If you’re new to the iOS Jailbreaking hype train, it’s natural to be baffled by the complex jailbreaking jargon that gets thrown around every day. One such term you will come across often is Cydia. That’s why we at Beebom decided to explain the ins and outs of Cydia to help novices get along on their jailbreaking journey!
So What Exactly Is Cydia?
Cydia acted as a metonym for Jailbreak, but in essence, Cydia is just a App Store to download and manage new Jailbreak apps/tweaks. Apple (of course) doesn’t allow such third-party tweaks in the App Store, so Jailbroken users have to turn to Cydia as an alternative App Store. The only way to install Cydia on your iPhone/iPad is, Jailbreak your iOS device.
As a fun fact, the term “Cydia” is the scientific name for a worm that infects Apple (fruit). Jay Freeman AKA Saurik, the mastermind behind Cydia, chose the name very aptly.
What is a Repository/Source?
Repositories, short for repositories, are a place to host jailbreak tweaks/apps. This hosting is done on a web server on the Internet. Sometimes used interchangeably with the term “.resourcesThe current version of Cydia comes with several resources added by default, namely — BigBoss and ModMyi. These repositories are home to hundreds of jailbreak tweaks.
How Do I Add Repository/Source in Cydia?
Different Jailbreak tweaks are hosted on different sources. You need to add the relevant Resource where the tweak is hosted. To add a new Resource —
- Open “Cydia” and go to “Resources” tab. Faucet “To organise” > “Add”.
- Login Source URL in the dialog box that appears and “Add source“.
You may need to search the web for the Source URL of the tweak you’re looking for. An easy way to do this is to Google “Change name Source” where you replace the tweak name with the actual tweak name you are looking for.
- Cydia will now add the Source and after a while a “Complete” message similar to the one below. Tap on “back to Cydia“.
How Do I Remove a Repository/Source in Cydia?
If you no longer use the tweaks from a particular Source, you may want to completely remove the Source from Cydia. To remove a Resource —
- Open “Cydia”, Go to “Resources” Tap the tab andTo organise”.
- Tap the red circular remove icon on the left to remove the source.
The source has now been successfully removed from your Cydia. If you delete the Associated Resource, the tweak will no longer appear in the search. If necessary, you can re-add Source from the same tab.
How Do I Install/Update New Jailbreak Tweaks?
- To search for a new Jailbreak tweak, click Open “Cydia” > “Call” and enter the name of the tweak you’re looking for.
Because BigBoss and ModMyi Resources are added by default, only tweaks hosted on those Resources will show up in searches. If the tweak you’re looking for doesn’t appear in the search results, verify that you’ve added the Resource where it’s hosted.
- When updates are available for an installed tweak, a red badge will appear on it.Changes” tab. You should keep a tab on this one (no pun intended) as developers frequently update tweaks to support the latest version of iOS.
How Do I Remove Installed Jailbreak Tweaks?
Sometimes, two similar tweaks can cause conflicts with each other. Other times, some tweaks are not compatible with your iOS version. Whatever the reason, it’s very easy to remove it if you no longer need a tweak.
- Open “Cydia” > “Established” and open the tweak you want to uninstall.
- Tap on “change” > “To pick up” > “To approve“.
The tweak should now be removed from Cydia. You can reinstall any tweak if you need it in the future.
How Do I Fix a Bootloop Caused by a Jailbreak Tweak?
Sometimes, installing incompatible Jailbreak tweaks can cause your iPhone stuck in boot loop. I remember countless instances where people restored their iPhone/iPad via iTunes because a problematic tweak rendered their iOS device useless. Before taking such an extreme measure, Cydia’s “No substrate mode” temporarily disables all tweaks. To enter “no substrate mode” —
- If you’re using an iPhone 7/iPhone 7 Plus, press and hold both the Home and Volume Down button for about 10 seconds to reboot. For previous versions of iPhone/iPad, restart your iPhone by pressing and holding both the Home and Power button for about 10 seconds.
- As soon as you see the Apple logo, press and hold the volume up button until you see the lock screen.
Your device is now running in “No substrate mode” with all Jailbreak tweaks disabled. Now you can Open Cydia and remove the tweak that caused the boot loop. If you have a lot of tweaks installed, it may take some trial and error to see which tweak is causing the boot loop. Now that you have fixed the problem, restart your iPhone normally and exit this mode.
Bonus Tip: Sequence Tweaks to Save Time
While I’m on a spree of installing loads of Jailbreak tweaks, my only gripe is that most jailbreak tweaks require you to do it. springboard. In simple terms, installing/upgrading/removing every tweak requires a restart of Springboard (iOS home screen), which may take a few seconds.
Fortunately, Cydia Queue multiple tweaks and install/upgrade/remove tweaks in one go (and hence re-release only once!) This is really convenient and saves a lot of time. To queue an action in a pinch —
- Open the tweak in Cydia and tap on it. “Change”.
- Select the action (Install/Upgrade/Uninstall) you want to perform. Next, tap on “Continue Queue“.
- now red”Q’d” badge should appear in the Installed tab.
- When you’re done making enough changes and you want to start over, go to the Installed tab and click “Desk” > “To approve“.
SEE ALSO: Jailbreak iOS 10.2 and Install Cydia (Guide)
Ready to Jailbreak and Use Cydia?
I hope this beginner-friendly guide has helped you understand what Cydia is. If you think I missed a part of the Cydia puzzle, feel free to ask me questions in the comments section below. Also go ahead and quickly download the new Jailbreak tweaks from Cydia!
