Apps

Jailbreaking made my iPhone fun and more usable

No, this isn’t illegal

Published

June 22, 2020

Vincenz

It’s been a month since the jailbreaking community got hyped over the latest jailbreak tool for iOS. At the same time, Apple’s iOS 14 announcement is just around the corner.

Jailbreaking was introduced way before the early releases of iOS through iPhone and iPod Touch. Coined from the word itself, jailbreaking is “breaking free” from the restrictions of iOS, Apple’s proprietary operating system.

This isn’t new to me. In fact, I was able to do it on my first ever iPhone 3Gs nearly seven years ago — back when I was just a high school student. As far as I can remember, it was risky yet successful.

Around that period, it’s when Apple announced a major design change through iOS 7. Unfortunately, devices older than the iPhone 4s are not supported. But with the power of jailbreaking, I was able to make my phone look like one. I even kept a single Instagram post as a remembrance.

Some of the iPhone users out there might not be contented with what iOS has to offer. And for someone (like me) who needs iOS services but wants to get more “Android-like” features, jailbreaking your iPhone is the closest answer.

Installation

This isn’t mainly a tutorial on how to jailbreak your iPhone. There’s a step-by-step installation video that helped me throughout the jailbreak process. Just make sure your phone is running iOS 13.5 or below. This method uses the unc0ver jailbreaking tool.

For devices running the patched iOS 13.5.1 or the latest iOS 13.5.5 Beta, you can still jailbreak your device through a different method with checkra1n‘s tool. If you have the latter version, watch this video instead.

Customization through jailbreak tweaks

If your iPhone shows Cydia on your home screen and runs without errors, it’s a sign that your iPhone is already jailbroken. If you’re not yet familiar, Cydia is the less intuitive (and cluttered) version of the App Store where you can find tons of tweaks that make your jailbroken iPhone magical.

Some jailbreak tools use Sileo as a substitute for Cydia with a refined UI. Only downside is that it still has incompatibilities in most tweaks.

By adding more repositories (or repos), you can gain more access to limited and exclusive tweaks that cannot be found through default tweak sources (such as BigBoss).

As most of these tweaks were made by several developers, most of them are free of charge. You should take note that advanced tweaks are paid.

Lock screen, Home Screen, and App Switcher

First thing you’ll notice is the different look of the lock screen. These are the tweaks I used:

Jellyfish is a tweak that completely overhauled my lock screen. It’s mostly compatible to music player tweaks. A free alternative would be April but it’s incompatible to other tweaks (which causes a crash then resprings into safe mode).
AOD allows you to add Always-On Display functionality in your OLED-powered iPhones (such as the iPhone X, XS, XS Max, 11 Pro, and 11 Pro Max).
Tap Tap Lock is a simple tweak that lets you lock your iPhone by double tapping anywhere on the home screen.
AutoUnlockX, from the word itself, it automatically unlocks your Face ID-powered iPhone without the hassle of swiping up. This is fast and convenient for users who are always in a hurry when unlocking their phones.

For years, iOS’ home screen has been stuck with a grid of app icons with the plain red notification badges. But with jailbreaking, customization is possible.

Velox Reloaded lets you transform home screen icons into widgets. This was rumored to be an iOS 14 feature but is possible through jailbreak.
dotto+ is a replacement tweak for iOS’ default notification badges. It adapts the color of the app’s icon and eliminates the notification count for a simpler appearance.
CastSwitcher is a tweak that replaces your old stacked card-style switcher into a grid, iPad-like switcher.
Dockify either lets your dock look transparent or hides the dock icons completely.

Other small tweaks you can install for your home screen:

AwesomePageDots makes those simple page dots more lively with the option to choose your preferred animation style.
HideLabels13 simply hides texts of apps on your home screen for a cleaner, minimalist look.
iconvibe adds haptic feedback whenever you open apps.
Manila is a simple tweak that reveals the apps found inside the folder through 3D/Force Touch menu.
No3DLines is a non-configurable tweak that hides lines whenever you activate 3D/Force Touch.

Notifications and Control Center

If some of you miss the bottom-style control center, Prysm brings back that nifty feature. Although it’s not a total rip-off of the iOS 10 control center, it still includes the rounded look of the latest Control Center in a less-cluttered order.

