Jeff Benjamin

Jeff has been with iDownloadBlog since 2010, acting as resident video specialist, and tutorial expert. He earned his degree in Computer Network Systems back in 2001, but decided Cisco routers and the like just weren’t for him. Since then, he’s been heavily involved with online writing. He’s written for numerous tech and video game sites since the late 1990′s, and has a knack for explaining things in a simple, clear, and concise manner. Jeff works primarily from the east coast on his Retina Macbook Pro, and shoots video with a Canon DSLR. During downtime he likes to travel the world, visiting the various Apple Stores across the globe. You can email him at jeff [at] idownloadblog.com and follow him on Twitter @JeffBenjam or on Google+.

TaiG releases version 2.3.1 beta to include latest Cydia update

Jeff Benjamin ∙ July 6, 2015

In an interesting move, the folks over at TaiG have released a new version of their iOS 8.4 jailbreak tool for Windows, but have labeled it as a beta. Version 2.3.1 beta incorporates the latest version of Cydia, version 1.1.20, and that's about all.

According to the change log, no other changes were implemented into the TaiG tool outside of the Cydia update. For such a small change, it's weird that they've labeled it as being a beta, but maybe this will become a new trend going forward until they have enough successful testers to deem it a stable release.

The 20 best iPad jailbreak tweaks for iOS 8.4

Jeff Benjamin ∙ Updated May 7, 2018

It’s been a very long time since I made a post about jailbreak tweaks on the iPad, and as such, this post was long overdue. Although it’s nowhere near as popular as iPhone jailbreaking, iPad jailbreaks still have tons of perks. And while many of the same great jailbreak tweaks work well on the iPad, there are a few iPad exclusive or iPad-centric tweaks thrown into the mix to keep things spicy.

Want one of the best iPad experiences you can get? Then check out this video of the 20 best iPad jailbreak tweaks for iOS 8.4.

Twitter++ brings improved sharing, list access, and media handling to the stock Twitter app

Jeff Benjamin ∙ Updated May 7, 2018

As a former Tweetbot user, there are some things I miss about that app, that I don't get to have on the stock Twitter app. One of the most glaring omissions is the lack of quick list access directly from the main feed.

Twitter++ (free on BigBoss) is a new jailbreak tweak that adds easy list access, along with a whole slew of other desirable features. It lets you easily share links and images from tweets, share tweets outside of twitter, share direct messages, download videos, and much, much more.

If you're looking to supercharge the stock Twitter app experience on iOS, then look no further than Twitter++.

FavoriteTweaks: a Cydia tweak for saving your favorite releases

Jeff Benjamin ∙ Updated May 7, 2018

Have you ever stumbled upon a new Cydia release that you wished to remember, but then later forgot about it? Wouldn't it be cool if you could designate your favorite tweaks so that you could easily remember and find them later?

That's the basic premise behind FavoriteTweaks, a new jailbreak tweak release from developer iMokhles. It allows you to save Cydia releases and manage them from one central location.

SwipeForMore lets you manage Cydia items with just a swipe

Jeff Benjamin ∙ Updated May 7, 2018

If you find the stock method of managing Cydia packages to be a bit cumbersome, then you're not alone. Fortunately, saurik has opened up Cydia to third-party modifications, and for that we all are very thankful.

As expected, many new jailbreak tweaks specifically designed for Cydia are beginning to appear. One of the latest tweaks, entitled SwipeForMore, looks like one of the most compelling one thus far.

SwipeForMore allows you to swipe on a tweak in order to access install and uninstall options. It can save you time, because you don't have to navigate into a tweak's individual page in order to manage it.

We’re giving away 10 copies of OneHandWizard

Jeff Benjamin ∙ July 5, 2015

As an owner of a larger iPhone, OneHandWizard ($3.99) is one of my favorite jailbreak tweaks on Cydia. It allows you to quickly switch to a one-handed mode that's far and away more practical than the built in Reachability feature on the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus.

Earlier this year, we reviewed OneHandWizard, and it was met with high praise. It may seem like a simple thing, but if you're on a larger device like the 6 and 6 Plus, and you haven't tried it, I think you're missing out.

But don't fret. Here's your chance to see what you've been missing. We're giving away 10 copies of OneHandWizard to our readers!

Cydia Installer updated to version 1.1.20 to fix bugs

Jeff Benjamin ∙ Updated May 7, 2018

As we noted to you guys upon release, Cydia 1.1.19 was a major upgrade for Cydia. As such, it was inevitable for a few bugs to surface with all of the under-the-hood changes.

In Cydia version 1.1.20, saurik has addressed many of these bugs in what he is calling a bug fix release. If you're encountering problems while using Cydia, it's definitely suggested that you upgrade to the latest version as soon as you can.

Activator and Flipswitch updated for iOS 8.4

Jeff Benjamin ∙ Updated May 7, 2018

Good news for iOS 8.4 jailbreakers. The public versions of both Activator and Flipswitch are now available for iOS 8.4.

As you likely know, many of the jailbreak tweaks in Cydia rely on both of these releases to work properly. Prior to the update, Activator would cause the SpringBoard to crash and respring into safe mode on iOS 8.4.

Users did have the option of installing the Activator beta as a workaround, but that's no longer a requirement thanks to these updates.

Popular tweak SwipeSelection patched to work better within Safari

Jeff Benjamin ∙ Updated June 12, 2018

Whenever you see a top jailbreak tweak list, it pretty much goes without saying that Kyle Howells' SwipeSelection will be appearing on said list. SwipeSelection allows you to swipe on the keyboard to move the iOS cursor in a precise location. The tweak was so good that Apple basically took its functionality and baked it into iOS 9.

Praise aside, users and fans of SwipeSelection have always known that the tweak has one glaring flaw: its inability to play nice with text boxes in Safari. Try swiping in a search box with SwipeSelection installed, and you'll see what I mean.

One developer (@pw5a29) has apparently had enough, and has modified the open source project and created his own Safari-compatible version of SwipeSelection. Does it work?

How to exclude files from Time Machine backups

Jeff Benjamin ∙ Updated January 4, 2019

In our third Time Machine tutorial for macOS, we'll show you how to exclude specific files or folders from being included in your Time Machine backup. You'll find that it's extremely easy to curate your Time Machine backups using its preferences.

The thing that I really like about Time Machine is that you can exclude not only individual files, but entire folders of files as well. Have a look at our easy to use tutorial to find out how you can exclude certain data from becoming a part of your backup.

MusicMod: a new tweak that lets you modify the look of iOS 8.4’s Music app

Jeff Benjamin ∙ Updated May 7, 2018

Love Apple Music, but not exactly loving the layout of the Music app in iOS 8.4? Then try Music Mod, a new jailbreak tweak that lets you modify many Music app settings.

MusicMod allows you to do things like hide sections, tabs, remember playback position of songs, and more. If you're looking to switch up things in Apple Music, then there is no deeper tweak than MusicMod.

Cydia gains a new “restart springboard” button and linking to packages on third-party repos

Jeff Benjamin ∙ Updated May 7, 2018

Cydia 1.1.19 was released last night, and it brought with it the ability for developers to tweak the Cydia UI and interface by means of themes and Cydia Substrate tweaks. But another change happened to Cydia as well, and it isn't the result of a jailbreak tweak.

Cydia has gained a new restart springboard button—the button that appears after installing or uninstalling a tweak. The new button is of the flat variety, and matches the rest of the interface better than the old button.

Along with the new button comes the ability to link directly to packages on third-party repos. According to saurik, this feature has actually been available in Cydia for some time, but was never documented.