Jailbreak Apps & Tweaks

Update: with the release of iOS 8, Apple now allows third-party keyboards in the App Store. If you're looking for a different keyboard for your iPhone or iPad, make sure to check out our list of iOS 8 keyboards.

I generally hate jailbreak releases that feature goofy names like ColorY0urBoard, but I decided to give the new jailbreak app a try despite my inclinations. To my surprise, ColorY0urBoard is actually not that bad of an app.

If you're searching for a way to easily customize the color of the stock keyboard within iOS, then ColorY0urBoard is a viable option. It's a standalone app release with an interface dedicated solely to changing the keyboard color. The app includes a color wheel, much like you'd find in image-editing applications, and it also features brightness and alpha sliders to perfect your customized look.

ColorY0urBoard isn't perfect, but it does a pretty good job of customizing the look of your keyboard. Have a glance at our video walkthrough inside for more details.

BlueBoard is a recently released tweak that does just as its name implies—it allows you to add a blue tinted keyboard to iOS. As with most tweaks of this sort, BlueBoard doesn't rely on WinterBoard or any other outside theming systems to work. Once you install it, you can enable the tweak via its own dedicated preference panel.

Look past the break for a video walkthrough of BlueBoard in action...

AnyBoard is a brand new tweak available free of charge on Cydia's BigBoss repo. It allows you to quickly switch between any of the installed keyboards on iOS using a tap and hold gesture on the globe icon to the right of the '123' key.

Unlike the stock keyboard options, AnyBoard doesn't just allow you to switch to the keyboards you have enabled in your device's keyboard settings, but you can switch between any available keyboard in an instant. Watch our full video walkthrough after the break to see how it works in action.

exKey is a jailbreak tweak that adds an additional fifth row of keys to the stock keyboard in iOS. The tweak, which works on iOS 5 through iOS 7, allows users to type more efficiently, because they should spend less time switching between the numeric and alpha keys.

When installed and in normal alpha mode, you'll see a set of numeric keys, digits 0-9, grace the top of the keyboard as the new fifth row. When you switch to the numeric keypad, the numbers are replaced with special character symbols.

We've taken exKey for spin in our video walkthrough. Take a look inside for more details on how this productivity jailbreak tweak works.

JellyBoard is an upcoming jailbreak tweak that supercharges the editing features on your iPhone's keyboard. Using swipe gestures, JellyBoard allows you to perform deletions, cut, copy, paste, select all, make uppercase, make lowercase, move the cursor, etc.

Think of JellyBoard as a tweak that similar to SwipeSelection, but a lot more customizable. There are tons of actions that you can assign to a variety of gestures, and we've showcased a few of them in our hands-on video preview inside.

There's now a super easy way to dismiss the keyboard from within any app in iOS. ReturnDismiss, a new jailbreak tweak released for free on Cydia's BigBoss repo, makes it possible for jailbroken users to easily hide the stock iOS keyboard using a simple tap and hold gesture.

ReturnDismiss even works when the app you're in doesn't normally support the ability to dismiss the keyboard. Take a look at our brief video walkthrough inside for all of the goods...

PredictiveKeyboard is a recently released jailbreak tweak that allows you to use a SwiftKey inspired 5th row for predictive key entry. The tweak, which is available right now on Cydia's BigBoss repo for $2.39, is capable of speeding up typing by remembering words and phrases. Want to see how PredictiveKeyboard works in action? Then check out our full video walkthrough after the break...

Keyboard Control Pro is an upgrade to a tweak that we discussed a while back called The Quick Brown Fox. It's a jailbreak release aimed at the iOS keyboard, and it allows for enhanced control over the keyboard's basic functionality.

While very similar to the Quick Brown Fox, Keyboard Control Pro does include a few new features and refinements that might make it worth your while. Take a look at our full video walkthrough inside for more details.

The Quick Brown Fox — it sounds like a weird name for a jailbreak tweak, but you'll quickly realize that it makes sense due to the fact that it adds some cool new features to the iOS keyboard. The Quick Brown Fox adds new features to your keyboard like Auto Twins, which automatically inserts a closing pair of parentheses or brackets when you typing the opening symbols. There's also Auto Space, which automatically places a space behind any configured symbol key.

Lastly, and perhaps most significant, you have Jumping Keys. Jumping Keys allows you to configure certain symbols to automatically jump you back to the alpha keyboard once typed. It works exactly like the apostrophe key works on a stock keyboard, but this allows you to configure apostrophe-like action to virtually any symbol key.

The Quick Brown Fox may sound a bit confusing, but that's what video walkthroughs were made for. Check inside, as we go hands-on The Quick Brown Fox, and showcase how it all works.