iPhone Apps, iPad apps, iPod touch Apps & App Reviews

Cydia is a replacement packaging and repository manager for the original Installer.app for the iPhone or iPod touch. It was created by Jay Freeman to replace BSD Subsystem and Installer.app. Cydia is a UI frontend to his Open Source APT for Debian called Telesphoreo. Cydia pomonella is the scientific name for the codling moth, which is what we often think of the as the stereotypical apple worm.

To get Cydia you need to have Installer.app already. Then just add http://apptapp.saurik.com/ as a source to Installer and install the package “Cydia Installer” from the “System” category.

Cydia itself looks similar to Installer.app but add many improvements to organization, functionality and performance of Installer. With Cydia you:

See the number of apps in each category
See details of what installing each app include such as file size and functionality added
Search for apps by name
See changes to your currently installed apps and available upgrades
See details of currently installed app and easily manage them

Currently with the release of the iPhone 3G which comes with OS 2.0 and the related iPhone pwnage tools many of the apps written for the older Installer.app have to be ported over so developers are working on that. In the next few weeks you will start to see more and more apps in Cydia with lots of cool new features, so check back often.

Note: The quick and easy way to get Cydia on your iPhone is to install it using QuickPwn.

Update: For Windows users with the iPhone 2.1 software update, you can get both Cydia and Installer on your iPhone really quickly and easily by installing the QuickPwn software on your Windows PC. The entire process is streamlined and takes only a few minutes.

Update: Ultrasn0w for iPhone 3G or 3GS is ready. You can now jailbreak and unlock your iPhone 3G or 3GS with OS 3.0 firmware.
1. Ensure you have upgraded to iPhone OS 3.0
2. Jailbreak your iPhone 3G using redsn0w or PwnageTool & if you have the 3GS use the purplera1n installer app to jailbreak it instead. (after this step you will have Cydia)
3. Run Cydia
4. Add the repo repo666.ultrasn0w.com to Cydia. (that last o is actually the number zero)
5. Search for ‘ultrasn0w’ in cydia and install ultrasn0w
6. Reboot your iPhone 3G
7. T-Mobile USA users should disable 3G before using ultrasn0w

Update: Purplesn0w can also unlock your iPhone 3GS, so use it instead of Ultrasn0w if you wish. The steps are exactly the same as the above. Only use this repo source in Cydia apt.geohot.com and install Purplesn0w from there.

Update: If you have OS 3.1.2 you can use blackra1n or PwnageTool 3.1.4 to jailbreak and get Cydia installed on your iPhone or iPod touch.

Update: If you are running OS 3.1.2, 3.1.3 or 3.2 and want to install Cydia on your iPad, iPhone, or iPod touch, use Spirit. It is simple, takes 30 seconds and best of all it is untethered.

Important: If you install SSH on your device, be sure to change the default root password on your jailbroken device:
1) Install Mobile Terminal From Cydia and run it
2) Type in “su root” and tap return
3) When promted for a password, enter “alpine” hit return
4) Type “passwd” and hit return
5) Type a new password and hit return
5) Re-Enter your new password to confirm and hit return
7) You’re done. You’ve successfully changed your default root password and should feel safer now.

Update: Be sure to take a look at Rock. It is a new packaging app store like replacement for Cydia with a slew of neat features.

Use iPhone mods and hacks at your own risk! Installing 3rd Party iPhone apps requires you to jailbreak the iPhone before installing the native software and apps. Browse the full list of all iPhone and iPod touch native 3rd party apps filed under the software category.

Cydia Developer’s website is here