List of Must-Have Utility and System Applications

AiS I decided that it is time to create a list of the all the must-have system/utility applications for the iPhone and/or iPod Touch. So, below are 16 system and utility applications that you will definitly want to check out…for more info about each one, click on their title, it links to more info. I tried not to list the apps in any particular order also, some of the apps listed overlap in functionality (for example, if you have IntelliScreen…you would not need a status bar notifier application). Let me know in the comments what some of the must-have apps are on your iPhone/iPod Touch! Ok, here we go!

Note: These are all jailbroke applications (for more info on jailbreaking…check out our f.a.q page).

SBSettings – SBSettings is a system application and easily allows you to toggle a variety of Settings such as WiFi, Bluetooth, Edge, Phone, SSH and Brightness. This is done by swiping your finger across the status bar which bring up the SBSettings application. You are also able to do things like respring your SpringBoard, view your IP address, turn off your iPhone and much more. The app is themeable and there are quit a few add-on toggles (such as Vibrate, Rotation Inhibitor, Autolock…etc). This is probably the application I use most often on my iPhone and is most definitly a must-have!

SMSettings mhsusbsettings

WeatherIcon – WeatherIcon is technically considered a “tweak.” This app adds the current temp and weather conditions on your stock weather icon and/or status bar. I haven’t done a review of this application lately but, it is much more user-friendly than it used to be. In the settings of the app (which are located in your stock Settings app) you have quit a few options such as the ability to turn on/off the status bar image and temp, the ability to choose where the weather info is pulled from, the ability to choose the refresh rate and even the ability to change the location as you travel.

mhsuweathericon WeatherIcon

Statusbar Notifiers Statusbar Notifiers – Statusbar notifiers are system applications that allow you to be notified when you have a missed call, text, email, voicemail…etc by adding an icon to your status bar. There are quit a few options for status notifier applications based on how much functionality you are looking for. Apps like Extended Preferences and Supreme Preferences give you statusbar notification along with a lot of other settings/system options. Apps like Notifier, StatusNotifier and Taskbar Notifier will give you basically just the status bar notification functionality.

mhsunotifier Statusbar Notifier

WinterBoard WinterBoard – WinterBoard is a system application that allows you to theme and mod your iPhone/iPod Touch. It is here that you can activate themes and any other mod that is created for it. “WinterBoard provides hooks that let graphic artists safely and simply theme almost anything in Apple’s OS, including third party software downloaded from App Store.”

mhsuwinterboard Theme

MakeItMine MakeItMine – MakeItMine is a utility that allows you to easily change your Carrier or Banner to whatever you would like it to be. This means you are able to change the Carrier logo on your statusbar to say your name or your favorite food or whatever you want! The same goes for your Banner…which is where your time is located on your statusbar. A very simple, but useful application.

mhsumakeitmine

CyDelete – CyDelete is technically considered a “tweak” in Cydia and is an application that allows you to delete Cydia applications right from your SpringBoard just as you would an App Store application. Personally, this is one of my favorite applications…it makes deleting Cydia apps much faster and much easier!

CyDelete CyDelete

HomeScreen2.0 – HomeScreen2.0 is totally on this list due to personal bias…I love this lockscreen mod! HomeScreen2.0 is a mod that allows you to view a month calendar and a weeks weather forecast…as well as displays all your missed events…right on your lock screen. This “app” is not available in Cydia and does take some knowledge of SSH in order to install but, if you are interested, check out my step-by-step instructions on how to install it.

HomeScreen2.0 HomeScreen2.0 HomeScreen2.0

hClipboard – hClipboard is a system application that allows you to copy and paste information on your iPhone or iPod Touch. Until the 3.0 firmware is released…this is most definitely your best copy and paste option.

hClipboard hClipboard


Emoji
– Emoji is a “tweak” that allows you to activate the Japanese Emoticons on your iPhone. I’m not sure why Apple did not activate these on all iPhones to begin with! Once installed and activated, the Emojis show up as an option on your keyboard. There are a ton of fun ways to use these and they can be used almost anywhere the keyboard is available. The cool thing that is that even if a person doesn’t have this tweak installed on their iPhone or iPod Touch (even if their iPhone and/or iPod Touch is not even jailbroke)…they are able to see the Emojis if you send them a text or an email or a tweet that includes them.

Emoji Emoji Emoji

Backgrounder – Backgrounder (or Insomina) is a system application that allows apps on your iPhone or iPod Touch to run in the background. This is perfect for apps like Pandora because you are able to keep Pandora playing in the background as you use other apps on your iPhone!

Backgrounder

QuickGold – QuickGold is a system application that allows you to search for basically anything on your iPhone or iPod Touch. The app is easily launched by tapping the Home Button (single tap) while on your SpringBoard. You are then able to search for applications, contacts, sms, safari history…basically anything. It is similar to Apple’s Spotlight! Search on firmware 3.0.

quickgold02

Categories Categories – Categories is a system application that allows you to create folders on your SpringBoard in which you can then add applications to. This not only allows for a more organized SpringBoard but, also the ability to install more applications than the nine page limit.


