All jailbroken apps are usually great. I say that because if you can only get them on a jailbroken phone, then Apple is keeping you away from them. Of course the gateway to all jailbroken apps is Cydia. If you're not familiar with Cydia or jailbreak, then consult this page. But, we'll keep going on as if you're already set up with a jailbroken firmware. This list is in no way definitive, or to be quoted as a good reference. Hopefully though, you will benefit from it in some small way.
Tethering & MMS for iPhone 3G
What does it do?
It's all in the name. This enables your phone to tether your 3G data connection to your PC.
Why should I want this?
Because it's the very reason I decided to jailbreak my phone. My wife and I don't have Internet at our house. We have an unlimited data plan for our iPhones 3G though. When iPhone OS 3.0 came out, we were so excited to find that easy hack to enable tethering. But once we updated and found out that the loop hole was quickly eradicated, we needed to find a new solution. Enabling tethering on our phones allowed us to watch our NetFlix movies online, watch Hulu videos, and do anything a normal internet connection would allow. We never had issues with speed at all, besides uploading (3G upload speeds are about 50-128kbps). By installing this patch to allow you to use your phone's internet connection on the PC, you don't need an Internet Service Provider anymore. WARNING: There have been reports of people tethering their phones and downloading so much data in a month that they get overage charges, even with an unlimited data plan. Unless you have one of the original 'Unlimited Data Plan' plans, if you download over four gigabytes of data you will get overage charges, and it will not be pretty. That in mind, make sure that there is no cap on your unlimited data plan before starting to watch megavideo through your 3G tether.
Where do I get it?
Sinful iPhone category. See iFile 'Where do I get it?' to see how you can get sinful iPhone category.
QuickReply SMS
What does it do?
QuickReply SMS, replaces your standard pop up for new text messages. While it still features the 'close'/'view'/'reply' options, it has a much needed change. When you click on 'close' it dismisses the pop up. When you click on 'view' it takes you to your conversation in Messages. But when you click 'reply' it does not force you to leave the app your in to reply, instead it opens up a translucent window on top your active window for you to write your reply.
Why should I want this?
QuickReply (SMS), takes the frustration out of receiving texts while you are in an app and want to reply. For instance, let's say you love Monkey Ball (who doesn't?) and you're doing really well in the level you're on. You get a message from your wife asking you if you're home yet. You want to reply, but if you hit reply now, you'll lose your progress in the current level. If you don't reply now, you know you'll forget and she'll get mad. Now, add QuickReply to the equation. You receive the text, you hit reply, QuickReply opens up a translucent window on top of your currently open app with the message at the top and the input bar and keyboard at the bottom. You can reply instanly and as soon as you've hit 'Send', you're back to your app without any downtime. This is such a time saver, especially if you have an iPhone 2G and you were on Safari prior to receiving a message you had to reply to. Another great reason for getting this app is, unlike most other SMS managers, this one is unobtrusive, and doesn't replace your Message.app, instead it just makes it even better. Also, it's free!
Where do I get it?
I have not seen QuickReply SMS available anywhere but at Sinful iPhone. See iFile 'Where do I get it?' to see how you can get sinful iPhone category.
Winterboard
What does it do?
Put simply, it 'skins' your iPhone. Using Winterboard, you can change your lockscreen: background, slider bar, slider arrow, clock, charging battery graphics, and more. Springboard is your iPhone desktop, or home screen. Springboard is especially themeable with Winterboard because you can add wallpaper, change certain icons that are contained in the theme, and fonts. Some Winterboard themes can change your iPod layout, they can change Safari, E-Mail, Messages. My favorite theme is called "WOODENRealize". It makes the springboard background a set of wooden shelves and changes most icons to nicely illustrated icons. This theme is free of charge available from iSpazio repo. We'll talk more about repos later.
Why should I want this?
You should really consider getting Winterboard because it gives you freedom when it comes to the look of your phone. Another great thing about Winterboard is that it's absolutely free, without pirating. Apple decided that all you can change in your phone is the lockscreen. That's fun, but having everyone's phone look the same just doesn't cut it. The iPhone looks great as it is, but why stop there? Make it your own. Winterboard is a must-have when it comes to jailbroken phones. When I reccommend jailbreaking a phone, I use Winterboard as a main selling point. It catches people's eye to see how different my phone looks compared to their black home screen.
