Joe Rossignol

Joe Rossignol is a former iDB editor.

Theme Thursday: Acies, Carla, Radiance and more

Joe Rossignol ∙ Updated January 24, 2018

There has been a landslide of new themes released on Cydia in the past few weeks, some of which we covered in our recent roundup of the 10 best Winterboard themes for iOS 7. In an effort to continue that coverage, we are introducing a new series called Theme Thursday to showcase some of our favorite releases each week.

If you know of a good theme that isn't covered here, please leave your recommendations in the comments for inclusion in a future roundup. In the first edition, we take a look at Acies, Carla, Radiance and more…

CleverPin lets you use an iPhone passcode only when you need it

Joe Rossignol ∙ Updated April 16, 2018

Italian developer Filippo Bigarella has been working hard to update his jailbreak tweaks with iOS 7 support, highlighted by the release of Springtomize 3 over the weekend. With an update to that flagship tweak out of the way, Bigarella has followed up by pushing out a new version of CleverPin for iOS 7 and later.

You may recall our own Jeff Benjamin reviewing the original version of CleverPin, a security-based extension, nearly three years ago. Take a look at what has changed since then…

AppBox adds an app launcher to your Lock screen

Joe Rossignol ∙ January 29, 2014

I have been testing a lot of Lock screen jailbreak tweaks over the past few weeks, and quite honestly I have walked away disappointed on more than a few occasions. A lot of add-ons that are dependent upon frameworks like Cydget have performed poorly on my iPhone, some sending me into Safe Mode, and this has caused me to be increasingly selective about which packages I choose to install on my device.

Having said that, a new jailbreak tweak called AppBox is one that is quality enough to meet my high standards for recommendation. The extension adds an additional page to the Lock screen, accessible by swiping left, with a grid of icons for quickly launching apps without fully unlocking your device. The tweak has a number of options that can be adjusted, so dive in and let's take a look…

How to send iMessages from any web browser on any operating system

Joe Rossignol ∙ January 29, 2014

Following in the footsteps of successful cross-platform messaging services like BlackBerry Messenger and WhatsApp, iMessage was released in late 2011 as a way for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch users to send unlimited messages between each other. Apple then went on to release Messages for OS X Mountain Lion the following year, allowing Mac users to join the conversation.

But what if you're a Windows or Linux user, or you're away on travel without access to the Mac you normally use? Worry not, as Remote Messages has been updated with support for iOS 7 and 64-bit devices. The popular jailbreak tweak developed by Beast Soft is a browser-based front end for the Messages app on iOS devices. Find out what that means ahead…

Convergance takes your Lock screen in a bold new direction

Joe Rossignol ∙ January 29, 2014

Apple has always exercised fine-tuned control over iOS by making it a relatively closed platform, at least compared to Android. That is one of the main reasons why jailbreaking exists in the first place, with a major draw being the ability to customize an iPhone or iPad far beyond what is traditionally allowed. Convergance is an upcoming project for iOS 7 that aims to do just that, taking the Lock screen in a bold new direction with a crisp design, quick toggles and more…

FaceOff 7 is the sensor-based equivalent of Activator for iPhone

Joe Rossignol ∙ Updated April 16, 2018

When the Moto X was announced last year, I was admittedly somewhat jealous of its various sensor-based contextual awareness and voice recognition features. In layman's terms, the handset is one of the more interesting Android smartphones on the market to say the very least. But as someone that has been a loyal iPhone user for several years, it wasn't quite enough to make me jump mobile platforms.

Thankfully, a new package has arrived on Cydia that allows me to experience the best of both worlds…

Icon Masks tweak takes your Home screen to the next level

Joe Rossignol ∙ January 27, 2014

If you've been following our blog closely over the last few weeks, you'll notice that we have covered quite a number of different themes that have been released or updated for the iOS 7 jailbreak. While themes are definitely the main option that most iOS users use to customize their devices, other methods exist to change the look and feel of an iPhone, iPad or iPod touch.

All that leads into Icon Masks, a new jailbreak tweak that redefines the look of your Home screen icons…

Blurpaper adds blurred effect to Home and Lock screen wallpapers

Joe Rossignol ∙ January 27, 2014

Translucency is at the heart of iOS 7 design, with blurred elements throughout the mobile platform. Often times it can be hard to find a wallpaper that looks nice with the all-new user interface, and a new jailbreak tweak called Blurpaper helps make that process easier.

The tweak takes your current Home screen and Lock screen wallpapers — here's some nice ones — and overlays a blurred effect on them automatically, with no respring necessary. If you want, give it a test with the wallpaper I'm using in the screenshots above. The package has a number of options to configure…

How to remove the ‘Store’ button in the Music app on iOS 7

Joe Rossignol ∙ January 26, 2014

In an effort to generate iTunes sales on iOS devices, Apple has long placed a Store button in the top menu bar of its Music app. As you would expect, tapping on Store exits the Music app and brings you to the iTunes Store for everything from songs and albums to movies and TV shows. It's a convenient link from one app to another on iOS devices, but some users might not find use in it. If you're one of those people, a new jailbreak tweak called NoStoreButton7 is a quick fix for you…

How to send unlimited photos on WhatsApp

Joe Rossignol ∙ January 24, 2014

WhatsApp has emerged as one of the most popular cross-platform messaging services for iPhone and other devices, with a wide array of useful features that has attracted over 400 million active users.

One limitation of the service, however, is that you can only send a maximum of 10 photos at once, which can understandably be frustrating for some power users. Fortunately, a new jailbreak tweak called WhatsApp Unlimited Media removes that restriction…

How to fix Status Bar issues after jailbreaking iOS 7

Joe Rossignol ∙ January 22, 2014

Jailbreaking an iPhone, iPad or iPod touch provides many benefits that otherwise aren't possible on a stock device, although there are occasionally a few bugs that may be encountered along the way. One prominent issue that users have been facing with the iOS 7 jailbreak is the status bar turning black and not disappearing in stock apps like Calculator, Camera, Photos and Weather. This was an annoying nuisance that I was facing on my own iPhone up until this morning, when I discovered StatusBarFix2…

BetterFolders takes your app folders to the next level

Joe Rossignol ∙ Updated January 26, 2016

If you are an avid user of Apple products, chances are that you have lots of apps installed on your iOS device. And while folders have long been an ideal solution for keeping your Home screen organized, they have a few shortcomings that a new jailbreak tweak called BetterFolders aims to solve. The useful extension serves three purposes: enables pinch to close for folders, allows nested folders, and brings 4×4 folder layout to the iPad…