Other than the added power options (such as reboot, shutdown, respring, lock, and safe mode), it even displays the battery percentage of your Apple devices such as the AirPods and Apple Watch.

Other tweaks that are useful for Control Center:

RealCC lets you completely turn off Wi-Fi and Bluetooth toggles in Control Center.
CCModules adds more module options (and even app shortcuts) in your default iOS 13 control center.

And here’s a list of tweaks I installed that revamped my iPhone’s notification appearance:

Quart completely changes the overall look of your phone’s notifications. It has customizable rounded corners, header and content text sizes, and circular icons that go well with iOS 13’s rounded look.
ColorMeNotifs adds color to your notifications. Just like dotto+, it also adapts color based from the app’s icon.
NoDNDBanner is a tiny tweak that completely removes Do Not Disturb banner when activated.
PencilChargingIndicator replaces your old charging icon in favor of the Apple Pencil-like charging banner alert.
AirPods Case Low Battery is convenient if you carry an AirPods or AirPods Pro with you. It lets you prompt whenever the case is below the charged level.
Scorpion replaces the full call window into a less intrusive banner. You can now accept or decline calls without blocking what’s currently on your screen.
SilentRecorder hides the annoying red status on the time bar when the screen is recording.

Settings

Three tweaks are responsible for the changed look of the top and bottom bar:

noNotch completely hides the notch through a black bar and makes the app windows rounded. It gives the illusion of an iPhone without a notch.
DigitalBattery13 replaces the battery icon with a battery percentage symbol.
Saw maximizes the look of your app screen by removing the home bar and the bottom padding altogether.

For settings, here are two important tweaks:

shuffle categorizes setting list based on where they belong. Originally, the settings and tweaks list are both cluttered.
ModernSettings adds a visual graphic of your phone’s battery and storage information as well as basic details of Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and even the phone itself.

There are also optional tweaks you can install to configure reachability:

Carbonite adds quick toggles whenever you activate reachability.
StayDown lets reachability stay as it is without coming back from its original position.

Apps

For music apps such as Apple Music and Spotify, these tweaks are helpful enough to make your playback more appealing:

StatusViz adds a little visualizer at the upper left corner of the screen whenever you play music — which replaces the time status.
ColorFlow 5 beautifies your music player by adapting the color of the album art as the background (instead of white).

For the camera app, here are tweaks that can imitate the look of iPhone 11 series’ camera UI on older devices:

Camera Features lets you change the camera layout of your old iPhones. It brings the exclusive camera UI of the iPhone 11 series — including the zoom slider, QuickTake, and the ability to tap and change video resolution and frame rate in video mode. Other than that, you also have the option to choose an iPad-style camera UI plus show/hide certain camera elements and modes.
PortraitXI is a tweak that lets you take portrait mode shots even if your iPhone only has a single lens.
Enlighten brightens most of shots taken in low-light. However, this isn’t a complete imitation of the Night Mode found on the iPhone 11 series.

For security, BioProtect XS is a helpful paid tweak that uses Face ID (or Touch ID on older devices) to lock specific apps — including system apps such as messages, photos, videos, Safari and more.

Safari Features completely enhances your Safari experience by adding a tab bar and even show a 2×2 grid switcher.
SmallSiri shows Siri through a small banner, instead of the usual full window prompt.
InstagramPlus is a handy paid tweak that lets you control your Instagram completely. Features include saving photos, videos on feed and through IG stories, follow status, anonymously see stories of other people, and the inclusion of Instagram Music even if your region isn’t supported.

Keyboard

The default keyboard in iOS is intuitive yet lacks certain features that make it stand out. Here are some tweaks to maximize your typing experience.

BarMoji lets you add your frequently used emojis at the bottom of the keyboard between the global keyboard switch and voice control icons.
Dark Keys enables a system-wide dark keyboard, which goes well if you’re in Dark Mode. Default iOS Dark Mode doesn’t darken the keyboard.
RealKeys adds a haptic (or taptic) feedback whenever you type. This makes typing more tactile and responsive.
AnyKeyTrackpad lets you swipe over texts and words by pressing any key on the keyboard. It’s not limited to the spacebar anymore.
DeleteCut is a helpful keyboard tweak that deletes words faster. Just click the shift key and it will delete multiple words instead of characters one by one.
For people who use different keyboards, Keyboard Accio is a tool that lets you switch between your first two input methods. Don’t worry, long press still works for other keyboard input.
MenuSupport replaces the text-heavy menu into a menu of icons when editing texts.
Finally, CopyLog is a wonderful tweak that lets you save all your copy-pasted texts (or paragraphs) through a snippet log.