Where do I get it?
It should be listed in the iSpazio repo (source) in Cydia. Cydia comes with the iSpazio repo pre-installed, so you should be able to find Winterboard as soon as you have Cydia on your phone. The best way to find Winterboard is by searching on Cydia, but you must way down to the bottom to find the app that just says 'Winterboard'. Most of your results will be Winterboard themes, so it can be tricky to find the actual Winterboard app.
iFile
What does it do?
iFile is a shareware app that allows you to have access to all the files contained in your phone. Let's break that down. Shareware means that you can download the full app for free, but some features aren't available to you. Trials suck, but shareware at least means that you keep the free parts. Yes, the trial never expires; You just never get the full version for free. Besides, the parts that are locked out are: Wi-Fi Sharing, opening up your phone to access all files through any internet browser connected to the same Wi-Fi network as your phone. Nice feature, but not necessary by any means.
iFile has a built-in media player for any songs or movies you download. You don't have to load a media player and exit iFile, it just plays them right then and there and you never leave the app. iFile makes it easy to cut/copy/paste files and folders to different locations. iFile even lets you email files you have saved. Emailing files is beneficial when you have Cycorder, a video camera for iPhone 2G/3G. Even when you download a .zip or .rar file, iFile can extract the contents into a new folder named after the original archive file. It always works, rarely crashes, and has a nice clean-cut design. Another neat thing is you can add bookmarks at certain folders to save you time from navigating through system files. I use iFile to change my text ringtones.
Why should I want this?
Since it's a paid app, it's harder to just say you need this app. But because of it being shareware, it's worth getting the trial. Unless you have crazy ideas for themes, and system sounds, or even fonts, maybe this isn't for you. iFile can be dangerous if you're poking around in your system files without knowing what the consequences are. In fact, I had made a pretty large faux pas the other day. I was changing the default system font in my phone. To do this, you must navigate to the fonts folder, rename the default system font (Helvetica.ttf) to a backup name (Helvetica.bak.ttf), just in case of error. I then pasted the 'Prelude' font, the system font for the Palm Pre, into the fonts folder and renamed it to take the place of the default system font. I recognized there was a problem as soon as I exited iFile and tried to open my Photos. It would start to load then crash. I gave up and then tried to open my Messages. Again, there was another crash. I thought about it for a minute then restored the backup font file and erased the 'Prelude' font. What do you know, it worked. I must have had a bad copy of the font or something, but my phone did not like it at all. That could have potentially bricked my phone. Therefore, if you're a casual hacker, maybe this could be fun, but if you don't mess with any system files at all, you should probably keep it that way. Just to be safe.
Where do I get it?
You can buy iFile from Cydia. I believe it's hosted by BigBoss repo, which is a default repo in Cydia. However, I've found another repo that hosts iFile for free. Go into Cydia, under the 'Manage' area, click 'Sources'. Once you're in sources click 'Edit' at the top, then the 'Add' button will appear at the top left, click that. Then in the pop up, after, "http://", type in, "sinfuliphonerepo.com". Cydia will probably pop up a disclaimer saying that there have been reports of illegal apps on this repo. Just click 'Add Anyway'. Once Cydia updates, you'll see a 'SinFul iPhone' category added in Cydia. Inside that category you'll find many cracked jailbroken apps. iFile is one of them.
iBlacklist
What does it do?
iBlacklist is a paid app. iBlacklist does what donotcall.gov could only dream of. In case you were wondering, donocall.gov is a website where you can register your phone number not to receive calls from certain numbers. Long story short, it does not deliver great results. iBlacklist, on the other hand, kicks butt. You can have several different databases for storing phone numbers to block, or phone numbers to allow through if you've chosen to block all but known numbers. Not only does iBlacklist block certain calls, but it can give the blocked caller a busy tone, preventing them from leaving a voicemail. I use this feature a lot! It automatically removes the blocked caller from your recent calls, but you have the option of keeping them stored there or in the app itself. Another great feature, is block texts. If a certain number is on the blacklist, you have the option of blocking text messages from them as well. This is a very nice feature, and really important for me. Last but not least, there's an option to schedule blacklists. Say, you're working, you don't want your pesky neighbor to bother you. Simply add his number to a blacklist and set a schedule to apply the blacklist during specific times. As I mentioned before, this app kicks butt.
