Jailbreaking is not a new concept for iOS users. Though it's been around for some time, quite a few of the features that users used to have exclusively on jailbroken devices have made their way into the stock iOS software. Still, with Evasi0n being the most popular jailbreak ever, clearly there are still plenty of users who are seeking out greater flexibility on their iOS gadget. Here's some of the best tweaks available for those newly liberated iPhones and iPads.
Activator
Before you do ANYTHING on your jailbroken iPhone or iPad, you should download Activator. It's the one app that truly changes the way you use your device. Activator allows you to assign gestures to dozens of actions, as well as remapping the buttons to perform almost any function. Use an upward swipe to compose a message. Double tap on the status bar to pause playing music or to reveal the multitasking menu. Long press on the home button to launch the Camera app. Lock your phone with a swipe of the finger. Whatever your choice, Activator allows you to do it.
Springtomize
Allows OSX users to customize every inch of the way iOS looks and feels. Change fonts, colors, icons, lock screen behavior. A must have for any jailbroken iOS device.
Lorem
The iOS notification center leaves plenty to be desired. Of particular note is the fact that a user cannot swipe to remove old notifications. Lorem is a simple tweak that corrects this.
NCSettings
Gives you quick access to functions usually buried in the settings menu. The toggles are conveniently placed in the notification center and users can easily customize which options they want to appear. For a more expansive set of options, also check out SBSettings.
ShowCase
When using the default iOS keyboard, upper case letters are displayed, no matter what you are actually typing. ShowCase forces the iOS keyboard to show the proper case as it switches back and forth. Simple. So simple in fact, that one might wonder why it isn't this way by default.
Swipe Selection (video)
Text selection isnt that great on iOS. Trying to edit in the middle of a word can be a hassle unless you have pinpoint finger accuracy. Swipe selection allows you to swipe left or right on the keyboard in order to move the cursor while text editing. This makes a HUGE difference in usability. Text composition and editing is much much quicker using this tweak. Check out the video to see it in action.
Auxo (video)
Auxo re-imagines the iOS app switcher. Apps are now presented in a card view with a live thumbnail of the running app. You can also quickly swipe downward to close apps instead of the cumbersome "hold for two seconds then click the minus" that iOS defaults to. Auxo isn't free like most of these tweaks, but it is worth a look regardless.
NowNow
If you have an older iOS device, you likely don't have access to Siri's voice command goodness. NowNow allows you to use Google Voice search at the touch of a button. It won't be as handy at controlling the actual functions of your device, but it does do a great job with anything else you'd use voice search for. Use Activator to map it to your home button, and you've got a very similar experience to the native Siri app. That is of course assuming you don't feel dirty about using Google's voice search on your iOS device. Check out NowNow in action here.
There are hundreds of jailbreak tweaks out there, and every user will have their own preferences. As good as iOS is in stock form, these adjustments improve the overall user experience a great deal. Happy jailbreaking!
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