and certain files may not transfer.  I also recommend having your phone charging throughout the SSH process. Using SSH and having the backlight on constantly will deplete your battery pretty quick.

Next, toggle SSH on via SBSettings if you haven't already.

Now you'll need to open your SSH client on your computer and SSH into your phone. If you aren't sure how to do this, read this article first. Your iPhone's IP address is also easily found via SBSettings as seen in the above screenshot.

After you have gotten into the main file system of your iPhone, you'll need to go into your Themes folder. The easiest way to do this is with the shortcuts in the main directory.  Just go to Library, Themes.

Now I can see a list of all my themes that I have installed via Winterboard.  Before continuing on, I think it's imperative to explain a little about why Winterboard is such a powerful tool.  Some themes can be customized completely without even having to SSH into your iPhone with the use of Winterboard alone.  Lets say for example, I have a theme I bought through Cydia, but I don't like the chat bubbles.  That's something I can fix easily via Winterboard.  I can download chat bubbles I do like, select them in Winterboard, and just drag them higher up in Winterboard than the main theme. My chat bubbles will now override the chat bubbles in the theme.  That's because Winterboard works as a hierarchy.  Things at the top take precedence over those further down in the list.

Use this to your advantage.  Sometimes I don't like the sounds a theme comes with, so I'll simply download a sound pack I do like, drag it higher than the theme in Winterboard, and it overrides the theme default sounds.  This is especially useful for times when you're not near a computer and need a quick fix.  It doesn't replace the power of actual editing via SSH, but it's definitely useful.

Alright, now for editing a theme.  I chose iTopSB for this example.  This is a very beautiful and extensive theme but there are certain things that just don't suit my taste in this theme, so I want to remove them.

These are the items I'm going to remove in this tutorial:

• Splash/loading screens
• Lock background
• Arrow UI elements inside the mail app

Another tip, I always copy the entire theme to my desktop on my iMac. Then I rename it something like "iTopSB Edited" and drag it back over.  That's the copy I edit.  Then, when you receive updates via Rock and Cydia for a theme, you don't have to do this process everytime.  It'll update the main theme and not your edited theme.  Then you can go apply the main theme, see if there's any new additions you'd like to bring over to your edit version, and do that if need be.  It makes life much easier than re-tweaking a theme everytime an update is issued.

Alright, first thing in our list is splash screens.  These always irritate me in themes. I know some people really like them, but to me, all they do is increase the time it takes for an app to load and be useful.  Therefore, I remove them.

Splash screens are typically located inside the main theme folder in a folder called "Folders".  Inside that folder, you'll fine typical stock and popular apps that the developer has made splash screens for. You'll have to go into each of these folders and delete the splash screen PNG in order to get rid of them.  Depending on what you need/want from that folder, you can sometimes get away with just deleting the entire "Folders" folder with no damage to the theme but ridding yourself of splash screens and other extra UI tweaks that aren't technically necessary.

Again, this is all a matter of personal preference.  Some people like extra UI images and tweaks.  To me, I may want my iPhone to look different, but I don't want the UI bogged down. I still want a clean look, not cluttered.  This is why I always clean up themes to suit my personal taste.  I figure if anything, this process will teach some of you how to find what you're looking for when deleting theme elements and get you more comfortable with the folder systems and where to find things inside a theme folder.

Alright, I've found my splash screens, and in my case, since there was nothing inside that specific folder I wanted, I've went ahead and deleted it completely in my edited theme.

Next we move to the lock background.  I typically like my own picture on my lockscreen.  So I'll just go into the main theme folder and delete the file called LockBackground.png.  That's it.  Pretty easy, eh?

For our final deletion, we'll have to find what UI element is creating the little pesky arrows in the mail app that I'm just not to crazy about.  And keep in mind, you aren't always going to know exactly where these elements are. There are a few different ways theme developers can form their file structure. So where I may put certain UI elements, another developer may choose another folder syntax.  For the most part, it's universal, but certain things, such as Icons, can be done a few ways.  Most SSH clients have nice preview features that allow you to preview files and see if it's what you're looking for.

In my case, most of the culprits were always found in Library/Themes/"ThemeName"/Folders or Library/Themes/"ThemeName"/UIImages

You'll probably have the most luck looking for things in those two locations.  Check out the video for a walkthrough and a couple other tips and tricks!

