Cydia 2022: Customizing iOS with Jailbreak and Unofficial Tweaks

If you’re stuck using an old iPhone that can no longer run modern apps, jailbreaking is often the only way out. This simple procedure not only lets you install almost any software—even those not authorized by Apple—but also unlocks a host of hidden iOS settings for a more convenient and comfortable experience. What else can jailbreaking do for you? Let’s find out!

Why Jailbreak an Old iPhone?

What’s worse than a broken iPhone? Only a broken iPhone that’s been sent to the shop for days because the right parts aren’t available. I had to dig out my dusty old iPhone 6 running iOS 12.5.5, which I once used in school to play soccer during recess. Despite its battered appearance, the device still works—thanks, Steve Jobs! Out of curiosity, I decided to jailbreak it, figuring that after all it’s been through (including an accidental dip in the toilet), it couldn’t get any worse. Turns out, it was actually pretty interesting!

What Is Jailbreak?

Jailbreaking essentially removes Apple’s restrictions on iOS, giving apps access to the phone’s file system and letting users change settings that are normally off-limits. There are various jailbreak methods, especially for iOS 12. I tried them all. If you want to save some time: Cydia Impactor doesn’t work for unknown reasons, so use Sideloadly or AltServer to install .ipa files. However, unc0ver crashes with a kernel patching error, and Chimera gives unexplained errors. But Checkra1n works perfectly, unlike the alternatives.

The main goal of jailbreaking is to install an app called Cydia. Cydia is a .deb package manager (since iOS is a Unix variant and uses Debian’s dpkg system), and Cydia is a graphical interface for it. In other words, Cydia is like an alternative App Store, letting you install apps, themes, and system extensions that Apple would never allow. Fun fact: the name “Cydia” refers to the codling moth (Cydia pomonella), a pest of apple trees.

Unlike the official App Store, Cydia lets you add extra software repositories. After installing Cydia, you can still use the regular App Store, but you lose your manufacturer’s warranty (which is irrelevant for old phones anyway). From Cydia, you can download old versions of apps no longer available in the official catalog, as well as tweaks that change the look and feel of iOS and unlock new system settings. That’s what we’ll focus on today.

Most programs and tweaks in Cydia are free, but some are paid. Unfortunately, most developers use PayPal, which currently has issues in Russia. So, we’ll stick to the free stuff.

Important: If you try to update iOS on a jailbroken iPhone, you may lose Cydia and all installed tweaks and apps. Be sure to turn off updates: go to Settings → General → Software Update → Automatic Updates and switch off “Download iOS Updates.” You can update your phone, but you’ll end up with a clean device—no jailbreak.

Also, remember that Checkra1n is a semi-tethered jailbreak, which disappears if your iPhone loses power. So, don’t reboot or let the battery die, or you’ll have to jailbreak again. All your apps and tweaks will reappear after re-jailbreaking, so you won’t have to reinstall everything.

How to Use Cydia

With tears in your eyes! About 70% of Cydia tweaks end up not working. Some only work on iOS 9, 10, 11, or 14 (basically, any version except yours), others won’t install, and some install but don’t work. In this article, I’ve picked ten tweaks that I personally tested and that work on iPhone 6 with iOS 12.5.5.

Cydia’s interface is a bit like the App Store, but it can be confusing at first.

If you’re not sure what to download, use the Find Extensions for Applications list on Cydia’s main page. There you’ll find tons of tweaks and apps sorted by category, so you can pick what you like.

After installation, all tweaks appear in the standard iOS Settings app—just scroll down to the bottom. To change a tweak’s settings, tap its name. Some tweaks need to be enabled first by flipping a switch in their settings.

10 Cool Cydia Tweaks to Try

1. RecordPause
   The iPhone Camera app only lets you start and stop video recording—there’s no pause! If you want to pause while filming, you either have to shoot one long video or make several short ones and edit them together. RecordPause adds a pause feature: just long-press the record button to pause, and tap again to resume. Super handy!
2. ColorMyBattery
   On older iPhones, the battery indicator can show a percentage, but newer iOS versions removed this feature. ColorMyBattery not only brings back the percentage but also lets you set custom colors for the battery icon based on charge level. The battery is divided into ten 10% stages, each with its own color—so you can see at a glance how much juice you have left.
3. Carrierizer
   If you’re embarrassed by your carrier’s name, Carrierizer lets you:
   • Set a custom carrier name
   • Change the text shown when there’s no SIM card
   • Hide the carrier name completely
   • Show a fake “out of network” message
   • Show a fake “dual SIM” message
   • Display your IP address instead of the carrier name

   Note: If you use certain HomeGesture features that hide the carrier name, Carrierizer won’t work. Don’t enable “iPhone X Style Status Bar” in HomeGesture if you want Carrierizer to function.

4. HideYourApps
   Now you can hide “Tinder” or any other app from your home screen. In HideYourApps settings, tap “Select apps to hide” and flip the switch for any app (including Cydia apps). To bring it back, just toggle the switch off. The only way to launch a hidden app is to assign it to an action using the Activator tweak (see below).
5. DeleteForever
   Normally, deleted photos and videos go to the “Recently Deleted” folder, where you have to delete them again to free up space. DeleteForever adds a “Permanently Delete Photo” button, letting you instantly erase any photo or video—no backups, no temporary folders. Now your embarrassing pics are gone for good!
6. HomeGesture
   Want iPhone X-style gestures on your old device? HomeGesture brings modern visual elements and gestures to iOS 12. For example, you can open the app switcher by swiping up, just like on newer iPhones. It also lets you customize the control center’s position, change screenshot button combos, and tweak the look of the lock screen. You can even choose the color of the gesture bar at the bottom of the screen.
7. Activator
   One of the most famous tweaks, Activator lets you assign actions to hardware components—screen, accelerometer, switches, and more. Many other tweaks require Activator for extra features. You can trigger actions by shaking the phone, swiping icons, pressing buttons in various ways, and more. Actions include controlling music, launching apps, toggling settings, and much more. If you want your iPhone to tweet a goodbye message when it falls on the floor, Activator can do it!
8. RealCC
   Turning off Wi-Fi or Bluetooth in iOS Control Center doesn’t actually disable them—they just stop searching for networks but keep running in the background. RealCC lets you fully turn off Wi-Fi and Bluetooth right from Control Center, saving battery life. The tweak doesn’t appear in Settings and needs no configuration.
9. ShortLook
   ShortLook revamps lock screen notifications with cool animations: the notification icon grows smoothly, and a preview of the message appears. It looks modern and stylish—much better than the default iOS notifications.
10. ToldYouPreferences
    This tweak lets you display any custom message as a system notification on the lock screen if someone enters the wrong password or fails Touch ID/Face ID. The intruder will be very surprised! The tweak can also make Siri insult the person in Russian, and the front camera will snap a photo of the culprit.

Conclusion

Why do people jailbreak their phones? There are several reasons:

• To play around with old hardware and use outdated apps no longer available in the App Store
• To install pirated software you can’t pay for due to sanctions or lack of funds
• To tweak and customize iOS beyond the standard features

We’ve covered customization in this article. Next time, we’ll talk about interesting apps you can find in Cydia.