Tips

Stock iOS alerts always look the same, but with the jailbreak tweak Alertmate installed, you can take control. Besides providing a long list of animation options to change the way alerts appear on your device, this free tweak from Daniel Taub offers different fonts as well. Once you've set the alert behavior and text, you can even have iOS to read the alert out loud.

Settings are configured under Settings -> Alertmate after the tweak is installed from the Cydia jailbreak app store. Speak toggles are provided along with a choice of more than 50 fonts. Can't decide which animation to use for alerts? A random effect can be chosen automatically to keep things interesting every time you receive an alert.

Some iOS tweaks are so straightforward it's incredible that Apple didn't already incorporate them into the iPhone. Swiping is one of the most commonly used gestures in iOS. So why is it that every time you want to switch threads in Messages you have to go back to the main messages list?

Now with a jailbroken device and the free tweak MessageSwiper there's an easier way. While reading messages from one of your contacts, simply swipe left or right to switch conversations. The tweak will cycle through your threads with different people and groups in the same order they appear on the main messages list.

Did you know that iOS stops checking for faces while video recording is in progress? The default camera app checks for faces before recording video then simply starts recording. No adjustments are made for face detection while this recording is in progress.

Unlike a still photo, lighting or focus conditions on multiple faces in a scene could change over time in a video. Jailbreak fans will be happy to know that face detection can be enabled during a video with a simple tweak. FaceDetectionDuringVideo is a free tweak that can be installed from Cydia that continues to monitor faces during a video shoot.

Reminders on the iPhone are limited to daily reminders, with no real option to "snooze" an active alert. If you're interested in getting multiple reminders for a task on the list until it's marked complete, then the RemindMeAgain iOS tweak might fit the bill.

With RemindMeAgain installed, iOS will keep reminding you that a task is outstanding based on a pre-set interval of time. Until the task is marked complete, the tweak will make sure that the Reminders app continues to remind. Essentially, RemindMeAgain functions as a snooze button for the Reminders app.

Shortcuts save time, especially when navigating a deep menu structure such as the iOS settings menu. Pinnacle is a jailbreak tweak that simplifies navigation of these menus by providing a shortcut to the top level menu.

Not only this, but you can configure Pinnacle to provide a history of all the menu pages previously visited, which makes it simple to jump back to a specific page needed. Normally, navigating through Settings requires flipping back and forth though several separate pages of information. With Pinnacle installed you can simply press and hold on the back button and you'll automatically be returned to the top level menu page.