Why should I want this?
You should consider getting this app because it does an excellent job blocking creditor calls, promo offer calls, unknown or blocked numbers from bothering you. Even though it's a paid app, it is definitely worth it. To find out how to try it out for free go to the bottom of this story.
Where do I get it?
It is for sale in Cydia, under a default repo. A cracked version is available from Sinful iPhone. See iFile 'Where do I get it?' to see how you can get sinful iPhone category.
Safari Download Manager
What does it do?
Safari Download Manager makes it possible to download just about any file to your phone on the go. With an unjailbroken phone, the only way to get files onto your phone would be by using apps such as 'AirSharing', or 'iDisk'. These are paid apps, that basically allow you to put whatever type of file onto your phone in their specific directories. The only catch is that you must use a wireless network to transfer files. Using Safari Download Manager, you can download zips, mp3s, movs, and more. This allows you to locally play music and movies back without having to reload them in Safari. Safari Download Manager automatically comes with an 'Open in iFile' button for music and videos. I believe this is a paid app, but I've only ever seen it for free. To see where to get this app see the repos part of this story at the bottom.
Why should I want this?
Using Safari Download Manager makes collecting music a breeze. Beemp3.com is a great search engine for free mp3s online. Finding a song and clicking on it, Safari Download Manager will ask you if you'd like to save it or open the file. It's very easy to use, and adds a special icon for current downloads in the MobileSafari.app user interface. Another great selling point is, you can have multiple downloads going on while you continue to browse. Before, there was an app called 'dTunes' that augmented Safari to allow you to download files. It only worked as long as you kept that page running, and it didn't look nice at all. It was very 'code', and looked very raw. Safari Download Manager has a nice look, icons for appropriate file types, and smooth animations. Overall, this is a great addition to Safari.
Where do I get it?
I haven't seen this app for sale anywhere. What I do know for sure is that it's available in the Sinful iPhone category. See iFile 'Where do I get it?' to see how you can get sinful iPhone category.
YourTube
What does it do?
YourTube, adds downloading to the YouTube native iPhone app. Yes, like the Safari Download Manager, it takes a great thing, and adds the ability to download. Except, going beyond just saving videos, you can choose High (Wi-Fi) Quality or Low (3G or EDGE) Quality videos when saving. YourTube plays videos back in the same app, no new media player has to be opened, and everything is arranged in the downloads area of the YouTube.app.
Why should I want this?
YourTube is on the borderline of being a necessity. YouTube doesn't make it readily available to save videos from their website. There are several websites that you can submit the YouTube video URL and in return you'll get a link to download the video from YouTube. Since YouTube does not allow you to save videos from their site, it's safe to assume that they don't particularly wish for anybody to save them. YourTube, however, isn't breaking any copyright laws, since anything posted on YouTube is to be copyright-free. YourTube makes it so easy to save a video, and play it back whenever you need to without loading everytime. Having the High Quality download feature is great too, because, despite what you may think, 3G (at full strength) is very close to DSL speeds when downloading (~256kbps-512kbps, on a good day). Videos download very fast, and you keep them even if they get pulled from the YouTube servers. If you hate it when you try to show someone a video on YouTube, only for your phone to take forever loading then give you a 'Cannot connect to YouTube' middle finger, then you should definitely download YourTube
Where do I get it?
YourTube is also on sale at the Cydia Store, under a default repo. However, it's available for free download at Sinful iPhone. See iFile 'Where do I get it?' to see how you can get sinful iPhone category.
Install0us
What does it do?
