Why I'm using a Jailbreak on iOS
iOS is a great mobile OS because it (mostly) just works without much hassle: Simple setup, easy configuration and beautiful design. But there will always be something somebody won't like, for example I dislike the current design of the upcoming release iOS 7 because of it's gaudy colors and it seems I'm not the only one. But that's good, because there's always a way you can improve your experience and a Jailbreak enables tweaking the device even beyond the restrictions of the vendor.
Recommended Jailbreak apps
I've used several Jailbreaks (redsn0w, greenPois0n and currently evasi0n) on different versions of iOS and over time I've used quite a lot of Jailbreak apps and currently these are my favorites:
- AirFloat – Use your iOS device as AirFloat speaker from iTunes or other iOS devices
- AppInfo – List and export all installed apps in AppStore, Cydia packages and more (helped me providing this list)
- Bars – More detailed signal bars
- Bolt – Hides battery icon in status bar, because percentage is enough
- f.lux – Changes color temperature based on time of day for pleasant screen reading (also available for desktop)
- Five Icon Dock – Squeezes one more application icon into the icon dock
- LockInfo 5 – The only paid Jailbreak app I'm using enables widgets on the lockscreen (e.g. calendar tasks, weather, reminders etc.)
- NCSettings – Alternative to SpringBoard with Message Central integration
- NetMeter – Shows network usage (e.g. to track how much traffic is left in the data usage plan)
- NoCoverFlow – Disables Cover Flow when tilting the device in the Music App
- NoNewsIsGoodNews – Disables and hides the Newsstand
- SpringFlash – Activate Flashlight with custom defined input actions through the Activator app (I've mapped it to double tap on the lock screen clock)
- StatusBarCustomClock4 – Custom clock format in the status bar (e.g. also show date)
- SwipeShiftCaret – Swipe to change cursor position
- Tab+ – Unlocks the restriction of 9 Tabs in Safari
- Wifi Passwords – Show stored WLAN passwords