By Ann Wang
Announced by Apple on June 2, iOS 8 was released on September 17, 2014. With iOS 8, users can now quickly send video messages and voice recordings with an expiration time, type faster with a predictive keyboard, and add .gif and swipe-to-type keyboards. However, there are many features that are still lacking on iOS. For example, with jailbreak, users can add themes to apps and lockscreens, see different animations of icons moving when scrolling through apps, and change the fonts displayed by the device. Many people think of jailbreak as a super-high-tech-illegal-hacker thing that is difficult to obtain, but in actuality, it is just the process of removing limitations on iOS and is in fact legal in the US. Pangu, a team of developers, released iOS 8 untethered jailbreak on October 22. Untethered jailbreak is when the user does not need to reconnect their device in order for the jailbreak to function. iOS jailbreak is currently compatible with iOS 6 (released by redsn0w, evasi0n), iOS 7 (evasi0n), and iOS 8-8.1 (Pangu). iOS 8.1.1 has been confirmed to patch the jailbreak and has just been released, so if anyone has been interested in jailbreak, they should note that it does not work with the latest iOS update. Lifehacker.com has jailbreak guides for most iOS.
Now… drumroll please… Some popular iOS 8 jailbreak tweaks and themes!
- Activator: (All iOS) add shortcuts with gestures.
- f.lux (All iOS): change the temperature of the lighting of the display to a warmer temperature; f.lux prevents blue light of the device at night interrupting circadian rhythm.
- Barrel (all iOS): add animations when scrolling through apps
- Springtomize: add animations when scrolling through apps,
- Bytafont & Bytafont 2: (iOS 6-, 7+, respectively) change the font displayed.
- iFile: (all iOS) access and modify files from the device itself or on a computer.
- CCSettings: (iOS 7+) add more toggles to the control center.
- NCSettings (<=iOS 6): add more toggles to the Notification Center
- IntelliScreenX (All iOS): view Notifications in the lockscreen.
- Slide2Kill: (iOS7+)/KillBackground: (iOS 6-) slide down to close all background apps in iOS 7+, touch one button to close all background apps in older iOS.
- Winterboard: (all iOS) change the theme displayed on the device!
Winterboard themes:
Compatible with all iOS 6-: ayecon, Axla, Carla Velox, Laguna HD.
Compatible with iOS 7+: Aura, toast, ayecon, Axla 2, Space Blueberry, Benzene.
Lockscreen themes: Use iFile to change the background image.
LS Nimbus, LS Grand (requires GroovyLock), Sublime Lock HD, RisingBars, Typo5.
Note: some tweaks and themes require additional repos added in cydia’s sources or money. Tweaks and themes that require purchase usually are available (illegally) for free in repos such as x.Sellize and biteyourapple. Also, to keep jailbreak, do not update iOS!