And as always, if there's something you really can't figure out or find, leave it below or in the forums!

YouTube Link

We get a lot of questions about tweaking Jailbroken iPhones, so here are a few handy tools that are free and don't require a lot of know-how in order to implement.  All you need is a bit of spare time to change your Jailbroken iPhone from stock to stunning!

Fontswap

First up is FontSwap, which allows you to change the system fonts on your iPhone. It can be found in Rock and Cydia for free.

On the main page of FontSwap you can choose to change fonts on different parts of your phone. There are certain times I have the Lock Clock font set different than the system wide fonts, and that's okay too. Whatever suits you.

I always get a lot of requests for the font I use.  It's call Simpsons font and it's available for free in Cydia and Rock.  FontSwap will come with a few default fonts to choose from, but you can download lots more for free.  Just go into Cydia or Rock and search for fontswap.  You'll get tons of new fonts you can browse and download.  Once you download them, they'll automatically go into FontSwap for you to apply.

Chat Bubbles

Another tweak I enjoy using is changing chat bubble colors.  This can be done one of two ways.  You can either make your own chat theme or you can search Rock and Cydia for "sms bubbles" and "sms balloons" and apply them via Winterboard.  There aren't a lot to choose from but making your own is pretty easy.  DeviantArt and forums like modmyi.com have a ton of users that post up chat bubbles and balloon templates you can use for your own personal use.

iBlank and BlankNull

Our last tweak for today is iBlank.  If you're jailbroken and anything like me, you want to actually see your background.  I accomplish this with iBlank.  It basically produces blank icons for you that allow you to move them around like you would apps in order to see your backgrounds.

I also installed a free app from Cydia called "BlankNull" as well.  This way, your blank icons become unclickable.  Pretty neat, eh?  I frequently reorder icons in L shapes, just along the bottom, or on a side depending on what part of a picture I want to see.  iBlank makes it really easy.

Have any cool apps you use to tweak out your jailbroken iPhone? Let us know and maybe we'll include those next time!

One of the most common topics in the jailbreak forums is always theme editing and customization.  To really be able to truly customize a theme, you need to know how to SSH into your iPhone.  Anyone who is already familiar with web development and using an FTP client should be right at home.  For the most part, FTP clients are also capable of SSH.  If you don't have a client, don't worry, there's plenty of free ones.

And now for the typical disclaimer - if you aren't comfortable messing with your phone's file system and the possibility of having to completely restore if something goes wrong, don't proceed any further. As always, we aren't responsible for any damage you may do to your phone, so proceed at your own risk.  If this all sounds okay to you, read on iPhone ninja!

1.  Download an FTP client. In the video, I'm using CyberDuck, which is a Mac client for FTP. You can also use Fugu or iPhone Explorer.  If you're a windows user, iPhone Explorer has a Windows version or you can use something like SmartFTP.

2.  Install OpenSSH and SBSettings to your iPhone.  Most of you probably already have SBSettings, but you'll need OpenSSH to be able to access your iPhone's file system.

And don't forget, at some point, change your iPhone's root and user passwords!  If you need help with this, jump over to the Forums.  OpenSSH and SBSettings can both be downloaded through Cydia or Rock, your preference.  SBSettings isn't necessary, but it gives you a very easy way to toggle SSH on and off.  Here's a ninja tip, whenever you aren't actively using SSH, turn it off. It not only further protects you from unauthorized access, but SSH is a huge battery hog.  So when you're not using it, just switch it off.

3.  Alright now that we've got that taken care of, you'll need to do one of the following after SSH is enabled on your iPhone:

• iPhone Explorer users - plug in your phone and launch iPhone Explorer and it should automatically populate your iPhone file system, then skip to step 5
• Most other FTP clients - be on a wifi network and find your iPhone's IP and jot it down, it's found under Settings --> Wi-Fi --> click the blue arrow next to the network you are connected to, once you have that, launch your FTP client

Click the blue arrow, like in the image below, IP address is what you're looking for, write it down.

