Troubleshooting

Keyboard shortcuts not working on iOS? Here is a quick fix

Sébastien Page ∙ Updated February 27, 2020

If there is one jailbreak tweak I particularly miss, it's Xpandr, a tweak that let's you create keyboard shortcuts, just like TextExpander does on your Mac. To me, it's an invaluable tool that has saved be hours of typing.

Keyboard shortcuts aren't a jailbreak-only feature though, as they were introduced with iOS 5 a few years ago. Though not as powerful as Xpandr, they're my fallback solution when there is no jailbreak available for my device.

So one of the first thing I did when I got my new iPhone last Friday was setting up a bunch of shortcuts (Apple calls them Text Replacement) that I use on a daily basis. Everything worked fine for a day, and then, they magically stopped working. Though I was worried I'd have to restore my iPhone to fix the issue, it turns out the solution was much simpler than I thought.

How to fix white app icons with Springtomize 2

Jeff Benjamin ∙ Updated March 2, 2012

Last month we showed you a way to fix your iDevice's white app icons after jailbreaking, but did you know that you can perform a similar fix with Springtomize 2?

Since most jailbreakers probably already have Springtomize 2 running on their device's, this is a very convenient method for cleaning up those annoying white app icons that rear their ugly heads post jailbreak.

Check inside for the full how-to...

How to Troubleshoot Tweak Installs With Springtomize 2

Jeff Benjamin ∙ February 4, 2012

Springtomize 2 — hands down the most robust tweak when it comes to customizing your iDevice — just received an update to add native iPad support yesterday.

That update reminded me of one of Springtomize 2's extremely useful, but often overlooked features that helps out immensely with troubleshooting problems.

Like SBSettings, Springtomize 2 contains a "MobileSubstrate Addons" sections that allows you to disable tweaks without having to uninstall them. It's sort of a hidden feature, but we'll show you how to use it in this brief video walkthrough...

Having Problems With Your Jailbreak? Try These Tips

Jeff Benjamin ∙ January 21, 2012

Lots of happy people have successfully jailbroken their iPhone 4S and iPad 2 over the last 24 hours or so, but some are still having problems pulling off a successful jailbreak on both Mac and Windows.

We understand the frustration that some of you have been experiencing, and we really want to help you. True, the Windows Command Line Utility isn't exactly the easiest tool to jailbreak with, but it can be done, and has been done successfully by many of our viewers and readers.

That being said, there are still quite a few that seem to be having issues, so if that describes you, step inside, and let's discuss some things that might help...

How to Fix the Quarter Screen Issue on a Jailbroken iOS 5 Install

Jeff Benjamin ∙ October 8, 2011

Have you ever noticed this issue on your jailbroken installation of iOS 5? Chances are, if you've installed Activator, you have.

The issue — one that causes your apps to be reduced in size to take up only one fourth of the screen — impacts the Settings app, Cydia, and various other apps.

Thankfully, we've found a method to circumvent the issue. Take a look inside for the full video tutorial...

Apple Cooking Up Diagnostic Tool to Repair Your iPhone Remotely [Updated]

Cody Lee ∙ Updated January 24, 2016

With iOS 5, Apple has made some significant changes to help us "cut the wire." Instead of needing to plug your iDevice into your computer to sync with iTunes, the new firmware will allow you to do this Over-the-Air via iCloud.

But it doesn't look like the Cupertino company is stopping there. HardMac is reporting that the iPhone-makers have passed an internal message on to employees that it is planning to roll out a wireless iDevice diagnostic tool this Fall as well...

How to Fix Recording Errors in Display Recorder

Guest Author ∙ Updated February 6, 2016

Display Recorder is a wonderful jailbreak app by Ryan Petrich for creating a video recording of your iPhone's screen. Some users, however, have been having problems creating new recordings and have seen Error Code 0 or 2. As far as I can tell, the issue is related to the way that Display Recorder stores files in the file system to circumvent ASLR obstacles and the permissions that iTunes applies to them during backup restores.

It seems that the only users affected by these errors are those who recently restored from an iTunes backup or upgraded/downgraded their firmware. Luckily, the fix is pretty simple and can be done in under ten minutes...

How to Fix That Pesky White Cydia Icon After Jailbreaking With RedSn0w

Jeff Benjamin ∙ April 20, 2011

Now that a viable jailbreak solution has been released for the latest version of Apple's firmware, all is well again in the world of jailbreaking.

That is of course, unless you're facing the dreaded white Cydia icon of doom after jailbreaking with RedSn0w.

If you've rebooted, re-jailbroken, and the white icon continues to haunt you in your sleep, what should you do?

Fret not; all of your options have not been exhausted; there's one more thing you can try, and it's easy as pie...

Troubleshooting Cydia: Problems with Broken Repos

Alex Heath ∙ April 11, 2011

I had a scary experience last night. As I was searching for a certain tweak in Cydia, I noticed that I wasn't getting the results I was looking for. So I searched for a few more apps and tweaks, and I kept getting no results. I thought about it for a minute, and then realized that every item I had searched for was from the BigBoss repo.

I've recently upgraded to the iOS 4.3.1 jailbreak, and I haven't gotten to play around with my main iPhone setup that much yet.

To my surprise, the BigBoss repo was broken in Cydia. BigBoss is a pre-installed repo in Cydia, so it's very odd that it wasn't working. The good news is that there's a way to re-add default Cydia repos without re-jailbreaking the iPhone...

Improving Apps: How You Can Help

Guest Author ∙ March 3, 2011

There are few things more frustrating than discovering a bug or a crash in an app or tweak you just downloaded. But instead of writing a poor review or swearing off the iPhone altogether, you can actually do something to help fix the problem.

Most developers encourage feedback and would like to pinpoint the exact problem so that they can increase their sales. Here are a few steps you can take to help developers quickly fix their apps so that you can use your apps in the way they are described to work.

Everything You Need to Know About “Safe Mode” on a Jailbroken iPhone

Alex Heath ∙ February 14, 2011

Did you know that the iPhone had a "Safe Mode?" Safe Mode on the iPhone has been apart of jailbreaking for years now, but many people still don't understand it. If your iPhone is jailbroken, Safe Mode will be invoked when MobileSubstrate (the Cydia support framework) crashes.

Desktop operating systems, like Windows and Mac OS X, have had a "Safe Mode" for a long time. On the desktop, safe mode is used for removing corrupted processes that may be causing the operating system to not function properly.

The iPhone has a "Safe Mode" for that exact same reason. A simple Cydia app called "Safe Mode Launcher" allows you to invoke the iPhone's Safe Mode with one tap. Let's take a look...

How to Uninstall Unstable Apps When Cydia Won’t Open

Guest Author ∙ Updated March 5, 2018

Sometimes we install apps out of curiosity only to discover that they are unstable on our device. In some cases, it's an app developed for a specific iPhone or iPad model. In other cases, the app is only compatible with certain firmware versions. Other times you may have installed conflicting tweaks.

Whatever the reason may be, here is a fix for a constantly crashing Springboard with no way to open Cydia to uninstall unstable apps. If your iPhone boots to the lock screen, but crashes if you do anything beyond that, this guide will help you to remove problematic packages without Cydia.