Tips

As any iPhone owner knows, there are no speed dial functions in iOS 7. Maybe Siri or the Favorites list of contacts counts as a shortcut, however these don't resemble traditional speed dial. PassDial is a new way to tackle the issue, by adding speed dial functionality directly to the passcode lock keypad.

The free version of PassDial makes it possible to associate three separate passcodes with three phone numbers. It's that simple, just enter the right passcode and the iPhone will immediately start dialing the associated phone number. PassDial Pro provides more slots to add even more speed dial codes to the passcode lock keypad, and can associate codes with email addresses to initiate FaceTime calls.

While the name might not sound pleasant, Weasel brings jailbroken iOS users a new way to seek information and search their devices. Frequent users of Spotlight will find that Weasel enhances the experience, adding more functionality. Weasel can also be invoked from anywhere after being assigned to an Activator gesture.

So what is Weasel capable of doing? When activated, the tweak brings up a text box and keyboard. When a search term or command is typed the magic happens. For example, if the search term that's entered matches a song in the Music app, shortcuts to play the track appear. Options to search for the term on Google, Amazon, Wikipedia and eBay also pop up.

Guest mode still hasn't arrived in stock versions of iOS. This means that iPhone users can be at the mercy of anyone who borrows their device. Luckily for those who have jailbroken, there's a solution that makes it possible to easily enter guest mode before handing over the hardware. Much like iPrivacy did for iOS 5 and 6, the tweak GuestMode brings this functionality to iOS 7.

Once installed, there are several ways to configure guest mode and its activation. Options include a special passcode that will enable guest mode, or the addition of a Guest button directly on the passcode lock keypad. Another alternative will enter guest mode when swiping left or right on the lock screen. Of course, users can also assign guest mode to an Activator gesture.

Getting a unique look on the iOS 7 home screen can require several tweaks and customizations. Besides installing WinterBoard themes or using colorization tweaks such as Fancy, a new option focuses specifically on folder icons. TinyGrid+ changes the grid of app icon thumbnails inside folder home screen icons.

Once installed, TinyGrid+ defaults to a look similar to the iOS 6 supported tweak 2x2 Folder Icons. Instead of the stock 3x3 thumbnail layout inside each folder icon, the grid within each folder is changed to 2x2 with more padding around the app thumbnails. This is just the beginning, as full customization is available under Settings -> TinyGrid+ on jailbroken devices.

Checking current weather conditions from the lock screen can be a one step process with Notification Center properly configured. Swiping down from the top of the display will show current conditions and describe the high and low temperatures in the Today view. What if there was a way to display this information directly in the lock screen?

Those with jailbroken devices can do just that with Forecast. The tweak has been updated for iOS 7 to completely integrate local conditions and forecast information from the stock Weather app onto the lock screen. Once installed, the unlock slider disappears and current conditions with high and low temperatures are displayed in the lower left corner of the lock screen.