Tips

iPhone owners no longer have to be jealous of the fancy Android unlock. Adding a pattern unlock to the iOS lock screen is only a jailbreak tweak away. PatternUnlock brings this fully customizable experience to the iPhone, replacing the default boring passcode lock. For those who haven't seen the Android version, it allows users to access their devices by simply drawing a pattern to connect points in a grid.

Unlike Stride, which makes it possible to draw a free-form unlock pattern, PatternUnlock offers a grid of nine points to connect. Once installed, PatternUnlock provides a variety of settings just like the default passcode lock on the iPhone. The feature can be disabled completely, but when activated it will bypass the normal passcode.

Keyboard enhancements are no stranger to the iPhone. Besides cosmetic changes to the iOS keyboard, many jailbreak tweaks are aimed at simplifying and speeding up touch screen text entry. AltKeyboard and SwipeSelection are two popular examples. Now The Quick Brown Fox has arrived on Cydia, promising to further improve typing.

Once installed, there are three features of The Quick Brown Fox that can be configured on your iOS device. The first is Auto Twins, which automatically pairs certain characters. For example, typing a parentheses "(" will output "()" every time. While this can be useful, the cursor must be moved to the middle of the pair before adding text between the parentheses. With SwipeSelection installed this is easier to do.

There are many ways to perform actions from the lock screen on a jailbroken iPhone. These can save time and effort, making iOS even more convenient in different situations. Knober is a jailbreak tweak that takes a simple concept and executes it well, making the lock screen more functional. Normally, sliding the lock screen knob does one thing, unlock the device.

With Knober installed, there are several different actions that can be performed using a special trick. Sliding the unlock knob to the right then back to the left in one smooth gesture will activate the shortcut of your choice. All this happens immediately without unlocking your phone.

AirPlay is a great way to stream music to your favorite stereo or Apple TV, but what if you don't have special hardware designed to receive AirPlay? Now any jailbroken iOS device can be used thanks to the tweak AirPlayServer. For example, an unused old iPhone can be set up as an AirPlay receiver, so that other iOS devices on the same Wi-Fi network can send audio to the unit.

This becomes especially handy when connecting the AirPlay receiver to a stereo or other external speakers. Instead of spending money on an AirPlay-specific accessory, simply plug the headphone jack of the jailbroken iOS device into the stereo for full sound. Any other iOS device on the network can be configured to send audio to the new AirPlay receiver using the built-in AirPlay menu.

There's nothing more frustrating than typing in those long iTunes gift card codes, especially when you make a mistake and have to start all over again. Thankfully Apple has decided to make the process easier by adding the ability to redeem a gift card by using your device's camera. Twitter user Beau Giles discovered the new feature and tweeted the screenshot below. iTunes 11 gave the same feature to Mac users who can now use their FaceTime cameras to redeem gift cards also.

To use the new iOS 7 camera gift card feature, go to the App Store app, and tap the Redeem button at the bottom of the Featured page. You can then choose to enter the code the old way, or use your iPhone's rear iSight camera to snap a picture. The gift card needs to have a "gift card with a box around the code” for it to work.