Stability

Some tweaks may not run properly due to certain iOS and jailbreak version limitations or overlapping and incompatible tweaks installed. You can still prevent this from happening, use these utility tweaks:

FlyJB lets you bypass certain apps that detect jailbreak status. In that way, you can continue using your apps you need (such as Snapchat, McDonald’s, Pokémon Go) without worrying about complete removal of the jailbreak. Another similar tweaks are KernBypass and Unsub.
Flame is a specified tweak for Cydia which enables the user to batch add repos and auto resprings/reboots after a tweak download.
ReProvision is a tweaked app that prompts you to sign your jailbreak utility apps three days before they get revoked. This is helpful just in case you forgot to re-sign your jailbreak app or else, you’ll do the tedious process again from the beginning.
KeepMyJB removes the software update setting on Settings. Automatic updates won’t install, keeping your jailbreak alive and kicking.
iCleaner Pro lets you delete temporary files and tweak settings. These settings usually remain even after tweak uninstallation from Cydia.
Cr4shed is another tweak that lists and reports any app or task that caused a UI crash. This is helpful if ever one of your installed tweaks always gives your iPhone an error before it resprings into Safe Mode.

Misconception

Some users might think that jailbreak could “unlock” their factory-locked iPhones. In that case, jailbreaking isn’t the solution. If that’s what you’re after, you should bring your iPhone to a technician to get it unlocked.

Other accessible methods are the use of GPP sim chips that “partially” unlocks sim-locked iPhones from countries like US and Japan.

Legality

Although some countries might have certain laws and restrictions when it comes to Digital Rights Management (DRM), jailbreaking in most countries isn’t illegal. Jailbreaking may void your device if it’s still under warranty but rest assured that there are methods to unjailbreak your phone and bring iOS back to its default state through iOS restore.

Community

Don’t limit yourself from the tweaks I’ve listed. There are tons of jailbreak tweaks from various repos and developers. There are also a plethora of jailbreak tweak videos on YouTube from different YouTubers and jailbreakers.

Other than that, you can also join this reddit community where they mostly talk about iOS jailbreaking.

Apps

iOS 27 public beta gives us our first taste of Siri AI

You can access the beta for free.

Published

July 16, 2026

Luigi Leonardo

Normally, public betas come and go with nary a peep from anyone but dedicated fans and testers. After all, why care about a beta when the final release is likely just around the corner? This one, however, is special. Today, Apple launched the iOS 27 public beta, and it’s our first taste of the redesigned Siri AI.

Recently, WWDC 2026 unveiled Apple’s latest attempts at entering the AI segment. Whereas previous iterations to incorporate AI failed to make an impact, Siri AI promises to provide users with helpful feedback that’s actually helpful.

Now, in the public beta for iOS 27, users all over can finally access the new assistant. To get to the beta, you need to be a part of the beta program, which you can easily sign up for on beta.apple.com. Once signed up, you can get the update from Software Update in Settings. You’ll see options for a developer beta and a public beta. Choose iOS 27 Public Beta.

At face value, Siri AI offers much of what you’d get from a traditional AI-powered assistant. However, it does slightly differ because it integrates the entire phone. The assistant contextualizes your information (including emails, messages, and photos) to give you the most accurate feedback that you might need.

If that’s not enough, Siri AI also has its own chatbot app. If you’re more used to ChatGPT, the assistant should give you that bit of familiarity.

Now, if you don’t want to go for a beta, Apple is expected to launch iOS 27 in its final form sometime in September.

Apps

The case for traveling without a plan

How Grab’s 5-Star Travel Guide replaced my spreadsheets, for personal travel anyway

Published

July 16, 2026

MJ Jucutan

I have somehow acquired the reputation of a man permanently in transit.

Fill your feed with airport check-ins, road trips, hotel rooms, and race bibs for a decade, and people stop seeing travel as a hobby. They start treating it like a personality trait. And naturally, everyone is always breathless to know: “MJ, how on earth do you manage it all?”