4.  For FTP users, you'll need to enter your iPhone's IP address and make sure the port is set to 22.  Your username is root and the default password is 'alpine' (without the quotes).  Then click connect or continue.  If you're successful, you should now have a list of all your iPhone's files.  (Note: over wi-fi, you don't have to have your iPhone plugged in, but I'd recommend it so it doesn't kill your battery)

5.  You'll now see a list of files you can navigate through, to get to your themes for editing, simply click Library ---> Themes and all the themes you've downloaded should be in there.  Next jump down to the video for a walk-through of how to alter/change/add files in existing themes as well as create your own custom themes! And one more ninja tip, go into Settings --> Autolock --> Never. Sometimes when you're SSH'ing and your screen goes off, your SSH client will give you an error, so turn off auto-lock while you're customizing.

YouTube Link

Update: This app seems to break core functionality, read my article here on uninstalling Wi-Fi Sync. Until the developer decides these issues need to be addressed, I can't recommend anyone pay for this application, or until another workaround is found. The developer has been completely unresponsive when I've tried to contact him about the issue and at this time, I have no current easy solution to resolving broken backups and upgrades.

Wi-Fi Sync for iPhone is a jailbreak app that allows you to wirelessly sync with iTunes as opposed to having to plug in your phone.  It found it's way into Cydia after it was rejected by Apple.

As of now, Wi-Fi Sync is only Mac compatible.  The developer is currently working on a PC version which he states on his website should be complete in about 8-10 weeks.  If you have a Mac and want to try it out, simply click here to get the Mac desktop software, then go in Cydia and purchase Wi-Fi Sync [$9.99 - Cydia Link].

After you've installed Wi-Fi Sync on your Mac and your iPhone, you should now be able to pair them.  The first time you do this, you'll need to be by your Mac as it'll ask you to accept the connection.  You'll see this new icon in your Mac task bar (far left).

From that menu you have a few settings.  One being to disable backups.  I did this, as backups typically take a while and obviously, over wifi, your syncs will not be as quick as they are via traditional USB connection.  It'll definitely make your battery take a hit with backups enabled as the time it takes to sync drastically increases.  To disable backups, just click that little icon and click to disable backups.

Now I don't know if it was just me or if it's a bug but my Mac kept asking me to accept the connection everytime, or wouldn't find it sporadically.  There was also a couple times it would boot me off and my iPhone would tell me I had no wi-fi connection.  As this app is in it's newborn stages, we will see how it progresses in terms of stability and feature set.  As far as I see, you'll also need to tell your phone to sync automatically if you plan on using this app while not directly in front of your computer.  If that setting isn't there, you'll physically have to be in front of your computer to hit sync, which to me is somewhat counter-productive.

In my opinion, it's a nice tool but I don't know if it's worth $10 at this point.  I personally encountered a few more bugs than I would have expected for an app with this type of price tag.  We'll see what the developer does to refine it in the coming months.

Pros

• Ease of use
• Convenient
• Uses same familiar syncing process users are already accustomed to

Cons

• Drains battery pretty quick
• Must have automatic sync enabled for this to be useful
• Price tag is somewhat high
• Mac Only (for now)
• Breaks backups within iTunes
• Breaks the upgrade/restore process within iTunes

No shock: Apple has rejected that nifty Wi-Fi sync application that was submitted for the App Store. Good news is, it's now available via Cydia for any jailbroken iPhone for $9.99. Engadget contacted the developer by phone and here is his rejection explanation.

"While he agreed that the app doesn't technically break the rules, he said that it does encroach upon the boundaries of what they can and cannot allow on their store. He also cited security concerns."

If you need to have this app and don't know a thing about jailbreaking be sure to stop by our jailbreaking forum for all of the information you will need.

[Engadget]

snes4iPhone, the Super Nintendo emulator for Jailbreak, was captured running on an iPad -- using a Wii remote to control your character.  Most people familiar to jailbreaking and running snes4iPhone already know how awesome it is to be able to carry your old favorites around on your iPhone.  Who doesn't love Mario and old school Nintendo games? Better yet, who wouldn't want it on their iPad?! Being able to do it on your iPad is even more awesome!  Of course, this is only for jailbroken users.

So if you're interested in jailbreaking, jump over to our jailbreak forums or check out our new Spirit tutorial to get your jailbreak up and running.  Spirit currently works with any iPhone or iPod touch running 3.1.3 and any iPad running 3.2.  Even if you don't have an iPad, sns4iPhone [$5.99 - Cydia link] is still a great buy for the iPhone as well.