Categories Categories

20 Second Lock Screen – 20 Second Lock Screen is a system application that will keep your lock screen on for 20 seconds before it goes into sleep mode. This allows for more time if you have a lock screen mod that displays information such as weather, emails, calendar events…etc.

Well guys, that’s the list. Let me know in the comments which of the apps are your favorites or if you have any additional ones!

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Comments

  1. Hey Brooke,

    HomeScreen 2.0 is in Cydia: cydia.touch-mania.com or install the Source via Cydia, there is a tutorial how to edit the weather location etc.

  2. i personally think clippy os easier and more efficient/tweakable than hclipboard, i never really understood hclipboard……

    • I agree

    • Really?? I always liked hClipboard better!

    • I also vote for clippy!

    • I also prefer Clippy.

    • i prefer clippy as well

    • I have both Clippy and hClipboard installed and both working just fine, however, I do like hClipboard more as there is more control. I find Clippy just a tad too difficult to get the start of a copy going in the right place….whereas hClipboard is much easier.

    • I started out using Clippy and at first it was great, then after the .95 version was released it was unusable. Have newer versions improved at all? Otherwise I’ve got to give my vote to hClipboard.

    • I have them both too. hClipboard is better for some things such as text select, copying entire sections and templates although it requires to “get there” by selecting keyboards. Clippy is always active though

  3. i really like what winterboard does and in the beginning it was one of the man reasons i jailbroke my iphone, but honestly it drains my battery way to much. does anyone else come across this problem? am i doing something wrong?

    other than using my iphone to much :P.

    • my battery life sucks too, but I can’t say that winterboard is the problem, I blame the battery. Extensions obviously drain battery life; but be honest, it’s probably games or streaming internet connections that are draining your batteries a lot faster. winterbaord is currently lighter then ever, and i am sure it will only continue to grow more powerful and lean. Needless but cool. I’m going to test for a day. I will restore my phone fully charge it turn off the auto lock and allow it to sit until it dies the whole time on a timer, then I will repeat the process after a jail break with all extensions. I am also going to see if I can record a difference in app launch times.

    • oh believe me ive done my tests several time over. i keep trying to convince myself that its worth having. after a full recharge from completely drained i ran my phone for a week straight doing the normal stuff i always do.

      then i added winterboard and on the first day i added all the themes and things i like having with winterboard and ran the phone the same way pretty much for a whole week. i found myself charging the phone more than when it was without winterboard but of course thats my conclusions.

    • I have removed winterboard from my list of installed apps because I noticed it makes your system run much much slower, aside from reducing your free user memory.

  4. i have all of the list but the backgrounder always gives me problems, either stucks freezes up or just reboots , i think is cause of i have installed dock but not sure , nice list anyways !

  5. Steve Jobs says

    I would imagine how slow the performance would be with all of these add-ons. Not to mention 5 columns, 5 rows, 5 icons dock, live clock, springjump, blank webclips, and the lists go on. I love modding the device but the slow performance is a bit disappointing. For looks or for performance, that’s the question.

    • if you are selective and well organized the phones lag is negligible; especially considering the possibilities. Anyway, if you were to load your phone with a bunch of silly half functional apps form the App Store it would slow in the same way. I have found since jailbreaking I have a greater control over the phones overall performance; it looks cooler too.

  6. I like the features of SBSettings, but the sliding-on-the-statusbar combo is way too sensitive and makes it always popping up…

    I removed it : when I looked at my iphone, the first thing I saw was always the sbs screen, that I had to quit with the home button, which is pretty annoying after a while.

    Am I the only one having this concern ?

    • No, same here.

      Another thing which came up on my device was that the buttons for Home and WiFi were off though it was on. So I removed everything from SBSettings.

    • I have never had that problem…I wonder if you hold you guys hold your iPhone’s differently than I do. You could always use BossPrefs…I think it is still available.

    • never have the problem either

    • I do find that it is a bit too easy to swipe the top and it is a little too sensitive, but I will definately keep it installed.

  7. This sbsettings is a cool app. I always used http://www.ip-adress.com to check my ip address. Have to download this thing.

  8. Get them with icy!!!!!!Cydia sucks!!!!!

  9. broke ,, but now when i checked my system storage in cydia !!
    i found 80% is used ,, and sometimes my iphone goes out of any app i use !!
    because of the system apps which i use !!

    dont u feel like this ?? or whats ur system’s storage used in ur iphone ??

  10. Aptbackup is my recommendation, if you’re like me and like to test a lot of programs this can help you by backing all the software you’ve downloaded from cydia. It saves with your iTunes backup and works very well.

  11. What about bossTool to move fonts and such to the other partition? and iReboot? and Chronus?

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