Tips

Ever notice the focus stays fixed when recording video on the iPhone 5s? In fact, the only iOS devices that automatically adjust focus while recording are the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus. While this feature was not added to the stock Camera app on older iPhones, those with jailbroken devices can now get a piece of the action.

The free jailbreak tweak AFVideo does the trick. Normally, refocusing a video while recording on the iPhone 5s / 5c or earlier requires a tap on the screen. Once AFVideo is installed, there are no options or settings to configure. The stock Camera app will simply begin to focus automatically, on the fly while video recording is in progress.

With the jailbreak tweak SBRotator for iOS 8, any iPhone can rotate its home screen like the iPhone 6 Plus. Normally, turning the iPhone to a landscape orientation only rotates the display in supported apps. With the extra real estate on the iPhone 6 Plus display, app icons rotate horizontally and the dock moves to the right side of the screen.

Once installed, the iPhone 4S, iPhone 5/5s/5c, and the iPhone 6 gain this home screen rotation capability. Not only this, but there's an option to keep the dock along the bottom of the screen like an iPad, instead of moving it to the side like the iPhone 6 Plus. Even iPhone 6 Plus users can use SBRotator to change their rotation mode to the iPad style.

Tired of app icons bouncing all over the place when iOS is in wiggle mode? The jailbreak tweak Anchor puts a stop to this automatic alignment behavior. With Anchor installed, the home screen is converted into a static grid.

Once installed, spaces can be left between iOS app icons. Any app configuration can be used, arranging icons anywhere on the grid without automatic sorting. While previous jailbreak tweaks such as Gridlock do the same thing, Anchor updates the concept for iOS 8.

While jailbreaking can bring many benefits, sometimes installing a tweak compromises stability. Removing the offending tweak solves the problem, but the trick is to know which tweak causes the error. The tool CrashReporter can help those with jailbroken devices track down exactly what's causing iOS to crash.

CrashReporter comes in handy when there are many tweaks installed, or when a problem occurs and it's not obvious what is triggering the crash. Once installed, CrashReporter can be configured to send push notifications automatically when a crash is detected. Logs will showcase details related to the crash, including the responsible tweak and its install date.

Apps can accumulate significant amounts of data on an iOS device. Unfortunately, the only way to clear caches or reset apps with stock iOS is to delete and reinstall. Those with jailbroken devices can use the tweak CacheClearer to free up storage space and reset apps right from the Settings.

Once installed, new options will be added directly to Settings -> General -> Usage -> Manage Storage. Here installed apps are listed, along with the amount of space they are consuming on the iOS device. Tapping an app name shows the size of the app, as well as how much space is used by related documents and data. Right below are three options, Delete App, Reset App, and Clear App's Cache.