Here’s the truth: every trip begins long before I pack a bag. A good itinerary takes time. Flights, hotels, transfers, backup plans, restaurant lists all have to fit together well enough to make the trip feel worthwhile.

My colleagues would probably call me a Type A traveler. They’ve watched me run international coverages and high-stakes business trips entirely off spreadsheets. Spreadsheets!

Timed down to the exact micro-second, complete with contingency plans for every possible disaster short of an alien invasion.

And they are completely right. For work. But personal travel? Oh, darling, personal travel plays by a completely different set of rules.

The luxury of letting go (and the panic that follows)

A month before departure, I am all about securing the basics. But once the flights and rooms are locked in? I completely let go.

I would much rather leave room for fabulous, unexpected curiosity than fill every single hour with another rigid destination.

Part of it is sheer decision fatigue. I spend so much of my professional life making executive decisions that the last thing I want to do on vacation is have a minor existential crisis at 2:00 p.m. over which artisanal café deserves the honor of my afternoon. I want to wake up, look at the sunlight filtering through the curtains, and let the universe decide.

Of course, ironically, that absolute freedom can spiral into its own fabulous brand of panic. I know I want to go somewhere chic. I just have absolutely no idea where.

Which is precisely how Grab’s 5-Star Travel Guide quietly became the most indispensable accessory of my latest getaway.

Finding somewhere to spend the afternoon

I recently flew to Cagayan de Oro to spend some quality time with my long-term, long-distance, low-commitment, casual boyfriend. (Yes, it’s complicated, but the mystery keeps it glamorous.)

I arrived with absolutely zero plans, and this was entirely deliberate. If there is one thing a strong, independent person must never do, it is rely on someone else to dictate his day — even if that someone is technically his own handsome, local tour guide.

Instead of waiting around for an itinerary to be handed to me, I simply opened my Grab app while I’m in downtown and slithered over to their Travel Guide.

My fabulous friend, Syra, glided over from Midtown, and we agreed to rendezvous in Uptown to finally check out H Proper Coffee, which was practically screaming at me from the top of the Grab list.

It’s the city’s legendary third-wave coffee pioneer — complete with a deeply impressive roastery — and it has recently, thank goodness, expanded to Makati.

: Bowerbird Coffee

The guide also flirted with other familiar, delicious names like Milestone Coffee (where Syra and I had gossiped over lattes just six months prior), alongside Bowerbird Coffee, Fukuro, Apostrophe Café, The Lone Wolf, and Grae Coffee.

I must say, the recommendations were utterly spot-on. They weren’t just highly rated by random bots; these were the actual enclaves that the city’s stylish locals genuinely know and love.

Dinner dilemma (solved!)

The Travel Guide came through yet again when the sun began to set and the crucial question of dinner arose. Now, I absolutely adore discovering hidden neighborhood gems and family-run eateries. They possess a soul that no luxury restaurant could ever replicate.

That said, every proper holiday demands at least one evening where you put on a sharp blazer, splash on some Tom Ford, and indulge in a truly beautiful meal.

Unsurprisingly, Cucina Higala seduced me all over again. Look, I am a creature of habit. If I know an establishment delivers perfection, I will return.

Seeing it sitting proudly near the top of Grab’s curated list felt like a delicious little pat on the back; a quiet validation that my impeccable taste is worth trusting after all.

Beyond the plate

Refreshingly, the guide doesn’t stop at flat whites and fine dining. Grab’s Travel Guide also highlights local luxury hotels.

Though, fair warning, a few of them are the sort that make your credit card wince slightly. (But darling, they are five-star for a reason.)

It also curates actual experiences. Browsing through the app, I found options for everything from heart-pounding whitewater rafting and sharp Pilates studios, to a world-class pottery atelier, a folkloric museum, and a sweeping, adventure-filled mountain retreat.

Some were already on my radar, but others? I would never, in a million years, have stumbled upon them myself. And that is the thrill of traveling this way. You leave just enough empty space in your diary to be utterly surprised.

For the spontaneous traveler

Let’s be clear: planning every detail down to the last centavo is not a flaw. When you’re younger or traveling on a strict budget, every single peso counts, and a meticulously plotted itinerary ensures you maximize both your wallet and your time.

