App Switcher

Lylac jailbreak tweak lets you customize your iPhone’s App Switcher

Jeff Benjamin ∙ November 15, 2015

Lylac is a recently released jailbreak tweak that functions as an infusion of Control Center and the iOS App Switcher. Like many tweaks before it, Lylac aims to merge both interfaces together for the sake of convenience.

Along with the merged App Switcher interface, Lylac brings additional menus to the App Switcher for performing resprings, reboots, killing apps, and other similar tasks. The tweak also allows users to change the App Switcher layout, and alter the look of the interface using tint and blur value changes.

SwitcherTweak: invert the App Switcher direction, enable vertical App Switcher scrolling, and more

Jeff Benjamin ∙ October 19, 2015

If you're looking to customize the newly redesigned App Switcher in iOS 9, then look no further than the just-released SwitcherTweak. This is a jailbreak tweak that adds lots of new options to the App Switcher, including scrolling direction, respring options, padding, blur, and more.

SwitcherTweak is available for free right now via a third-party repo, and I recommend that you check it out. Watch our video walkthrough for a more in-depth look at what this tweak can do.

New in iOS 9: Safari hides private tab information when the App Switcher is opened

Jeff Benjamin ∙ September 27, 2015

When you open the App Switcher in iOS 9, Safari will automatically blank out the preview page if you happen to leave off while browsing in Private mode. In iOS 8, Safari would show the preview card, regardless of whether or not a Private browsing session was last engaged.

There is already an API available for third-party developers to blur out App Switcher previews to protect sensitive data. Some banking apps and other apps with sensitive customer data do this already. But Apple's method for going about obscuring potentially sensitive web browsing sessions is a bit different. Instead of blurring out the page, Safari simply blanks out everything when the App Switcher is opened.

Seng: a new Auxo alternative now available on Cydia

Jeff Benjamin ∙ Updated April 30, 2018

It's been a big day for jailbreak releases. First, we had the highly anticipated Multiplexer land on Cydia, and now, we have Seng, another much-anticipated tweak, albeit less so than Multiplexer.

Seng, as we discussed back in in August, is a jailbreak tweak that's inspired by Auxo. Actually, just calling it "inspired" would be doing it a disservice; Seng is heavily influenced by Auxo.

After being in beta for nearly two months, Seng is now available for purchase on Cydia for $2.50. Should you consider taking a look at it?

Seng: an Auxo alternative for iOS 8 jailbreakers

Jeff Benjamin ∙ Updated April 30, 2018

I know I've caught a lot of flack in the past for comparing other tweaks to Auxo. Some people think that I'm biased when it comes to Auxo and its creators, but as I've said in the past, I just like to call a spade a spade.

If you get offended by the mere mention of Auxo, then you may want to jump right into the article, and skip the next sentence.

Seng is a tweak that's heavily inspired by Auxo. There I said it. There's simply no denying that fact.

But that doesn't mean it's not a great tweak. Auxo 3 isn't even updated for iOS 8.4, so your options are limited if you enjoy its functionality. Developer Charlie Hewitt saw this as an opportunity, and has stepped in to offer Seng—a tweak that pays homage to the Auxo series, but finds enough solid footing to stand on its own two feet. Watch our in-depth video walkthrough for all of the details.

Alympus: a meticulously-designed App Switcher replacement with tons of character

Jeff Benjamin ∙ Updated May 7, 2018

Well-respected developer Kyle Howells, and renowned UI designer, Surenix, have teamed up for something special. Their new collaborative project, called Alympus, has just been released on Cydia, and it brings a completely redesigned App Switcher, Control Center, and Music Controls interface to iOS 8.

Alympus was teased this past Sunday, but that teaser was just that—a tease. In the video that follows, I'll break down all of Alympus' features. Once you see all of what Alympus has to offer, I think you'll agree that there's more than meets the eye.

Upcoming Switch2 tweak brings a reimagined App Switcher to iOS 8

Jeff Benjamin ∙ July 11, 2015

There have been tons of App Switcher tweaks to land on Cydia over the years, but this is certainly one of the more unique looking ones to appear in quite some time. Entitled Switch 2, this upcoming jailbreak tweak brings an expanding-card interface to the iOS App Switcher.

Switch 2's interface makes it so that you can view up to three apps at the same time, and dismiss apps using simple swipe gestures. Convergence developer, Matt Clarke, has put together a video preview of Switch2 in action. Check it out and let us know what you think about it.

SwishSwitcher plays a sound when you kill an app from the App Switcher

Josh Pasholk ∙ May 28, 2015

SwishSwitcher by Metion is one of those 'why not' tweaks that are released here and there in Cydia that just add a little fun thing to a small part of iOS. They seem to be mostly projects that developers undertake in order to learn more about developing.

They can practice working with certain frameworks and passing information around by using Substrate to hook into Apple's private API's. There is also a lot more to learn about making a tweak than just coding it, and it's a great accomplishment to set everything up and create a deb file.

In this case the developer uses the 'whoosh' sound you hear when you hit Send from the stock Mail app, and calls it to play after a user has swiped up on a card in the App Switcher.

Alternatum brings an app switcher and toggles to Reachability

Jeff Benjamin ∙ May 24, 2015

Alternatum is yet another jailbreak tweak that piggybacks on the Reachability feature introduced with the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus. It allows you to add a host of new features to the Reachability view such as an app switcher, toggles and more.

Unfortunately, I don't currently own any jailbroken devices that feature Reachability, but Alternatum does bring the ability to use a simple Activator gesture to mimic Reachability. Does it work well?

Muswitch: a jailbreak tweak that places music controls in the App Switcher

Jeff Benjamin ∙ Updated June 12, 2018

App Switcher tweaks seem to be all the rage these days, so it's not surprising to see a tweak like Muswitch pop up on Cydia. Muswitch, as its name hints to, allows you to place music controls in the iOS 8 App Switcher.

These Music controls replace the contact shortcuts that normally reside above the cards found in the App Switcher. Watch our video walkthrough for more details.

iSwitch makes the App Switcher card interface transparent

Jeff Benjamin ∙ Updated April 30, 2018

The premise of iSwitch may sound a little goofy at first, but after using the tweak, I was a left with a much better impression about the overall idea than when I started. iSwitch is a tweak that makes the App Switcher cards transparent, but it goes further than that. Not only are the cards transparent, but the interface, including the app icons that normally rest beneath the cards, are displayed on top of the currently running app.

The end result is an App Switcher that can be manipulated on top of an open app. This means that you could be browsing Safari, invoke the App Switcher while Safari is still open and usable, and switch to an app of your liking. It’s not without its downsides, but iSwitch is much cooler than I initially expected. Watch our video preview to see how.

Auxo Legacy Edition: nothing beats an original

Jeff Benjamin ∙ Updated April 30, 2018

The wait is over; Auxo Legacy Edition has just touched down on Cydia. For those of you that purchased Auxo 2 or Auxo 3, Auxo Legacy Edition will cost $0.99. Everyone else is asked to pay $1.99 to join in on the fun.

And fun it is.

While I liked the sequels to the original Auxo, neither of them felt as cool to me as the original version—a tweak that arguably laid the groundwork for the modern App Switcher that we enjoy today on iOS. Auxo Legacy Edition, Auxo LE hereafter, brings the well-liked card preview interface back to iOS 8 with a modern look and new features.