SMS

Groups helps jailbreakers organize conversations in the native Messages app

Anthony Bouchard ∙ April 27, 2020

There are two types of people in this world: 1) those that proactively partake in conversation thread thinning in the Messages app to keep things clean and organized; and 2) those that let conversation threads build up over time in their Messages app, resulting in a seemingly endless list of conversations.

If your mannerisms align with the packrat-esque folk in the latter group, then we’ve got some great news for you. A newly released jailbreak tweak called Groups by iOS developer Ryan Trent can help you get organized by permitting you to sort conversation threads in the Messages app into… you guessed it… groups.

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ChatLock jailbreak tweak protects your in-app conversations

Anthony Bouchard ∙ November 19, 2019

People seem to value privacy more than ever these days, and with such a massive part of our lives taking place in digital conversations, isn’t it about time we do more to protect them?

Not all apps incorporate native conversation-centric privacy features, but with the help of a newly released jailbreak tweak called ChatLock by iOS developer Elias Sfeir, you can lock individual conversations in several of your favorite messaging apps with just a few taps to prevent friends and family from logging into your device and reading your personal chats.

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This tweak makes the Messages app’s timestamp system more useful

Anthony Bouchard ∙ July 18, 2019

It was just a few days ago that we showed you a jailbreak tweak called ExactTimePhone, which could make your call log history significantly more helpful by detailing the exact time that an incoming or outgoing call transpired if it was more than a few days old. The tweak received lots of positive feedback, but it left the begging question: shouldn’t a similar tweak be made for the Messages app?

If you’re on board with this train of thought, then you’ll probably come to appreciate a newly-released and free jailbreak tweak dubbed ExactTimeMessages by iOS developer gilshahar7, as it makes this same concept a reality in iOS’ native Messages app for both iMessage and SMS conversations.

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MessageColors lets you add color gradients to the Messages app

Anthony Bouchard ∙ March 22, 2019

If you have an iPhone, then chances are you spend a lot of time in the Messages app text messaging other people. With that in mind, wouldn’t it be great if you could colorize the Messages app to match your individual personality?

If you like what you’re hearing so far, then you’ll probably enjoy a new free jailbreak tweak called MessageColors by iOS developer RestiveConch. This tweak lets you apply custom color gradients to your Messages app, making it possible to achieve the result you see in the screenshot example above.

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How to text multiple people at once in separate messages on iPhone

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated April 4, 2022
Text multiple people at once in separate messages with the Mass Message shortcut

The Mass Message shortcut sends your custom text message to multiple recipients through the Messages app - but individually, in separate messages. This solves one of the biggest complaints about the stock Messages app, which supports group chatting but won't let you text multiple recipients simultaneously via individual messages.

Here's how to individually text several recipients at once from your iPhone or iPad.

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Send Separately streamlines bulk messaging without the headache of group conversations

Anthony Bouchard ∙ September 22, 2018

Upon refreshing your Cydia sources, you may happen upon a new free jailbreak tweak called Send Separately by iOS developer NeinZedd9.

Although it seems like a subtle tweak at first glance, don’t be fooled. Send Separately can potentially save you a ton of time and frustration when sending bulk messages to friends and family, such as during holidays or special events.

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iOS 12 lets developers create extensions for reporting unwanted texts and calls as spam

Christian Zibreg ∙ August 13, 2018

iOS 10 included a CallKit framework that brought a system-wide way for customers to use specialized apps on their iPhone, like Hiya and TrueCaller, that automatically identify and block nuisance calls before the phone even rings. With iOS 12, Apple started allowing developers to write new types of call-blocking extensions that gather information from the user before deciding whether to report or block the number.

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Navatar brings messaging avatars to unsupported devices

Anthony Bouchard ∙ May 24, 2018

If you use the native Messages app to send iMessages or SMS messages from your iPhone, then you may have noticed the avatar that generally appears in the navigation bar. When you have a contact picture configured for the recipient, that picture displays here; otherwise, you’d see the recipient’s first and last initials instead.

Apple stopped supporting this feature on smaller handsets like the iPhone 5s and earlier with some of the latest iterations of iOS, limiting it to larger-displayed devices such as the iPhone 6 and later. On the other hand, a new free jailbreak tweak dubbed Navatar by iOS developer EthanRDoesMC changes that.

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