How to Update Cydia in the Background

If you’re not the type to stick around while Cydia updates, then we have a solution for you. A few new additions have appeared recently in Cydia that will allow you to update the cache that Cydia uses without actually running the app.

There are a couple of apps that perform this duty, and both of them run as SBSettings toggles. This makes it pretty easy to update Cydia while you check your email and then quickly load up Cydia to get your updates and new packages.

Aptupdate for SBSettings was the first toggle to appear in Cydia, and claimed to run ‘apt-get update’ in the background. I used this tweak a few times, noticed it only ran briefly, and did not seem to affect Cydia updating the packages regardless.

Debian Updater for SBSettings is the obvious choice. This toggle features a Status Bar icon that lets you know when its running. If it finds any updates, you will see a separate Status Bar icon. It takes a few moments to run, which is a good sign that it actually works. When you load up Cydia, you will notice that it does not need to update.

If you try any of these, do not attempt to use them while Cydia is running or has items in the Queue. While Cydia does not allow Activator by default, adding packages to the Queue and switching apps may cause some Activator errors to appear.

Has either of these made a difference in your Cydia experience? I’d like to hear if anyone had success with Aptupdate.