Since its inception in 2007, the iPhone has singlehandedly revolutionized an industry, and simultaneously created a whole new ecosystem that is thriving. Each iteration of iPhone OS, or iOS as it is now called, has produced more stable devices with better features and needed enhancements.
That all being said, many feel that iOS hasn’t progressed as rapidly as it should be progressing. Even though Apple made major strides with iOS 5 as far as wanted features were concerned, many feel that it’s not enough. Though, in my opinion, and in the opinion of many others, the iPhone and iOS can stand on its own two feet, there’s no denying that some things could be better.
That’s where jailbreaking comes in. Yes a lot of people jailbreak because they just want to tinker around with their device, some *gasp* jailbreak to steal the apps that many hardworking individuals put precious time into to bring to fruition, but many jailbreak simply because it can improve the iPhone experience. That’s the reason I jailbreak. In the never ending quest to create the perfect iPhone, I’m continuously on the lookout for new jailbreak tweaks and apps.
At this point, I think it’s safe to say that I have a pretty good grasp on what’s out there. With that in mind, I’ve compiled a definitive list of jailbreak tweaks that I believe create the perfect iPhone experience. Granted, as time goes on, some of these tweaks will undoubtedly become obsolete, or they may be replaced with apps or tweaks that do a better job. But at this point, I believe that the following 15 jailbreak tweaks create an iPhone experience that’s next to perfect. These are some of the best iPhone jailbreak tweaks for iOS 6.
Video walkthrough
3G Unrestrictor 5
The perfect iPhone would allow you to download any type of file, or do anything on your cellular connection without restriction. Sadly, Apple places restrictions on what you can and cannot do over a cellular connection. For example, you cannot download apps from the App Store that ring in at over 50MB in size. With 3G Unrestrictor, you can get around this limitation.
You can download apps over 50MB via cellular with 3G Unrestrictor 5
3G Unrestrictor is especially nice for those of you on unlimited plans, but it’s also great for various other areas of usage. For instance, Tweetbot allows you to stream your Twitter timeline, but this feature works over Wi-Fi only. With 3G Unrestrictor you can stream your Twitter timeline regardless of how you’re connected to the Internet.
There are many other uses for 3G Unrestrictor, streaming HD YouTube videos, FaceTime over Cellular, iCloud backups, etc. The more your experiment, the more uses you’ll undoubtedly find for this absolutely essential tweak. It goes a long way to bringing the iPhone closer to perfection.
Price: $3.99
3G Unrestrictor direct Cydia link | Read more about 3G Unrestrictor 5
Action Menu Plus Pack
With the advent of iOS 5’s keyboard shortcut feature, it’s true, I don’t use Action Menu Plus Pack as much as I once did. But that doesn’t mean that I’ve kicked this legendary jailbreak tweak to the curb. iOS will probably never lend the ability to access your copy and paste history, but Action Menu Plus Pack does.
Easily access clipboard history with Action Menu
Clipboard managers make like a lot easier, and chances are you’re running some sort of clipboard history tool on your desktop. Well, Action Menu Plus Pack allows you to do the same on the iPhone, and that’s why I believe it’s essential to creating the perfect iPhone.
Price: $2.99
Action Menu Plus Pack direct Cydia link | Read more about Action Menu
Auxo
The stock iOS app switcher is functional, but it doesn’t give you the slightest inclination as to what to expect when you launch an app. Auxo, on the other hand, provides a handy snapshot of the current state of the apps located in your app switcher. Along with that, there are swipe gestures for removing apps from the app switcher, along with redesigned music controls, and toggles for popular items like Wi-Fi and Bluetooth.
Auxo puts the app switcher close to perfection
Auxo makes it possible to control the contents of the app switcher using only swipe gestures. There’s even a tap and hold shortcut included to kill all running apps in one fell swoop. The iPhone certainly feels more complete with Auxo installed.
Price: $1.99
Auxo direct Cydia link | Read more about Auxo | Learn about Auxo themes
biteSMS
Apple’s stock Messages app is still pretty much the same as it was on iOS 1.0. The are so many opportunities to improve the stock Messages app that it’s become a huge point of frustration for iPhone owners. The good news is that jailbreaking allows you to fix nearly all of the shortcomings with text messaging on iOS. Foremost on the jailbreak scene is biteSMS, one of the primary reasons that many people jailbreak their iPhone’s to begin with.
biteSMS — the best way to manage and send messages on the iPhone
biteSMS allows you add contact images to your list of messages, quickly reply to texts without going to the Home screen and opening the app, quickly compose new messages from Notification Center, and so much more. biteSMS is simply the best way to use text messaging on the iPhone, hands-down.
