iOS

Spice up your Lock screen’s passcode capabilities with Callisto Pro

Whether you’re using Touch ID or a passcode to secure your device, a new jailbreak tweak dubbed Callisto Pro (iOS 10) by iOS developer ijapija00 provides a host of new features for customizing the passcode-entry experience.

It's jam-packed with both aesthetic and functional features, letting you not only customize the way your passcode keypad looks and feels, but also the way it keeps your device protected.

This tweak brings an iOS 11-inspired passcode keypad to iOS 10

Among the slew of interface changes iOS 11 brings to the table, one of first things you’ll notice after picking up a device with the new operating system installed on it is the redesigned passcode keypad.

If you like the way it looks, but you won’t be upgrading this Fall in order to keep your jailbreak, a new free jailbreak tweak dubbed Creamy (iOS 10) by iOS developer ijapija00 can be used to mimic the aesthetics of the iOS 11 passcode keypad on your jailbroken device.

Make unlocking non-Touch ID devices quicker with Accelerated Unlock

Devices that don’t support Touch ID or just aren’t utilizing the feature typically resort to passcodes as the next best form of security. On the other hand, there tends to be a rather annoying delay after pressing the Home button before the passcode interface finally appears.

A new free jailbreak tweak dubbed Accelerated Unlock by iOS developer Youssef Mikhail does away with this unwanted delay and makes unlocking your device seem faster.

AppLocker lets you secure apps with a password

AppLocker by iOS developer Ori Kadosh, is one of the most popular app security jailbreak tweaks in Cydia, and it has been updated this week with full support for iOS 10.

AppLocker lets you create a password that you will use to access your apps; it's requested every time you launch an app, and if you can’t provide it, you can't use the app.

QuickTrust makes it easier to trust sideloaded app certificates

Depending on how advanced of an iOS user you are, you may sideload apps from time to time.

In many circumstances, sideloading third-party apps via Impactor or Xcode involves trusting a certificate – a process you should be familiar with if you've jailbroken with Yalu102 or Pangu for iOS 9 – but iOS doesn’t make the trusting process easy or straightforward out of the box.

Here to fix that problem is a new free jailbreak tweak called QuickTrust by iOS developer 1GamerDev, which adds a “Trust” button directly to the certificate pop-up alert, as shown above.

LastLocked puts the last time your device was locked on the Lock screen

In April, we showed you a tweak dubbed LastTimeUnlocked that replaced the ‘press home to unlock’ text on the Lock screen with an indicator of when your device was most recently unlocked, and now a new free jailbreak tweak called LastLocked by iOS developer NeinZedd9 is taking on the opposite end of the spectrum.

Rather than displaying when your device was last unlocked, LastLocked displays the last time your device was most-recently locked.

This tweak hides your web search history from Spotlight

Whenever you search for stuff using Spotlight on your iPhone, a history of what you’ve searched for is kept just below the Siri app suggestions.

If you’re concerned about the privacy of your web search history via Spotlight, then you might want to download a new free jailbreak tweak dubbed Spotlight No Suggest by iOS developer ichitaso.

Allow guests to sign into your iPhone or iPad with Guest Mode 2

If you have a jailbroken iOS device that you share with guests or other family members, then Guest Mode 2 by iOS developer Ian Burns is a jailbreak tweak that might be worth installing.

This tweak lets guests use your device without knowing your passcode, but securely and with limited privileges, similarly to that of the guest user on macOS.

Apple shares 3 new ‘Switch to iPhone’ ads

Apple on Monday shared a trio of geeky ads that are part of its new campaign aimed at persuading Android users to make the leap to the iconic smartphone. Published on Apple's official YouTube channel, the new mini-ads, running sixteen seconds each, promote the company's ability to roll out important security fixes fast via iOS software updates.

Apple is also praising the smartphone's smooth, stutter-free performance while highlighting easy contact transfer via the Move to iOS app for those who would gladly switch to an iPhone.

Smooth

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TQy2heNOhe8

“We design the hardware and the software so your iPhone just works,” says Apple.

Security

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AszkLviSLlg

“Access to the latest updates keeps your iPhone secure,” reads the description.

Contacts

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bUWLszbCBF8

“Switch to iPhone,” reads the video's description. “The Move to iOS app makes it simple to move your contacts, photos, and more to iPhone.”

The new ads use the tagline “Life’s easier when you switch to iPhone” and direct viewers to the recently revamped ”Switch to iPhone” webpage at apple.com/switch.

Apple's mini-website for switchers now includes useful new sections covering topics like in-house designed iPhone chips, powerful cameras, easy of use, customer support and more.

Do you like Apple's new ads? Do they manage to sell folks on the merits of iPhones, do you think? Let us know by leaving a comment below.

This tweak masks your iPhone’s Personal Hotspot password

Your iPhone’s Personal Hotspot password is displayed as a string of text in the Settings app, which means anyone can look over your shoulder and figure out your password without you knowing.

A new free jailbreak tweak called MaskedHotspotPass by iOS developer Andreas Henriksson helps to do away with this problem by concealing your Personal Hotspot password from the preferences pane.

LastTimeUnlocked displays when your iPhone or iPad was last unlocked

Do you really know when the last time your iPhone was unlocked? You might assume no one else knows your passcode, but it would be very easy for a family member or friend to unlock your device if they knew what it was and you left it unattended long enough.

A new free jailbreak tweak called LastTimeUnlocked by iOS developer ijapija00 works to your advantage in these scenarios by showing you exactly when your device was last unlocked.

The best VPN deals right now

There are so many VPNs to choose from, and if you’re having trouble deciding what one to choose for your own internet privacy and security, then we’re here to help.

One of the biggest deciding factors in purchasing a long-term commitment to software is the cost, so in this roundup, we’ll discuss some of the best VPN deals you can get right now.