iOS

Apple halts downgrades to iOS 14.4 after releasing iOS 14.4.1

Anthony Bouchard ∙ March 19, 2021

Apple released iOS & iPadOS 14.4.1 last Monday alongside similar updates for macOS and watchOS with security vulnerability patches. But as many already know with Apple’s rather frequent software updates, it’s never long after a release before the company stops signing the previous version of its mobile operating system(s).

Such is the case with iOS & iPadOS 14.4, which Apple stopped officially signing just this evening. This move on the Cupertino-based tech giant’s part means that iPhone, iPad, and even iPod touch users will no longer be able to downgrade their firmware from iOS or iPadOS 14.4.1 to the older iOS or iPadOS 14.4 release.

DockX Reborn offers extensive UI customization for the Home Screen’s Dock

Anthony Bouchard ∙ March 19, 2021

The Dock is a place on your Home Screen to store some of your favorite apps. Its useful because it follows you from one page to the next so that you don’t have to go out of your way to search for those specific apps in the future.

I use my Dock all the time, but I certainly wish Apple offered a little more in the customization department. For that reason, I can recommend a new jailbreak tweak called DockX Reborn by iOS developer Mudi47 to anyone who feels the same way I do.

Get a T9 dialing experience in your iPhone’s Phone app with EasyDialer14

Anthony Bouchard ∙ Updated March 24, 2022

It seems like it’s been forever since the last time I witnessed an ordinary flip phone in the wild. Today’s vibrant selection of smartphones has all but phased them out. But if there’s one thing I remember from the times they were the mainstream, it was the T9 dialing experience intended for the 3x4 physical dial pads.

Security researchers discover ‘XcodeSpy’ malware targeting developers

Evan Selleck ∙ March 18, 2021

Hot on the heels of a report detailing a surge in malware being developed for macOS, a new one has been discovered that's specifically targeting developers.

You can now view privacy labels for all Apple apps in one central location

Christian Zibreg ∙ March 18, 2021

When Apple introduced privacy labels on the App Store back in December 2020, the company said it would hold itself to the same standard as its developers by providing privacy labels for all its stock apps for the iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch and Apple TV. Keeping true to its promise, the tech giant recently launched a webpage listing privacy labels for all its stock apps.

WebShade brings Dark Mode to the web pages you visit on your jailbroken iPhone

Anthony Bouchard ∙ Updated September 21, 2021

Words can’t express how much I enjoy the native Dark Mode feature on my iPhone and iPad, but even though most of my apps play along with this feature, many would agree that most web pages don’t.

If, like me, you’re a Dark Mode user on the iOS and iPadOS platforms and despise having your eyeballs seared to a crisp in their sockets by ultra-bright web pages, then chances are you’ll appreciate the concept behind a new and free jailbreak tweak dubbed WebShade by iOS developer WilsontheWolf.

This new jailbreak tweak can forcibly hide or show the Status Bar for specific apps

Anthony Bouchard ∙ March 18, 2021

The Status Bar is something I like to keep in view at all times since it displays pertinent information about my device including the time, my current battery level, and my current wireless signal strength — be it cellular or Wi-Fi.

Unfortunately, many apps hide the Status Bar from view when you might want to see it, especially when they’re designed to operate in full screen. Some apps even display the Status Bar when you might want to hide it. Sadly, Apple offers no configurations to alleviate these concerns.

How to get Sileo on your checkra1n or unc0ver device alongside Cydia (obsolete method)

Anthony Bouchard ∙ Updated April 7, 2021

When you jailbreak your iPhone or iPad with checkra1n or unc0ver, the tool automatically installs the tried-and-true Cydia package manager by default. What you decide to do or install from that point on is up to you, whether you choose to install Zebra, Installer, or even Sileo. That’s right… we said it.

Sileo has long been thought of as a proprietary package manager for CoolStar’s jailbreaks such as Chimera and Odyssey. But now that Sileo is officially open source, it’s likely that we’ll see a lot more happening with Sileo in the foreseeable future. One such example would be Sam Bingner's Sileo fork, which makes installing the Sileo package manager on unsupported jailbreaks incredibly easy.

AltStore for iOS updated to version 1.4.5 with fixes for app (de-)activations

Anthony Bouchard ∙ March 17, 2021

Whether you depend on AltServer and AltStore for jailbreaking your iPhone or iPad with unc0ver or Odyssey or you simply use it to side load your favorite apps on your handset more easily, we have some relevant news you won’t want to miss.

Version 1.4.5 of AltStore is now available for iPhones and iPads running iOS 12.2 or later, and if you’re already using AltStore, then you’re probably going to want to go ahead and grab this update.

When will Apple bring the Mac’s helpful Internet Recovery feature over to the iPhone and iPad?

Christian Zibreg ∙ March 17, 2021

Apple may be testing restoring the iOS software on unresponsive or malfunctioning iPhones that wouldn't require connecting the device to a Mac or PC to use regular recovery mode.

Conserve your jailbroken iPhone’s battery more effectively with LowLock

Anthony Bouchard ∙ March 17, 2021

The more we continue to depend on our smartphones to get through our daily lives, the more we’ll consequently demand from our handset’s battery. Unfortunately, a slew of different factors can result in unwanted battery drain.

Apple’s Low Power Mode is a good way to ease the strain on your iPhone’s battery throughout the day, but using it generally requires that the user toggle a switch. For many people, it’d be more ideal if Low Power Mode offered a more intelligent power savings when the iPhone’s full power wasn’t required.

Upgrade the file type information in the Files app on pwned handsets with RealFileInfo

Anthony Bouchard ∙ Updated March 30, 2021

Apple’s Files app expands upon the capabilities of any iPhone or iPad by hosting a convenient hub where users can download and store files either on the device itself or in the cloud. But despite how useful the Files app can be at times, it’s not without its apparent pitfalls.

One such example would be that the Files app displays simplified or non-descriptive file types for certain kinds of files as they’re defined by Apple and its operating systems. Unknown file types are designated vaguely, such as using the word “Document” to describe what the file actually is or what it’s used for.