Access SBSettings toggles from your App Switcher
This package has been out for a month or so. Due to conflicts on my end, I was not able to get this written and released as soon as I had hoped. However, it's never too late for a good review right?
With SBSwitcher by Aaron Lindsay, you can add SBSettings toggles to your App Switcher. With the advent of iOS 5, many developers took the route of focusing on Notification Center widgets and left the other packages on the back burner. SBSwitcher took a unique route and incorporates SBSettings directly into the App Switcher (with icons). It's similar to a package called SwittcherSettings, however SwitcherSettings adds a panel above the App Switcher when activated versus physical buttons. The premise of this tweak is to take SBSettings to a simpler level with easy to use toggle buttons.
When installed, simply double tap the Home button to bring up your App Switcher. From there, you can swipe right to have access to the SBSettings toggles. Any toggles you have installed with SBSettings already becomes part of the App Switcher as well. SBSwitcher is themeable and comes with a full tab of settings which be found in Settings. Some of the settings toggles include:
- Button Size
- Lock Screen Switcher (access switcher directly from lock screen)
- Keep Switcher Open
- Prevent App Close
- More
SBSwitcher works well with other switcher tweaks as well which is a huge plus.
You can purchase SBSwitcher right now in Cydia for $0.99. It's compatible on all devices iOS 4+.
Name: SBSwitcher
Author: Aaron Lindsay (aerialx)
Version: 1.0.5
Price: $0.99
After all this, you may be wondering why you would use this package over just the regular SBSettings interface? What makes this package unique and a viable option for my iOS device? I had similar questions which were clarified in my interview with Aaron:
JOSH: How long did it take you to get the SBSettings toggles in the App Switcher? What gave you the initial idea?
AARON: The idea to place SBSettings toggles in the App Switcher came the same way any tweak idea does for me - I'll be using iOS, and just wish it did feature 'X'. Jailbreaking is all about adding another level of convenience and customization to iOS that Apple has failed to provide, so all of my tweak ideas just come from a feeling that something is "missing." I simply felt that SBSettings needed a more iOS-native way to access toggles, and the App Switcher seemed like an ideal place. SBSwitcher was written over a couple of weekends, with a lot of back-and-forth testing with a certain someone who, unlike me, has a million phones to test with.
JOSH: Is there anything potentially different between the regular SBSettings toggles and the ones you've placed?
AARON: The whole idea behind SBSwitcher was to make SBSettings a more native iOS experience; the SBSettings dropdown window has never really felt natural. The App Switcher on the other hand is convenient to bring up, and the toggles look pretty awesome down there when you use one of the switcher-inspired SBSettings themes from Cydia.
JOSH: Because SBSettings is pretty standard in a drop down window, or in the Notification Center, how will you make the App Switcher a more unique experience?
AARON: As mentioned, the purpose is to make SBSettings feel like a native experience. SBSwitcher brings extra functionality to the other side of the switcher bar, which has always felt lacking to me with the useless volume slider. SBSwitcher also allows you to customize your App Switcher to your liking: the toggles can be resized to fit more on a single screen, and you can hide the volume bar to make them one less swipe to access. Part of SBSwitcher's feature set is that you can bring up the switcher from the lock screen as well, which is not only a convenient way to access your toggles but allows you to unlock directly to a recent app too.
With iOS 5, the Notification Center has become just as appropriate a place to access your toggles. At this point it comes down to user preference, which is the beauty of jailbreaking your phone in the first place. It's my opinion that SBSettings should completely deprecate and remove the old window in favour of the Notification Center toggles on iOS 5.
JOSH: Do you have any planned updates for SBSwitcher? Will you be adding new features or functionalities in those potential updates?
AARON: Well, SBSwitcher was designed for the sole purpose of placing SBSettings toggles in the App Switcher. It does its job, and I feel like it's almost a bit bloated as it is - any other features I can think of might be better off as a separate tweak. But suggestions are always welcome and later updates will continue to ensure compatibility in the future.
JOSH: Are you working on any other projects that you'd like to speak on?
AARON: Haha, I always have a list of projects a mile long. There's some cool stuff planned for this year's upcoming Desert Bus for Hope, because who wouldn't want to play the most boring game in the world on their phone for hours on end? It's awesome! I can't say too much about the rest right now, but you can follow me @AerialX on Twitter for all my latest stuff.
You can win one of 5 copies of SBSwitcher, thanks to Aaron. Here's how you can win:
Twitter:
- Follow @ModMyi
- Follow @joshmtucker
- Tweet from the site or retweet off of ModMyi's Twitter feed with "Win a copy of SBSwitcher." You must include your Cydia Account number as well as the link to this article
Comment:
- Comment on this article with one way you think SBSwitcher could be improved.
- Include your Cydia Account Number in the comment
What are your thoughts? Would this be something you'd use? Place your thoughts below!
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