But eventually, thank heavens, you reach a stage in life where the itinerary matters just a little bit less. A stage where time and budget stop being the terrifying monsters standing between you and a boarding pass.

You learn that not every single meal requires three weeks of intense counter-research. Not every hour requires a reservation confirmation number.

Sometimes, the most breathtaking, unforgettable moments happen simply because you wandered into a doorway you weren’t even looking for.

So, book the flight. Secure the hotel. Figure out how you’ll get around. Then let your feelings, and Grab’s Travel Guide, decide the rest.

Apps

Plot twist: Starbucks PH is letting you actually pick your reward now

Starting July 21, you choose what you redeem and when, from just 50 Stars, on the new Starbucks PH app.

Published

July 15, 2026

MJ Jucutan

Confession time: I have spent an embarrassing number of hours doing mental math in line at Starbucks, staring at my Stars balance like it owes me money. Ninety-eight Stars. So close!

Two Stars short of a free drink that would just… appear, whether I wanted it that week or not. That’s the old system for you. It decided for me and I just showed up to collect.

Well, girl, the glory days of blind Star hoarding are over, and honestly? I’m thrilled.

Starting July 21, Starbucks Philippines is scrapping the automatic 100-Star-equals-one-voucher system it’s run since 2019. In its place: a Multi-Tiered Rewards system that finally treats members like adults who know what they want. Which, let’s be real, is exactly what I’ve wanted the whole time. I didn’t want a random cake slice I never asked for. I wanted to choose.

Tiers, explained (because I know you’re already doing the math)

Here’s where it gets good: You’re no longer stuck waiting for triple digits to cash in.

At 50 Stars, you can get a free drink customization or a bakery pick like a bagel, a banana loaf, or my personal weakness, the doughnut. Fifty Stars used to get you nothing but a longer wait. Now, it gets you a treat.

At 100 Stars, the world opens up. Any handcrafted beverage or bakery item are all yours to pick. This used to be the only option on the menu. Now, it’s just the middle tier.

And then there’s the new 150-Star tier, which lets you trade in for pasta, a sandwich, or a full cake slice. A whole meal, earned in caffeine.

The only real exclusions to keep in mind: breve and the 2 oz heavy cream customization aren’t included at 50 Stars, and the Coffee Traveler Kit, French Press, and Reserve Ice Cream beverages sit outside the 100-Star tier. Small print, but worth knowing before you get to the counter with big plans.

The app situation (Deep breath, it’s fine)

Now, I’ll admit, hearing “you need a whole new app” gave me a small moment of panic.

New app, new login, new everything, right when I finally memorized where the barcode scanner button lives on the old one.

But here’s the relief: your Stars, your load balance, your account, all of it carries over automatically. No re-registering, and no starting from zero. You just download the new Starbucks PH App from the App Store or Google Play starting July 21, and your loyalty history walks right in with you.

The old app gets discontinued, so this isn’t optional, but it’s also not a hassle. Sign-in is faster, Star tracking updates in real time, and honestly, watching my Stars tick up instantly instead of refreshing the app like I’m checking a crush’s read receipts sounds like an upgrade I can get behind.

One thing to note if you’re a Mobile Order and Pay loyalist like me: it won’t be available on day one. Starbucks says it’s coming back in a future update, but the timing is still unannounced. Mildly inconvenient, but not a dealbreaker.

The part that actually changes how I use my Stars

Here’s the detail I didn’t expect to care about this much: Under the old system, your voucher’s 90-day countdown started the moment you crossed 100 Stars, whether you were ready to redeem or not.

Now, that 90-day clock only starts once you actually issue the reward yourself. Which means no more panic-ordering a bakery item I didn’t want just because the voucher was about to expire. I get to decide when the countdown even begins.

Stars still need to convert into a reward within a year, and anything unconverted still expires on your account anniversary, so it’s not an invitation to hoard forever. But within that window, the control is finally mine.

So, what now?

Mark your calendar for July 21. Download the new app, let your Stars migrate themselves while you do absolutely nothing, and start planning what you’re actually going to redeem instead of settling for whatever the algorithm decided you’d earned.

Fifty Stars for a banana loaf on a rough Monday. A hundred and fifty for a full pasta situation on a day that calls for one. My inner spreadsheet is already recalculating, and for once, that feels less like a chore and more like a plan.