Price: $7.99 (Free basic ad supported version)
biteSMS direct Cydia link | Read more about biteSMS
CallBar
Like the Messages app, the Phone app has been a source of neglect as well. And just like biteSMS did for the text messaging, CallBar drastically improves the phone call experience on iOS. For starters, CallBar is accessible from anywhere, within any app. This means that there’s no need to go all the way back to your Home screen in order to access the Phone app to make a phone call.
With CallBar, I can make and receive calls without being interrupted
Another great thing about CallBar is that incoming calls no longer pull focus away from what you’re currently engaged in. You can easily field or reject calls while not missing a beat with your current task. Perfection on the iPhone is only possible with an improved phone call experience, and CallBar fits the bill nicely.
Price: $3.99
CallBar direct Cydia link | Read more about CallBar
CleverPin
Passcode security is an inconvenient, but necessary evil when you consider all of the personal data we have stored on our phones these days. CleverPin is a jailbreak tweak that makes having even a strict Passcode requirement interval a lot more tolerable. As long as you trust the members of your own household, you can use CleverPin to keep your iPhone unlocked while connected to your Wi-Fi network. As soon as you disconnect from the network (i.e. leaving your home) then the Passcode is reenabled.
CleverPin makes passcode security more tolerable
You can also use CleverPin to disable the passcode while the device is charging, in Airplane mode, or playing music. For those a little more conservative, options exist to auto reactivate the passcode after a specific time of inactivity. CleverPin makes security on the iPhone smart, and hence, makes the iPhone that much better to use.
Price: $1.99
CleverPin direct Cydia link | Read more about CleverPin
iFile
iFile is practically on every list for must have jailbreak tweaks, but does it really help make the perfect iPhone? In a word, yes. Not only does it work hand-in-hand with another essential tweak on this list — Safari Download Manager — but it makes the iPhone work much more like a desktop computer. For instance, you can install files, zip and unzip files, access all of the files residing on your iPhone, share files via Bluetooth or via Wi-Fi, copy and paste files, create folders, view file properties, and so much more.
There’s no better way to manage files on iOS than iFile
iFile sounds a lot like the Finder found in OS X, doesn’t it? That’s exactly why it’s an essential app to have for the perfect iPhone.
Price: $4.00 (Free trial)
iFile direct Cydia link | Read more about iFile
IntelliScreenX
I debated a long while about including IntelliScreenX on the list. Yes, it’s one of the most impressive tweaks available for the iPhone, but does it really improve the experience? Having recently ditched IntelliScreenX’s built in Messages+ for biteSMS, that became more and more debatable for me.
IntelliScreenX means widgets on the Lock screen and an easily accessible Twitter stream
In the end, IntelliScreenX won out due to its built-in Twitter feed, Email, and RSS. They aren’t perfect, but it’s the best option we have right now for quickly accessing those accounts from Notification Center and/or the Lock screen.
Here’s a tip, make sure you venture into IntelliScreenX’s setting, and change the Messages Quick Compose/Reply setting to biteSMS. By doing this, you can enjoy the best of both worlds.
Price: $9.99 (Free trial)
IntelliScreenX direct Cydia link | Read more about IntelliScreenX
NCSettings
A lot of people will wonder why I opted for NCSettings over SBSettings. It boils down to this: beauty and easy of use. NCSettings doesn’t try to do to much; it’s a simple group of toggles that you can use to quickly enable or disable certain features on your iPhone.
The best looking toggle manager on the iPhone is NCSettings
There are tons of toggles included with NCSettings, even some of the more obscure ones like Personal HotSpot and private browsing. Your iPhone simply isn’t perfect until you have a way to quickly toggle on and off the various features of the iPhone, and NCSettings handles the task gracefully.
Price: Free
NCSettings direct Cydia link | Read more about NCSettings
PasswordPilot
I would have included PasswordPilot Pro on this list, but it’s not quite ready for iOS 6 as of yet. That’s okay, because in most cases the original PasswordPilot will do the job.
No more keying in ridiculously long App Store passwords courtesy of PasswordPilot
PasswordPilot encrypts and stores your App Store password so that you no longer have to enter the password when making purchases on the App Store. Obviously this isn’t for those of you who let their kids play around with their iPhones, but for everyone else, it’s a an absolute timesaver.