And the normal disclaimer, if the thought of the jailbreak process frightens you, you may want to pass on this one.  Video after the break!

[via Touch Arcade]

YouTube link

If you are the owner of a hackivated iPhone today seems to be your lucky day as Push Doctor for push notifications has arrived via Cydia. Push Doctor supplies you with true activation certificates so unlike other workarounds, certificates are always unique.

Push Doctor is completely free and can be found on the NERV repository (http://www.cmdshft.ipwn.me/apt/) which you must add in Cydia. Keep in mind you will not see any application on your Springboard as all it will do is add certificates to your device. If you do give this a try remember to be patient as the server has been getting hammered all morning and push notifications may not work right away. So if you get any sort of error on install, simply try again at a later time.

Let us know how it's working for you in the comments below!

[Via cmdshft]

ProSwitcher [github link], the webOS "Cards"-style flickable, flick-to-close-able multitasking interface for Jailbroken iPhones running Backgrounder that we posted about last week has just gone primetime with version 1.0. You can find it in Cydia.

If you try it out, multitask us up a comment and let us know how it performs.

[via ShiekHali form the TiPb Jailbreak Forum, thanks also Wen Muenyi!]

If you're Jailbroken yet still frustrated that you can't move between iPhone apps as easily as you can web pages in Safari (or Palm webOS users can in card view), ProSwitcher [Free beta - Cydia] is something to consider.

A front end to Backgrounder, which enables multitasking on a Jailbroken iPhone or iPod touch, duplicates the "Pages" metaphor in MobileSafari, including swipe-able switching and X-icon closing, and for good measure adds in the swipe-up-to-close gesture from Palm's webOS "Cards" interface.

ProSwitcher is currently in free beta and available via Cydia at http://booleanmagic.com/repo. If you try it out, let us know how it works for you, and how badly you think Apple better add this in to iPhone 4.0!

[via JGold in the TiPb Jailbreak Forums, RedmondPie, and thanks Taimur for the pic!]

As Jeremy posted earlier, Apple wiped the iTunes App Store clean of all traces of Google Voice, both the official Google version and third party clients like GV Voice. (Rumor has it at the behest of AT&T)

GV Voice, however, didn't take their removal lying down. Nope, they (meaning developer Sean Kovacs) picked themselves right up, marched over to Cydia, and promptly made themselves available for Jailbreak.

And, weirdly, it's getting to the point that we're wondering if this isn't "the plan" all along.

Apple provides a closed appliance with strict and nebulously enforced rules for its App Store, placating carriers, and making a device so simple it's become the first true consumer smartphone success. At the same time, Jailbreak provides a de facto "expert" or "pro" version of the iPhone for those willing (and able) to do the work, at no training or support cost to Apple, and with complete deniability in terms of carrier and media agreements.

Whether we think Apple and/or AT&T are evil, Google is competitive, or whatever, with GV Mobile, Qik, and all the other apps available via Jailbreak, are iPhone users actually getting the best of both worlds...?

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in!]

The developer of Cydia, Jay Freeman, wants to take his creation to the next level. Freeman wants to turn the jailbroken app manager into a direct competitor of Apple's official App Store. For anyone not familiar with Cydia, what it does is act as a jailbroken application gateway. Every single jailbroken application out there is found via Cydia.

Currently, there are paid apps within Cydia but they require the use of Paypal and unlocking keys. Those are all set up by the developers of the apps themselves. Having an organized jailbreak apps "app store" would be ideal but it could also give Apple the nudge to really start going after the jailbreaking community. It wasn't long ago Apple claimed jailbreaking to be illegal.

According to Gizmodo, Freeman has already hired a lawyer. And TiPb thinks its for good reason... Now we all wait for a official response from Apple...

[Ed: We might have already seen the game plan in Apple vs. Psystar and the "John Doe" filings which may target the Hackintosh community -- Rene).

[Via Gizmodo]

A few weeks back we introduced you to a little Jailbreak app called xGPS. This is the first app available to bring turn-by-turn directions to your iPhone. It has just been updated to version 1.2 and seems to be much more polished overall. The biggest improvement is this version is of course, voice instructions support. To those of you who have not interested in Jailbreaking, are you tempted now?

