In 2016, we showed our readers an innovative mini player widget for jailbroken iPhones dubbed Playtopia that could shrink to a compact size while floating over the top of any interface for convenient music playback control from anywhere.
Today, we’re excited to share that a jailbreak tweak called Playtopia 2 is now available for modern jailbroken handsets running iOS 14 — a project made possible by iOS developers Ginsu and Aviorrok.
Many jailbreakers are perfectly fine with the way their iPhone functions, but they simply want to make it look different than it does out of the box. If that sounds like you, then you might enjoy using a newly released and free jailbreak tweak dubbed Vide by iOS developer Xyaman.
Noticeably absent from the plethora of Home Screen widgets offered out of the box by iOS 14 is one for music and Now Playing content.
Given just how much emphasis Apple places on music consumption with regard to its platforms, this seemed like an odd decision on the company’s part.
Continuing our unrelenting coverage of jailbreak tweak releases and pwnage news at iDownloadBlog, we’re coming back at you this week with yet another addition to our new micro series of posts showcasing some of the best jailbreak tweaks for personalizing a particular component of the iOS 14 mobile operating system.
We’ve already dove into the likes of Control Center and the Messages app, but this week we’ll be focusing on the Music component of pwned handsets by showcasing some of the best jailbreak tweaks for iOS 14’s Now Playing interface.
Many media streaming apps like Spotify provide a like button so that you can tell the app you like what you hear. The app then tries to curate playback based on the feedback you give it.
I’ve enjoy the ability to enhance music playback in this way, as it helps with artist discovery. But it frustrates me that you need to physically be in the Spotify app to like a song, which calls for a multitasking and gesture shenanigans even when you’re trying to get something done in another app.
The Now Playing interface that greets music listeners on the iPhone’s Lock Screen works, but it’s not quite as aesthetically pleasing as many would like. Interestingly, it receives minor changes with each major iteration of iOS, but none that really stand out to someone who’d like a total redesign.
Listening to music is a popular activity among iPhone owners, but regardless of what music streaming app you use to jam out to your favorite tunes, one thing is certain: the Now Playing interface can be downright boring.
MusicBackground is a new jailbreak tweak by iOS developer Ethan Whited that hopes to solve this longstanding problem by incorporating eye-catching background effects, and it does this for the Now Playing interfaces in the Apple Music app, Spotify Music app, Tidal app, and even those found in Control Center and on the Lock Screen.
After you begin listening to music on your iPhone, iOS automatically kicks the Now Playing widget into high gear by displaying it on the Lock Screen and in Notification Center.
There’s just one problem: it’s rather big any clunky, and such qualities don’t jibe well with an interface that’s also designed to show the user all of their missed notification banners.
Anyone who listens to a lot of music on their iPhone will be familiar with what iOS’ Now Playing widget looks like. Found on both the Lock Screen and in the Notification Center interface, iOS’ Now Playing widget has retained generally the same look and feel albeit with minor aesthetic changes over the years.
Those wishing for an entirely new aesthetic won’t find it in an Apple-provided update, but a new jailbreak tweak called Gradi by iOS developer Ginsu seeks to offer at least some form of interesting flavor in this department by providing users a YouTube Music / Google Music-inspired Now Playing widget interface that replaces iOS’ native one.
Anyone who uses their iPhone for frequent media consumption will inevitably interact with the handset’s Now Playing widget under various circumstances. It can be useful for pausing the Now Playing track in a pinch or resuming playback when it has already been paused. Moreover, it makes skipping to the next or returning to the previous one without unlocking your device a breeze.
Despite just how useful the iPhone’s Now Playing widget can be, I still find myself desiring more when I see it. It could be that the widget is merely too plain for my taste; or perhaps that I feel that Apple could’ve done so much better than they did when designing it. If you agree, then a newly released jailbreak tweak dubbed Arkita by iOS developer P2KDev may offer a hint of refuge.
If you’re jailbroken and you’re interested in adding a splash of color or personality to your iPhone or iPad’s Now Playing widget, then we’ve got just the thing for you!
Playour is a newly released jailbreak tweak by iOS developer popsicletreehouse that lets users customize the background, color, and border properties of the Now Playing widget.
If you have a pair of AirPods Pro or AirPods Max at your disposal, then chances are you’ve become somewhat fond of their Active Noise Cancellation and Transparency modes. The only problem? – Switching between those modes in a pinch, especially in rapid succession, tends to be a cumbersome two-step process.
Recognizing that this process could do with some refinements, iOS developer exodia9610 conceived a new and free jailbreak tweak known as QuickANC.