Price: Free
PasswordPilot direct Cydia link | Read more about PasswordPilot
Safari Download Manager
Safari Download Manager is iFile’s partner in crime. Just like its name says, Safari Download Manager allows you to download files from within the Safari Browser. You can download virtually anything, and then manage the file from within iFile.
With Safari Download Manager, you’re no longer limited as to what you can download
Needless to say, Safari Download Manager is a must-have tweak for those wanting to get more out of their iPhones. A perfect iPhone is one that’s ready to handle almost any scenario thrown its way, and Safari Download Manager is a good first step in preparing for just that.
Price: $4.99
Safari Download Manager direct Cydia link | Read more about Safari Download Manager
Springtomize 2
This is Filippo Bigarella’s third and by far most popular entry on the list. Springtomize 2 allows you to customize your iPhone’s look in virtually anyway imaginable.
Virtually no customization is out of the question with Springtomize 2 installed
I personally use few of its visual customization features, but I do use the Mobile Substrate add on function often, which allows you to selectively disable certain jailbreak tweaks. Still, I’ve seen some pretty impressive looking iPhone Home screens, and it’s usually a result of having this app installed. The perfect iPhone is one that’s customized to your liking, and no app on this list fits the bill better than Springtomize 2.
Price: $2.99
Springtomize 2 direct Cydia link | Read more about Springtomize 2
SwipeSelection
If there’s one tweak on this list that brings the iPhone close to perfection than any of the others, it’s this one. Folks, walk, no run over to Cydia, and download SwipeSelection now. Swipe Selection drastically, and I mean drastically improves the ability to edit text entries while using the iPhone’s keyboard. It’s almost unbelievable that Apple has yet to pilfer this idea and embed it directly within iOS.
Believe me on this one; screenshots just don’t do SwipeSelection any justice
Do you know how annoying and difficult it is to get the text cursor in the exact position that you’d like it to be? Do you know how frustrating it can be to highlight the exact text that you wish to highlight? Well, SwipeSelection takes those two issues and flat out fixes them. It’s almost laughable at how easy to use SwipeSelection is. This is text editing perfected on the iPhone.
Price: Free
SwipeSelection direct Cydia link | Read more about SwipeSelection
WinterBoard
A lot of people will no doubt give me a hard time for having WinterBoard on this list, but name another theming platform that’s as ubiquitous as WinterBoard? I use it to customize just a few features on my iPhone, but it’s something that’s absolutely necessary for me to get my iPhone looking just how I want it to look. WinterBoard doesn’t slow down a phone with as much muscle as say, the iPhone 5, or even the iPhone 4S for that matter.
Auxo toggles without and with a WinterBoard theme installed — now tell me how worthless WinterBoard is
Like I said with Springtomize 2, the perfect iPhone is one that looks exactly like you want it to look. The only sensical way to go about accomplishing this is with WinterBoard installed.
Price: Free
WinterBoard direct Cydia link | Read more about WinterBoard
Zephyr
Next to possibly biteSMS, or IntelliScreenX, Zephyr is one of the reasons that people jailbreak to begin with. Zephyr allows you to control your iPhone using swipe gestures. You can invoke the app switcher, and switch apps using simple multitouch gestures.
Zephyr swipes the iPhone that much closer to perfection
It might not sound like much, but once you’ve used it, you’ll come to appreciate that controlling your iPhone with Zephyr feels more perfect than using the physical Home button.
Price: $2.99
Zephyr direct Cydia link | Read more about Zephyr
Wrapping things up
I’ve spend countless hours meticulously curating this list of jailbreak apps and tweaks, so I’m confident that you will find most of them to your liking. If I could only install these 15 jailbreak tweaks, and couldn’t install any additional ones ever again, I would be fine with that.
I know some will balk at the fact that most of the tweaks on this list are paid tweaks. Just remember, though, you get what you pay for. In total, if you purchased all of the items on this list, it would set you back approximately $47.90. For what I consider the perfect iPhone, I’d say that’s a pretty reasonable price at the end of the day.
Be sure to let me know what you think about the perfect iPhone in the comment section below. Do you agree with the apps and tweaks included on this list? Did I forget to include your favorite app or tweak? Sound off below!
Additional info: the best jailbreak tweaks for iPad
