JellyLock7 Review for iOS 7

The original JellyLock was an extremely popular jailbreak tweak, because it brought the Android Jelly Bean styled Lock screen to iOS. Now, a new version of JellyLock has just been released, and it sports compatibility with iOS 7.

The appropriately name JellyLock7 is available right now for download. Like its predecessor, it adds some of the conveniences brought to the fore by the popular Android OS. Have a look at our full video walkthrough inside to see the iOS 7 version of JellyLock in action.

JellyLock7 allows you to assign up to five different application shortcuts to your Lock screen. Each application shortcut icon is capable of displaying badges to count missed notifications. There’s also a method of launching apps directly via a method not unlike the camera launcher on the Lock screen. This allows you to open apps without having to unlock your device.

Of course, there are many customization options to switch up the look and feel of JellyLock7 as well. You can change the outside circle size, color, and alpha settings among other visual changes. JellyLock7 gives you the option of hiding the camera slider shortcut and disabling the default unlock swipe method.

Whenever you make any changes to JellyLock7 by means of the tweak’s preferences, you’ll have to use the respring button located near the tweak’s kill switch toggle. If there’s one negative aspect of this tweak, this would be it. Many tweaks today are making strides to avoid resprings, but with JellyLock7 you must respring with every single settings adjustment.

To add apps to the Lock screen, you’ll need to go into JellyLock7′s app shortcut panel. From there, you can assign up to five applications to display as shortcuts on the Lock screen. Each shortcut has a number assigned (one through five) and the lower the number, the closer it appears to the left side of the Lock screen and vice versa. All of the apps that appear on the Lock screen are automatically balanced for a symmetrical look.

It should be noted that JellyLock7 works on jailbroken iPads as well. In fact, there’s a setting contained within the tweak’s preferences for adjusting JellyLock for the iPad’s landscape mode. When you enter landscape mode on the iPad, the grabber will move to the right side of the screen for easy thumb access. You can instead choose to enable the landscape left toggle to reposition the grabber to the left side of the screen.

One of the most remarkable features of JellyLock is its price. For a tweak that has gone through many iterations and beta testing, Max Katzmann, the tweak’s developer, has made JellyLock completely free on Cydia’s BigBoss repo. True, he gave away the initial version of JellyLock free of charge as well, but it’s nice of him to continue to give his hard work away without a cost.

JellyLock7 is a solid jailbreak tweak that adds real value to the iOS 7 Lock screen. With it being free, I unequivocally recommend that you check it out. Let me know what you think about the tweak in the comments section below.

Ayecon is now Updated for iOS 7; A must for Themers

Ayecon for iOS 7

If you’ve been into jailbreaking and theming for any decent amount of time, you’ve surely heard of the legendary Ayecon theme. This is a theme that set the standard for detail when Retina displays were still a relatively new feat in the mobile device industry.

A lot has changed since Ayecon first came riding over that hill on its white horse, reinvigorating the stagnant theming space in the process.

Flat is in, skeuomorphism is hated (and dead). So where does Ayecon fit in with this wave of change? Will Surenix, its designer, abandon the style that made Ayecon a success in the name of staying with the trend? Or, will he instead, stick to what made Ayecon work?

The answer to that question is obvious if you’ve seen the screenshots accompanying this post. Of course, Ayecon won’t abandon its skeuomorphic style in favor of iOS’ new direction; it bucks the trend and does so proudly.

If you hate iOS 7′s icons then you’ll feel right at Home with Ayecon for iOS 7. It brings back the familiarity that was a staple of iOS for six successful generations. Ayecon is still one of the, if not the most detailed themes to ever hit Cydia. Super high resolution displays are the norm these days, so the effects are not as eye-popping as they once were, but it still looks awesome.

Look at the insanely great details in the ayecon theme for iOS 7.

You’ll notice the incredible detail on every single stock iOS app icons. Even third party applications, cydia or otherwise, get the Ayecon treatment. You’ll notice apps like Instagram, iFile, Dropbox, and many others, all benefit from Ayecon’s insane level of detail.

Ayecon features:

• Auto-app mask for all App Store and Cydia apps
• 100+ re-designed icons
• Gorgeous new (classic) dock
• 9 beautiful high-resolution wallpapers
• Status bar icons
• SMS bubble enhancement
• PSD file (to create your own icons using ayecon’s style)

For apps that haven’t yet been themed, they’ll still fit in well with the overall style. This is because Ayecon applies an auto app mask to every single app icon on your screen. The mask lends a three dimensional effect to the app icons and gets rid of the flat style that permeates the whole of iOS 7.

Skeuomorphic haters apply here

But what if you’re like me, and you prefer the look of iOS 7? What to do then? My advice is to enjoy the other aspects of Ayecon while using the iOS 7 app icons. This means that you can still reap the benefits of the changes to the dock, status bar, wallpaper, and messages without having to use the skeuomorphic hyper-detailed app icons that are the theme’s hallmark.

