How to use Cydia - Geek

The term “jailbreak” has an inherently negative feel to it. You aren’t supposed to break out of jail, so it makes sense to feel a little uncomfortable about the idea of jailbreaking your iDevice and installing apps that weren’t expressly approved by Apple. There’s nothing illegal about it, and in many cases users find many new ways they can use their “freed” devices. With this in mind, we’ve assembled this guide explaining how to use Cydia, the jailbroken App Store.

Cydia is an app store for everything that Apple doesn’t want in their ecosystem. The apps, themes, wallpapers, ringtones, and more that you find in the Cydia store are put together by developers and creative people who want to share the things they have done to improve their own experience with their Apple product.

All you need to do in order to get Cydia on your device is jailbreak it. The Absinthe 2.0 jailbreak tool, put together by the greenpois0n team, will work on just about every existing iOS product â€" just install Absinthe 2.0 to your computer, connect your device, and run the application. When your device reboots, Cydia will be installed on and you will be ready to go.

Setting up an account

Cydia offers some really great features to regular users, but taking advantage of those features means having an account. Instead of a lengthy form to fill out, Cydia just authenticates with an already existing Facebook or Google account in order to create your profile. Tap either the Google or Facebook login options, and sign in to an account you will remember. Once your credentials are verified and stored with Cydia, you will be able to login using them on any jailbroken device.

Any time you purchase an app, make sure you are logged in to Cydia. As long as the developer is still supporting that app, Cydia will keep a record of your purchase so you can download the app without having to pay for it a second time. If you wipe your iDevice, or pick up the next model when it comes out, you will be able to re-install the apps you purchased, just like you can on the App Store.

How to add Cydia repositories

Everything that you have access to in Cydia is hosted in places called repositories (or repos). Cydia includes a handful of repos that are maintained by developers that work with them, and the apps contained within them are thoroughly inspected and tested. There are other many other repos out there, and if you add them to your Cydia you gain access to all the content that is stored within. This is an “at your own risk” thing to do mind you, but it is very easy to do.

The process to add repos is simple. From the home screen, select “more package sources” from the menu on the left hand side. This will take you to a long list of repos that Cydia has collected. If you select one of them you will be shown a brief description of what kind of content is available, and then you will be offered a chance to install it to your Cydia. This looks like you are installing just another app, and once it has finished the new content will be added for you to browse.

If you are ready to install a repo that is not in that list, that feature is also available to you as well. Some developers keep their content in private repos for various reason. To add one of these repos, tap the Sources icon on the bottom of the Cydia menu. Here you will see a list of all the repos you are currently using. Tap the Edit button in the top right, followed by the add function that appears after. Enter in the repo URL that was provided to you, and the source will be added to your Cydia.

Purchasing content in Cydia

Cydia is home to great modifications, features, themes, and way more. Surprisingly little of the content is available for free, but in return you get some high quality software and practically zero chance of damaging your iDevice. It’s also incredibly easy to purchase any of that content, especially if you are already using Amazon or Paypal.

When you reach the checkout process, Cydia will prompt you to sign in using the Facebook or Google credentialls you used to create your account. Once you are logged in, you will be able to pay with Paypal, Amazon, or use payment information that you have stored in your account. When you make a purchase with Amazon, Cydia will ask you if you are interested in creating a purchase limit. You can set a dollar amount that the store will not allow you to exceed, in the event that you accidentally go micro-transaction happy.

Once the transaction is complete, you will be prompted to install your content. Curiously, the content you just purchased will not install automatically, you do need to tap the Install button to move forward. The app will install as though you has purchased it from the App Store, and you will be able to use it immediately. Any time there are updates available for your content, you will use the same system to install the updates. Everything is controlled through Cydia.

Cydia: The other app store

Cydia is an impressively maintained system. The well-oiled machine makes you feel like Cydia was really meant to be on your device the whole time, just as a sort of “expert” mode for users interested in getting a little customization happy with their devices. The service feels safe to use, although Cydia repeatedly warns that they are not responsible should anything happen to your device. If you are interested in tinkering, Cydia is well worth exploring, especially now that you know how to use it.

More reading: The best Cydia apps