Top 5 Must-Have Jailbreak Apps
[You're tempted. We know you are. We are too. Even with the App Store, Jailbreaking is the ultimate in iPhone forbidden fruit. So what will it take to push us over the edge? How about the top 5 killer Apps. Stuff Apple will never allow in the official store? Jeremy rounds them up for us below, and if you do decide to take the plunge, he has you covered with full tutorials on how to Jailbreak the iPhone 3G with Quickpwn for Windows PCs, Mac OS X, how to Jailbreak and Unlock the original iPhone 2G.]
Our forums have been buzzing lately with members asking “why should I jailbrake?” Well today TiPb brings you some of the very best reasons: the top 5 must have Jailbreak Apps!
What are they and what do they do? Read on after the jump!
1. Winterboard
For those of you who really want to trick out your iPhone’s user interface, look no further than Winterboard. Using the Winterboard you can apply whole skins to your device or just specific parts of it. The things you can customize include App icons, wallpaper, and even the statusbar, dock, etc. You can spend an entire day tweaking your UI to your liking. For the best guide I’ve seen for Winterboard, check out this link here.
2. BossPrefs
While you can remove Apps, WebClips, etc, from your device by just tapping and holding, then simply tapping the “X” icon, the built-in Apple icons are not removeable on your iPhone. This is where BossPrefs comes into play. Install it to get extra options for configuring your device, including “Poof!” a section where you can disable icons, even if they are fixed ones like iTunes or Weather.
3. Intelliscreen
This next little gem of an App was reviewed back in May by Casey. Have you ever needed to check your Mail but didn’t have time to thumb through your iPhone to check it out? Intelliscreen by Intelliborn allows for easy access to information on your iPhone lock screen, such as Mail and SMS messages, iCal dates, news stories, sports scores, and more. If you are a fan of widgets on your PC or Mac, or the Today Screen on Windows Mobile devices, you’ll love Intelliscreen.
4. Backgrounder
This App is one that I told you about this past week. It’s called Backgrounder, and it simply allows you to run official App Store apps in the background. Imagine that, the ability to multitask right on your iPhone! Try this app out, you will not regret it! Here’s how you use it:
You just press and hold the home key while running any application. After a few seconds, the Backgrounding Enabled pop-up appears. Release the home button and go about your business. Backgrounder automatically returns you to SpringBoard. To quit the background application, re-launch it from SpringBoard, then press and hold Home until the Backgrounding Disabled pop-up appears.
5. Categories
Categories allows you to create folders on your desktop. This gives you the ability to organize your home screens in ways far beyond anything Apple currently provides. When you add an App to a category, it is taken from the Springboard list so that it no longer shows up on the home screen. When you remove the app from the category it is returned back to the Springboard. In other words, instead of scrolling from screen to screen, you can have one screen containing all of your App folders for instant access to what you want. Pretty sweet deal if you ask me. Below is a picture of what a games folder would look like when opened from the springboard.
*Since Categories edits system files, be sure to check out the Help section before using this App to avoid any complications. It gives you step by step directions.
Conclusion
So there you have it, you wanted to know the top 5 Apps out there and TiPb comes through and gives you the answer! This list of must-have jailbroken apps should keep you busy for quite some time along with giving your iPhone a fresh new look! For more information about jailbreaking please visit our jailbreaking apps forum, our members are always willing to help you out!
October 13th, 2008 at 11:55 am
I would add to this list QuickGold…it’s a finder for the phone. Replaces Google’s free app & has replaced using Categories as it’s easier to just search for apps than to browse.
October 13th, 2008 at 11:57 am
Do you have all those running on your iPhone? In the past I had problems with Intelliscreen and Winterboard together. I haven’t taken the chance to add Winterboard back into the mix yet. So far I’m happy with just IS.
October 13th, 2008 at 12:56 pm
Also the Cycorder(camcorder), dtunes (allows you to download any song directly onto your phone FREE, and mixtube which allows you to stream and download all clips from youtube, youporn, clips, etc etc…
October 13th, 2008 at 1:21 pm
don’t know about you guys, but categories and backgrounder make my 3g slow and unstable.
October 13th, 2008 at 1:24 pm
All of the mentioned apps run smoothly for me.
October 13th, 2008 at 3:00 pm
Damn! Where is MobileStack? It’s better than categories (especially the one for 2.0)
October 13th, 2008 at 3:16 pm
Categories causes the phone to be unstable and doesn’t utilize winterboard-style themes or icons. Intelliscreen caused my phone to get stuck at the apple screen with the springboard constantly restarting. I actually had to restore my phone because of intelliscreen and if you look in forums, you’ll see lots of people having these issues.
Mobile stack is great except that it loses my ipod icon… anyone know how to get it back??
October 13th, 2008 at 3:26 pm
Just a reminder to everyone, jailbreaking and jailbroken apps are never a certain thing. I tested each app and did not have any major issues.
October 14th, 2008 at 12:39 am
I haven’t had probs with Winterboard and Intelliscreen.
October 19th, 2008 at 11:54 pm
@Christomapher I would like to say that the categories options or folders do in fact use the theme you have set on your iphone at the time of set up. You simply have to go in and set it to the theme you so choose to use for that folder! Its pretty sweet. Lets say I have um…gradiance v2 on for my main theme, I can set oh…buuf2 on that folder, and classica on another. I don’t care for the style of the folders sometimes, or the way they are set up per say…But I am so anal about my icons and themes matching up, that I kinda have to use and suck up my little complaints or gripes.
October 23rd, 2008 at 10:58 am
Just wanted to find out, why did it take you guys this long to put these apps up. Some no name blog iDay.ca had his list up three days before yours. Just wondering did you guys decide to put up this list after finding out that someone else thought of this first.
