The Best Jailbreak Apps for iOS 5

It took a good while before iOS 5 received its first jailbreak, but now that you've jailbroken your compatible iDevice you need to know all the great apps and hacks it can handle. Here's a look at some of our favorites available in Cydia for iOS 5.

Dreamboard

iOS theming has come a very long way, and that's all possible because of Dreamboard. There are plenty of great themes that complete change your iDevice's user interface. You can make it look like Android or Mac OS X Lion. It's pretty incredible. To use Dreamboard, you just install the app and choose the theme you want. If you want to use a theme that doesn't come pre-installed, just download it and copy it to the Dreamboard directory in the root of your iPhone. (You can use SSH or iExplorer to accomplish this.) Once you're done, just open Dreamboard and select the theme that you want. Dreamboard is known for overwriting lots of system files, though, so be sure to back up before you install!

Want this jailbreak hack? Search Cydia for Dreamboard to download and install it for free.

Music Controls Pro

Music Controls Pro lets you control the—you guessed it!—music app from Notifications Center. It also shows album art, allows you to control volume, and send a song via AirPlay. You can try it out for free for five days, but the full version costs $6. There is a free version that's just called Music Controls, but at the time of this writing it has not been updated for iOS 5.

Want this jailbreak hack? Search Cydia for Music Controls Pro to download and install the trial for free. (After five days you'll need to pay for it to keep using it.)

Zephyr

Zephyr adds mulitasking gestures to your iDevice. It'll let you do things like swipe up to show the multitasking drawer or quickly swipe between apps. (Click here for a video demonstration.) The gestures feel so natural that it's kind of surprising that they're not already a part of iOS. The downside? It'll cost you $3.

Want this jailbreak hack? Search Cydia for Zephyr to buy and install this tweak.

StatusGoogle

StatusGoogle is a very simple tweak that simply puts a search bar in Notification Center. Like any installable widget, you'll need to enable it int your Settings app's Notification Center settings, but once you do you'll be able to pull down the drawer and search from anywhere. (Note: You'll also want to edit the order of notifications in the Notification Center settings to put StatusGoogle at the top, otherwise the keyboard will cover it up when you try to search.)

Want this jailbreak hack? Search Cydia for StatusGoogle to download and install it for free.

AnyLockApp

iOS 5 made it easier to access your camera by adding a button to your lock screen beside the "slide to unlock" bar. If you don't care about your camera and would like to have access to, say, Twitter instead, AnyLockApp will let you swap it in. You can swap in pretty much any app you have installed, so it's up to you.

Want this jailbreak hack? Search Cydia for AnyLockApp to download and install it for free.

Activator

Activator has been around for awhile, but it's still one the best jailbreak hacks you can get. It allows you to set custom functions for any buttons on your device, as well as redefine existing multitouch gestures and set new ones. We've even written a guide on how it works. Many apps require it, so even if you don't install it yourself there's a good chance it'll get installed with another jailbreak hack. Activator is a good hack to have even if you think you won't use it.

Want this jailbreak hack? Search Cydia for Activator to download and install it for free.

SBSettings

SBSettings, which stands for Springboard Settings, is a longtime favorite tweak that puts frequently-used settings in a drop-down menu at the top of your iDevice. You used to activate it by swiping from left to right on the top bar, but seeing as iOS 5 has claimed that space for its Notification Center that's not exactly an option anymore. Not to worry! SBSettings' latest update simply adds a Notification Center widget for iOS 5 users. After you install it, just go to the Settings app on your iDevice, then the Notification Center section, and find the SBSettings widget. Turn it on and your settings will always be available in a concise Notification Center panel.

Want this jailbreak hack? Search Cydia for SBSettings to download and install it for free.

biteSMS

BiteSMS has always been one of the top jailbreak hacks that gets you a better, more feature-rich text messaging experience. It has been updated for iOS 5. Aside from allowing biteSMS to function inside of iOS 5, it adds support for Notification Center and a few nice visual enhancements, too.

Want this jailbreak hack? Search Cydia for biteSMS to download and install it for free (although some services associated with the app cost money).

F.lux

F.lux is the handy tweak that changes the color of your screen for safer viewing in the afternoon and evening (or really anytime when there's less light). F.lux originated as a desktop app but was ported to iOS 4. Now it works with iOS 5, too. If your iDevice is providing a little eye strain and you don't mind your screen turning a little (or a lot) orange in the later hours of the day, it's a good tweak to have.

Want this jailbreak hack? Search Cydia for f.lux to download and install it for free.