Install0us allows you to browse through and download and install cracked appstore apps. By downloading cracked apps and/or installing them, you will be infringing on copyrights. Install0us is an app designed purely for illegal purposes. Downloading Install0us is ill-advised.
Why should I want this?
If you are at all like me, you want to give some AppStore apps a try, but do not want to pay for them only to find out you did not want it. Install0us lets you try apps before you buy. Of course, I am sure the majority of people using Install0us don't ever actually buy the app they have pirated. I only have ever used Install0us to 'try-before-you-buy'. I have tried some great apps using it, and I have spent a lot on unwanted apps too. Install0us is very nice for trying out apps, but using it to rip off the AppStore is a shame.
Where do I get it?
You have to add a new source in Cydia to download Install0us. To add this repo, go in Cydia, then hit 'Manage'. In 'Manage', hit 'Sources', then in 'Sources' hit the 'Edit' button. You'll see an 'Add' button appear at the top, hit that then type this in following the, "http://", in the pop up. Type in, "cydia.install0us.com" (that's install-zero-us.com). Afterwards, you'll see an Install0us category appear in Cydia. You'll find Install0us there. But that's not all. You'll also have to download either 'Installd' or 'AppSync X.X'. Install0us won't work without one of the two patches mentioned. You should be able to find AppSync for your firmware version in the Sinful iPhone category.See iFile 'Where do I get it?' to see how you can get sinful iPhone category. Another neat thing in Sinful iPhone is called 'The Cracked Store'. 'The Cracked Store' is a replacement home screen for Install0us giving you more options for finding cracked apps (.ipa) online.
3G Unrestrictor
What does it do?
3G Unrestrictor allows you to choose certain apps on your phone to fool them into thinking you're always on Wi-Fi. YouTube for instance, could always show you high quality videos if you add it in the Unrestricted apps in 3G Unrestrictor.
Why should I want this?
3G Unrestrictor may sound like it couldn't be as good as you would think. You may think that 3G isn't that fast. Well, really, you can achieve great download speeds with 3G. Sometimes, you can get DSL speeds with a full signal of 3G. In reality though, your download speed is only as good as the server's speed. If the server is crowded, then your download will be slowed down. Therefore, you might not ever notice a differenct between updating a large app on 3G using AppStore and updating a large app on Wi-Fi. How can that be? Well, Apple servers are constantly in use. I usually never get anything better than about 128kbps download speed from Apple. 3G can handle that speed with ease. The main reason Apple blocks you from download apps larger than 10 megabytes is because they try to help AT&T keep the traffic down. AT&T doesn't need this though. The network can handle it. Therefore, the main reason you should want this app is because you can update/download any app from the AppStore without ever needing to worry about getting Wi-Fi.
Where do I get it?
3G Unrestrictor is available for free at Sinful iPhone. See iFile 'Where do I get it?' to see how you can get sinful iPhone category.
afc2add
What does it do?
'afc2add' enables you to browse your iPhone's system files on your PC. It basically is a way to open up the USB connection for your computer to use. However, you must download 'DiskAid' before you can take full advantage of this patch.
Why should I want this?
This allows you to add files from your PC to your phone. Any files to any location. Likewise it allows you to copy files, like factory ringtones. The only other way to do all of this is by using SSH which requires wireless network. 'afc2add' lets you skip the Wi-Fi and just stick with the USB cable. 'DiskAid' has a trial available for download. Just search google for the exact location.
Where do I get it?
You can download this patch as soon as you have Cydia installed. 'afc2add' comes in a default repo.
Honorable Mention: MakeItMine
What does it do?
It allows you to change the carrier name in the status bar and/or the clock in the status bar.
Why should I want this?
It gives you another avenue in which you can make your iPhone uniquely yours.
Where do I get it?
Just search for 'makeitmine' (all one word) in Cydia, it should be in a default repo.
Of course, the single most important app for jailbroken phones is Cydia. Without it, none of these other ones would be available for download. If you have any questions/comments/concerns, please feel free to post them in the comments.
3 comments:
I can't live without these things!
Heh. Cool list man. Very useful!
man if anyone asks me about this stuff I know where to go!
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