It may seem a little sacrilegious to promote using Ayecon without using the app icons that the theme is known for, but skeuomorphism is a very polarizing subject. I mentioned this to Surenix, and even he agreed; there’s still a lot to benefit from even if you don’t want to use Ayecon’s app icons.

The dock

The best argument for using Ayecon, outside of the tweak’s namesake feature, is for its dock. The Ayecon dock is more akin to the dock present in pre-iOS 7 devices. It brings the sense of having more breathing room to play with. It’s much like the effect that happens when you tear down a wall in the house t open up the living space; it makes the iPhone 5s and other 4″ screen devices seem taller.

Stock iOS 7 dock on the left, Ayecon’s dock on the right

The status bar

If you hate the new dots that represent the signal strength in iOS 7, then you’ll appreciate the status bar that comes with Ayecon. Surenix’s theme brings the cleaner looking status bar present on pre-iOS 7 devices. This feature, just like the dock, can be independently enabled or disabled via WinterBoard.

Stock iOS 7 status bar on the left, Ayceon on the right

Wallpapers

Ayecon for iOS 7 comes with nine new wallpapers that accentuate the look and feel of the theme. Each of these wallpapers can be enabled via the stock Settings app > Wallpapers & Brightness.

Nine new and amazing wallpapers courtesy of Ayecon.

Messages bubbles

The is one of the more subtle features of Ayecon’s theme, and it too can be enabled independently in WinterBoard’s settings. The message bubbles with Ayecon have a more squared off look, but it’s hard to tell the difference without comparing each side-by-side.

Stock iOS 7 messaging app on the left, Ayecon messanger on the right

Troubleshooting

WinterBoard, being just recently updated to work with iOS 7 and the arm64 devices like the iPhone 5s, still has its fair share of bugs and fixes in store. Saurik acknowledges as much on WinterBoards’s Cydia page. With that said, the only issue that I encountered while testing out Ayecon was a simple caching problem. If you notice that some of the features don’t show up when you have Ayecon installed and enabled, try the following:

Step 1: Open iFile, and go to /private/var/mobile/Library/Caches/com.apple.UIStatusbar

Step 2: Delete all of the files located in this directory

Step 3: Respring your device

Doing this should clear up any caching issues that occur when enabled or disabling certain features of the theme.

Conclusion

I always make it a rule to be up front with you guys, so I’m going to be honest about how I plan on using Ayecon. As you know, I’m not a big fan of skeuomorphism. I used to like it, but ever since iOS 7, I prefer the cleaner look. This doesn’t mean that I won’t use Ayecon on my daily driver, I’ll just use it without enabling the SpringBoard option in WinterBoard. This means that I can enjoy the other benefits of Ayecon, namely the dock, without having to give up the flat icon style prevalent throughout the whole of iOS 7.

Ayecon Looks really amazing

Even years after its initial debut, Ayecon is still one of the gold standards of iOS theming, and a great example of how to go about the process for those keen on creating themes. If you’re interested in giving it a try, then head over to Cydia’s BigBoss repo where it can be had for $2.99. If you’ve already purchased Ayecon for iOS 6, then Ayecon for iOS 7 is a free update. Be sure to share your thoughts down below in the comments.

The 10 best Winterboard themes for iOS 7

The recent release of a Winterboard update with 64-bit compatibility marks a convenient time to reflect on some of the best themes for iOS 7 devices to date. It’s important to keep in mind that a number of popular themes from iOS 6 have yet to be updated, although it is safe to assume that many designers will release new versions in the ensuing weeks and months. So, without further adieu, take a look ahead for 10 beautiful Winterboard themes for iOS 7 available on Cydia or elsewhere right now… 

Zanilla 2

There is not much else to say about this theme asides from the fact that it’s absolutely beautiful. While many third-party apps still require custom icons, which will be added over time, the ones that are currently themed look very good. Zanilla 2 has drop shadows much like Solstice does below, and the general color scheme of this theme is quite nice. Surprisingly, Zanilla 2 is currently without a home on Cydia. To get this theme, you’ll have to download it from this deviantART page and manually place the Zanilla.theme file in the Winterboard directory /Library/Themes/ using a tool such as iFile, iExplorer or iFunBox. Expect it to hit a repository soon.

Soft Remix for iOS 7

Easily one of my favorite themes on this list, Soft Remix for iOS 7 is a new take on the popular Suave HD theme. What I like best about Soft Remix is that it makes the Home screen icons slightly smaller, with so-called “squircle” edges, and has custom icons for some apps I wasn’t expecting—BlackBerry Messenger, IMDb, SoundCloud and a few others. Third-party apps without custom icons don’t stand out like an eyesore with this theme, and more icon requests are being fulfilled by designer Eduardo Lopez as we speak. Soft Remix for iOS 7 is free on Cydia in the BigBoss repository.