Everybody would say: Finally! Yes, xGPS 1.2 has been released. The version has been sent to the MMI repository and will be available within some hours. It should be in everybody’s Cydia as the MMI repository is installed by default. Just do a refresh within some hours and xGPS should pop up. This version of xGPS has required us a lot of hours of work. We have tried to bring the most advanced and stable navigation software for the iPhone / iPod touch. However, even if we have made our best, you have to keep in mind that this software is free but not bug free. If you experience such a bug feel free to ask in the forum but do not say “It doesn’t work, it’s crappy”.

It's important to remember, this application is only available to those of you who are Jailbroken. For all of the details be sure to stop by the xGPS Blog!

[Thanks to all of you who sent this in!]

You really have to love Matt Stone and Trey Parker, the creators of South Park:

"We're always in favor of people downloading. It's how a lot of people see the show. And it's never hurt us. We've done nothing but be successful with the show. How could you ever get mad about somebody who wants to see your stuff?"

Well Apple drops the ball yet again with the official South Park app in the App store... and yet again a 3rd party picks up the slack. South Park Mobile is available via Cydia and if you are not jailbroken, check out www.southparkmobile.net on your iPhone. What this app allows you to do is stream full episodes of South Park for your viewing pleasure right on your iPhone. Every single episode, from every single season is available for you to stream. Keep in mind this is not something official from Mr. Stone and Mr. Parker but it's the best we currently have available to us.

*You must be on firmware 2.2+ in order for this Jailbreak App to work.

[Thanks to Jaun for the tip!]

A new application, Backgrounder, is now available for jailbroken phones! This allows you to run official App Store apps in the background. Yes, you can now listen to music while you are in your favorite App Store app!

With Backgrounder, you don't have to log into a secure shell session. You don't have to perform black magic. You just press and hold the home key while running any application. After a few seconds, the Backgrounding Enabled pop-up appears. Release the home button and go about your business. Backgrounder automatically returns you to SpringBoard. To quit the background application, re-launch it from SpringBoard, then press and hold Home until the Backgrounding Disabled pop-up appears.

Why Apple has not allowed apps to run in the background is beyond me. At first I thought that maybe the iPhone couldn't handle a few apps running at the same time so Apple rightfully did not allow it... well after trying this new app, which is only available to jailbreakers via Cydia, it is more than obvious that the iPhone indeed can handle apps running in the background.

So Apple when will you learn if you don't give us what we want, we eventually just take it...

So are you finally going to jailbreak your phone now? We've got step by step instructions up to Jailbreak the iPhone 3G for both Mac OS X and Windows PC users, and for the original iPhone 2G. Jailbreakers UNITE!!! Argh!!!!

[Via Ars Technica]

If you have been missing that all-important video recorder functionality for your iPhone, look no further than Cycorder. Now before you get all excited let me first say the only way you will be able to get this app is to have a jailbroken phone along with Cydia.

Jay Freeman, the author of other jailbroken apps such as Cydia and Winterboard, released Cycorder. It does have ads, but I can assure they do not get in your way. Just keep in mind these ads are keeping this app free for all of us.

Cycorder's video is shockingly decent for a cell phone video recorder. Recording in .mov format, Cycorder gets anywhere from 7-15 frames per second. It did not support audio when it was first released, but it does now. An update has just been released and it finally supports audio, though this clip does not contain any.

To get Cycorder simply go into Cydia and you will see it on the "Featured Packages" list on the front page. Download and enjoy!

Video and screenshot, after the break!

[Thanks for the tip Art!]

This is fun. It's like a game of cat and mouse between Apple firmware and the jailbreaking community, Apple launches an update and the iPhone-dev team works feverishly to jailbreak said update. This time, they are said to be putting the finishing touches on PwnageTool 2.0.2 which will be able to jailbreak the "snappier" 2.0.1.

Excited much? Well, there still won't be Installer.app because Installer 4 isn't ready for the primetime yet but a new version of Cydia will be there so you can still get some apps. There still is a lot of catching up to do on developing jailbroken apps and it still won't unlock the iPhone 3G, but all in due time. We'll follow up with a link to PwnageTool 2.0.2 when it is released.

ReadVia