Brevity 2: send a quick canned message directly from the stock Messages app

Brevity 2

Brevity 2 is the sequel to a tweak of the same name—Brevity—which allowed iOS 7 users to send a quick canned message via the stock Messages app. The sequel to Brevity is pretty much a 1:1 translation of the original for newly jailbroken iOS 8 devices.

If you’re looking to add a simple canned message that you can quickly access from the stock Messages app, then Brevity 2 should meet your needs.

Configurable via the stock Settings app, Brevity’s preferences are about as simple and straightforward as the tweak itself. You can choose to use the tweak’s default canned message (Okay) or you can choose to configure your own message for use in the Messages app. Once Brevity is configured to your liking, you’ll find an ellipses button in place where the Send button normally resides in the Messages app. Pressing the ellipses button causes the Brevity canned message to be sent to your recipient.

Although Brevity’s ellipses button replaces the voice message button present in iOS 8’s Messages app, the button still works like it normally does when you press and hold on it. That means that you can enjoy the functionality that Brevity brings to the table, while still being able to send voice messages like normal.

Some may argue that with the presence of iOS keyboard shortcuts, there’s no need for a tweak like Brevity. While iOS keyboard shortcuts definitely provide you with a more exhaustive list of shortcuts, they can’t match the quickness and simplicity provided by Brevity 2.

Along with the basic canned message, you’ll find an additional option in the tweak’s preferences called Pirate mode. Pirate mode forces Brevity 2 to send random message responsiveness when using the ellipses button. I find this option to be mostly useless, but perhaps you’ll find it interesting enough to keep it enabled.

You can find Brevity 2 on Cydia’s BigBoss repo for $0.99. If you’ve tried it or the original version, sound off down below with your thoughts and comments.