October 23rd, 2008 at 11:02 am
Recently I have been on iDay.ca’s website and he’s been teaching us online user many new things bout our iPhones. I used to check your website every other day or so but now I like to check iDay.ca first just to make sure that his site does not have something new which you guys dont have either. Maybe you guys should have him join with you guys to make a kick *** new blog with more info bout my iPhone and the things that I can do with it.
October 23rd, 2008 at 11:53 am
@Sonu, hmmm no… besides our article is must more detailed than just listing a few apps.
November 12th, 2008 at 1:05 am
Thank you so much for this awesome guide! I really appreciate you doing this.
Jailbreaking (Getting laid) for my iPhone has made it so much more of a unique and powerful device way ahead of its time!
December 30th, 2008 at 3:37 pm
Initially I was blown away with winterboard but noticed that my iphone seemed “slower” so I did a side by side comparison with my wife’s iphone (she won’t let me touch it to jailbreak it) and noticed that my iphone was slower. Settings, mail, facebook, etc all took a couple of extra seconds to load (2~5 seconds more)… doesn’t sound like a lot but it does break the flow and is definitely noticeable. I unloaded winterboard and it’s back to normal… additional app that I would add to the app is pdanet or imodem that allows you tether your iphone.
January 7th, 2009 at 7:59 pm
I jailbroke my 3G, installed Winterboard, Categories, BossPref – and everything works fine.
Blacklist is the BEST APP – no more annoying telemarketers – EVER!!!
February 22nd, 2009 at 2:51 am
@christomapher yes it does you just need to look at the icons available for your theme and then make the folder with categories to have the same name as the icon listed in your theme.
March 7th, 2009 at 5:50 am
“Jailbreaking (Getting laid) for my iPhone has made it so much more of a unique and powerful device way ahead of its time!”
– Mr.EClass
Many cell phones, including old ones you had in the past, had amazing capabilities, IF there were gifted people with a lot of time to make those things available to you. We are all lucky for the nerds who are developing and supporting this. IPhone isn’t ahead of it’s time, but these apps and capabilities are novel because no cell phone service provider, OR phone manufacturer would ever release them. It hurts the bottom line. I can tether my Iphone to my laptop using jailbreak. Sprint charges 30 bucks a month for that, AT&T close to 50. Get my drift? Thats just one example. I believe in the freedom to use the devices you legally purchased anyway you choose, but when you start using them in connection with services you don’t or can’t pay for, then were all kind of stealing in the end. I hacked mine, because I wanted to drop the 50$ fee from AT&T for my USB 3G card. In today’s economy that 50$ is not like it was 3 or 5 years ago. I’d feel better though, if AT&T would let me use the phone this way legally for 20$ a month. Apple doesn’t really care how you use the device, but on the other hand, they can’t break contracts with AT&T, or cause problems with them. It could cost them a fortune, and AT&T probably paid for 80% of your cell phone’s actual cost through subsidizing.
March 22nd, 2009 at 11:37 am
pls help me for my problem, my iphone 3g 8GB, i download a new version 2.2.1 and now my phone is not working, no signal or no network pls tell me what to do…… thank you
March 27th, 2009 at 1:28 pm
I like the idea of getting out of the box i.e. jail break and I did it. But I restored my phone because I had to pay for third party apps. Can you tell me if this is true of the apps you are describing??
April 18th, 2009 at 5:11 am
Hi everyone!!! i have quite a few probloems with my newly bought iPhone…and wonder will any gentlemen gives me some clue #1, everytime i connect my iPhone to iTune, my XP notebook will restart immediately, but luckily i got to put all the songs from my notebook into my iPhone only for the 1st time when i connect them #2, my iPhone has got a problem with the network,i couldn’t call out or sms everytime after i leave a lift(elevator),carrier is still there, but with a sign ‘no service’ at top left corner of iPhone screen
Anyone who has these 2 problems or solution pls pls let me know….your ans will be appreciated….thks guys!!! hope to hear from you guys soon = ]
May 18th, 2009 at 12:15 am
could someone pls help me. i jailbroke my iphone 3g a few weeks ago. my friend has this cool thingy when he slides thE top part of his iphone ( where the clock and battery is ) a menu slides down. pls help, i searched all over and couldnt find anything. (even youtube)
May 19th, 2009 at 4:34 am
Vikram
I think you mean the app sbsettings (short for spring board settings). You swipe your finger accross the top of the screen for quick access to thinks like 3G, WiFi, Brightness etc…
Take a look in cydia.
Enjoy!!
May 25th, 2009 at 5:11 am
Just how is jailbreaking your iPhone in anyway equivalent to piracy? Stop insisting this.
Jailbreak simply means you are able to run open source, community developed or homebrew software. It takes away Apple’s strangle hold on the device.
June 3rd, 2009 at 10:07 pm
Sweet blog. I never know what I am going to come across next. I think you should do more posting as you have some pretty intelligent stuff to say.
I’ll be watching you .
July 18th, 2009 at 1:14 am
i think game emulators such as snes4iphone should be in the list. Great to be able to play classic games like Mario.
August 22nd, 2009 at 12:21 am
mxtube is an awsome thing and so is cydia ;-p
October 9th, 2009 at 6:57 pm
I just installed backgrounder. Works great. I like it because I have some streaming radio apps, that always closed when exited. Now its great. I want to install Intelliscreen but too many problems.
November 3rd, 2009 at 1:12 pm
hmmmmm tempting, but on such an expensive contract, I don’t think it’s worth the risk.