M’flat

We’ve been seeing quite a few ports of M’flat icons popping up in the theming community over the past week or so, and this collection with several dozen custom icons for third-party apps is worth a mention. M’flat in my opinion is a nature-oriented theme, with lots of off-green, grey, blue and outdoors icons. Better yet, even more icons are in the process of being added. Since this is another theme not hosted on Cydia yet, you’ll need to manually place the M’flat iOS 7.theme file in the Winterboard directory /Library/Themes/ using a tool such as iFile, iExplorer or iFunBox.

1derful HD and 1Derland

While these themes are intended to skin the entire user interface, limitations of iOS 7 will — at least for now — limit the both to providing custom icons on the Home screen. While the themes don’t have a tremendous amount of icons, they both look nice and can be yours for $2.99 each on the Cydia Store.

RocketSauce

Collins is also the creative brainchild behind RocketSauce, another well-designed theme that he recently patched for Winterboard on iOS 7 and 64-bit devices. RocketSauce was another theme that used to skin the entire iOS user interface, but currently just customizes the SpringBoard icons with fog-like curved edges. Collins will be issuing updates to this theme to add functionality back where possible, although it will take time. RocketSauce can be yours for $2.99 in the Cydia Store.

Solstice

Solstice takes the stock iOS 7 icons and redefines them with long shadows and a slightly less eye-popping color palette. The theme currently supports over 90 apps, with designer John Bussell vowing to add more every day. A shortlist of popular third-party apps with custom icons so far includes Alien Blue, Facebook, Google Maps, Rdio, SoundCloud, Twitter, Vine, WhatsApp and YouTube. Solstice is free on Cydia in the ModMyi repository.

Space Blueberry

Space Blueberry by Gionata gives over 70 of your Home screen icons a slightly more cartoon or flat appearance. The new and improved Game Center, Music, Reminders and Safari icons look much better in particular, compared to their original designs. If you have an iPhone or iPod touch, download Space Blueberry on Cydia for free in the ModMyi repository. Unfortunately, this theme is currently incompatible with iPad.

Flat7

With a claimed 60,000-plus downloads, Flat7 has emerged as one of the leading iOS 7 themes for iPhone and iPod touch so far. The theme overhauls all Apple stock icons, in addition to a growing number of third-party apps, with a more consistent and flat design. Additionally, you can enable one of two different overlays in Winterboard to make the icons circular or hexagonal in shape. Flat7 is the work of iOS designer Nick Viveiros, and can be grabbed for free from the BigBoss repository on Cydia. iPad support coming.

Oil7

Oil7 is a redesign of Flat7 with an oil-based paint finish, and also includes some additional icon that the latter doesn’t have yet. All stock apps have custom icons, alongside several popular third-party apps. While this isn’t my favorite theme on the list, it might pique the curiosity of others. Oil7 is the work of designer Zutx, and is available now as a free download from Cydia on the BigBoss repository. Give it a try.

Final thoughts

While most of the themes listed above should function properly on all iOS 7 devices, including the iPhone 5s, your personal mileage may vary. A noteworthy theme not mentioned in the list above is NextGenUI, available on the Cydia Store for $1.99. Moreover, renowned graphic designer Surenix has confirmed that he will soon be testing and optimizing the insanely popular theme Ayecon for iOS 7. Stay tuned for that.

If you like what you’ve seen here, please consider supporting the growing community of iOS designers by either purchasing a paid theme, donating to those that offer their work for free, or saying thank you. Every bit of support that these designers receive motivates them to work on additional icon requests and future projects for the benefit of all of us. Most designers offer various methods of making a donation, and leaving one is a great way to show a small token of appreciation.

Also, for those wondering, here is the wallpaper used above.

Any noteworthy themes not covered here?

Winterboard gets support for 64-bit devices and iOS 7

Themers and all around jailbreakers will be happy to learn that Winterboard, a staple in the jailbreak community when it comes to theming, has been updated to bring complete iOS 7 support, and maybe more importantly, support for arm64 devices such as the iPhone 5s, the new iPad Air and iPad mini with Retina display.

Although Winterboard worked fine in many cases for older devices running iOS 7, there were still bugs and inconsistencies. These problems should soon be a thing of the past now that Winterboard has been updated…

What does it mean for jailbreakers? Simply said, it means that jailbreakers will now be able to apply themes to any device without having to fear incompatibility.

Of course, there aren’t many, if any at all, themes currently available for arm64 devices so if you have an iPhone 5s, you’ll probably have to wait until designers come up with new themes or update existing ones. Surenix for example, recently said he was working on an Ayecon update.

Saurik notes that Winterboard version 0.9.3912 “seems” compatible with 64-bit devices. Judging by his careful choice of words, it appears that Winterboard might still be needing some work to squash bugs that could have gone unnoticed during development. But at this point, most of the job is done, and future updates will only bring stability improvements.

Excited much?

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