iPhone Tweaks

Looking for more information when a song or movie is playing on the iPhone usually means opening a web browser or searching in another app. The jailbreak tweak MoreInfo changes this process for iOS 7.x users by automatically searching for the currently playing media. Once an Activator gesture is set to trigger MoreInfo, a long list of search engines can be invoked without even interrupting the song.

By default, MoreInfo will grab the title of the currently playing media from almost all apps that support music or video playback. Settings can be configured to include the artist name or album to the search as well. Supported search engines include Google, Wikipedia, Bing, Yahoo, DuckDuckGo, iTunes Store, Amazon, IMDb, meteoritic, Rotten Tomatoes, Ultimate Guitar, Allmusic, AZLyrics, rap genius, Discogs, and Who Sampled.

The volume heads up display (HUD) in iOS 7.x only does one thing, it displays the current volume. Volume+ joins the list of jailbreak tweaks seeking to add more functionality to this small part of iOS. Once installed, Volume+ has no settings or options to configure.

So what does Volume+ bring to the HUD? Simply tap the volume up or down button and media controls, sliders for volume and track position, and current track playing information such as the title and artist will appear. But this is not the end of what Volume+ brings to the table.

Why is the iOS 7 dock only accessible from the home screen? While most iPhone users probably never ask this question, for those who do there's a tweak called DockWare. Installed on jailbroken devices, DockWare adds more power to the stock iOS 7.x dock thanks to integration with Activator.

Not only can the iOS dock be utilized from within running apps, DockWare makes it possible to hide the dock from the home screen and access it only when needed. An auto-hide timer can be used to automatically hide the dock, and different behaviors can be selected to change how the home screen interacts with the dock when it comes into view.

There are a variety of cosmetic tweaks now available to simulate the look and feel of changes coming to iOS 8. When it comes to the Notification Center, the new firmware will bring a redesign along with many new functions including widgets. The tweak Notific8 brings the look and feel of the iOS 8 Notification Center to jailbroken devices on iOS 7.x.

While widgets and other new functions are not part of the tweak, Notific8 does a decent job of simulating the iOS 8 style for free. Under Settings -> Notific8 there's a toggle to switch the tweak on or off. Other than that, there are no options to configure, and the tweak will not change the native iOS 7.x Notification Center settings.

One of the more popular pastimes for jailbreak developers is figuring out new ways to make unlocking the iPhone more interesting. The typical swipe to unlock and passcode keypad can be replaced by a variety of different options that customize the experience.

Everything from unique gestures to face recognition is possible as an alternative to the default unlock. Installing any of these tweaks requires a jailbroken device running iOS 7. Most of these tweaks cost $0.99 on Cydia, with a few charging a premium of $1.99 or $2.99. Here are the top 7 ways to customize the iPhone unlock: