It’s been quite a few years since Apple has used the classic ‘slide to unlock’ interface on any of its mobile handsets, and with the advancements in biometric authentication and software since then it should be safe to say it isn’t coming back; at least not officially.
But if you’re feeling a bit nostalgic about the slide to unlock interface, then you’ll be thrilled to learn about a new free jailbreak tweak called Slyd (SlideToUnlock) by iOS developer Nepeta. Just as the name implies, this tweak ports the classic slide to unlock interface from iOS 7 to iOS 11.
Shown above are a couple of screenshot examples depicting what Slyd (SlideToUnlock) looks like both before and after installation. At first glance, it seems like the Lock screen text is the only thing that has changed, but upon trying to unlock your device as you normally would, you’ll find that you must side your finger from left to right to complete the unlocking process.
Another thing worth noting is that Slyd (SlideToUnlock) works the same whether you use Face ID, Touch ID, or a classic passcode. That said, you must still slide to unlock after authenticating yourself via one of these methods.
After installing Slyd (SlideToUnlock), you’ll find a preference pane in the Settings app where you can configure the tweak to your liking:
Here, you can:
- Toggle the tweak on or off on demand
- Hide or show the slide to unlock chevron icon
- Disable the Home Button press for unlocking
- Disable the swipe up gesture (iPhone X and newer)
- Customize the slide to unlock text
The developer includes a respring button at the bottom of the preference pane that you should tap any time you adjust the settings. This will save your changes and ensure they take effect. Alternatively, you can use the option just below it to reset the settings to the developer’s defaults and respring.
After trying Slyd (SlideToUnlock) for myself, I’ll admit that the interface seems very nostalgic; but it also feels incredibly antiquated because I’ve gotten so accustomed to swiping up on my iPhone XS. This isn’t the developer’s fault; instead, it comes down to personal preference and the gesture you prefer using to unlock your handset.
If you’d like to try Slyd (SlideToUnlock) for yourself, then you can download it for free from Cydia’s Nepeta repository. The tweak is compatible with all jailbroken iOS 11 devices.
How do you feel about bringing the classic ‘slide to unlock’ gesture back to modern devices? Let us know in the comments section below.