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 as the stereotypical apple worm. Cydia itself looks similar to Installer.app but adds 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 includes 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 apps and easily manage them
- A full user system for app purchases and reviews
- A theme system
- An iPad version
Cydia App Icon To install Cydia you need to jailbreak your iPhone/iPod touch or iPad. There are many ways you jailbreak depending on which device you own and what version of iOS you have installed. Most notably you can use blackra1n, redsn0w, PwnageTool, Spirit jailbreak, jailbreakme 2.0, and QuickPwn. Also, if you already have Installer.app installed just add http://apptapp.saurik.com/ as a source to Installer and install the package “Cydia Installer” from the “System” category.
Generally if you upgrade your iOS to the latest version from Apple, it will unjailbreak your device and/or prohibit you from being able to install Cydia. Jailbreak developers generally support things one release behind the active iOS version. Use this table to easily find out how to install Cydia depending on your iOS version.
| If you have this iOS version and Device | Install Cydia Using |
|---|---|
| iOS 5.0.1 (A5 iPhone 4S & iPad 2 ) | GreenPois0n Absinthe |
| iOS 5.0.1 (A4 not 4S or iPad 2) | redsn0w 0.9.10b3 (untethered) or Corona |
| iOS 5 (A4 not 4S or iPad 2) | redsn0w 0.9.9b5 (tethered) |
| iOS 5 beta 1 | redsn0w 0.9.8b1 (tethered) |
| 4.3.5 (not iPad 2) | redsn0w 0.9.9b1 (tethered) |
| 4.3.4 | redsn0w 0.9.8b3 (tethered) |
| 4.3.3 | redsn0w 0.9.6rc15 (untethered) |
| 4.3.2 | redsn0w 0.9.6rc14 (untethered) |
| 4.3.1 | redsn0w 0.9.6rc9 (untethered) |
| 4.2.1 | GreenPois0n 1.0 RC5 (untethered) |
| 4.0.2 | Not supported |
| 4.0.1/4.0/3.1.3, 3.2.1/3.2 (iPad) | JailbreakMe.com |
| 3.1.3, 3.1.2 (2G unlock), 3.2 (iPad) | Spirit (Windows + Mac OS) |
| 3.1.3, 3.1.2 (2G unlock) (no new 3GS) | redsn0w (Windows + Mac OS) |
| 3.1.2 (newer 3GS models tethered) | blackra1n (Windows + Mac OS) |
| 3.1.2 (but iPhone 3GS Issues) | PwnageTool (Mac OS) |
| 3.0 (3GS Only) | blackra1n (Windows + Mac OS) |
| 2.2.1 (Obsolete) | QuickPwn (Mac OS & Windows) |
Updates: Good News! GreenPois0n Absinthe has been released by the Chronic Dev Team giving you the ability to perform an untethered jailbreak on the iPhone 4S and iPad 2 with the A5 chip. For detailed instructions check out the GreenPois0n Absinthe page.
The preliminary hacking has finally gotten some results. The iPhone Dev-Team has just announced the initial successful jailbreak of iPhone 4S and iPad 2 running iOS 5 with Cydia. The jailbreak is not yet ready for public use. They are working on a few more hurdles still so hang tight.
Check out the screenshots and video of the iPhone 4S and iPad 2 below running Cydia.
This is a video of the first iPad 2 jailbroken running Cydia released by the iPhone Dev Team on Oct 28th 2011. Details to follow.
White Cydia Icon Fix
Sometimes after installing Cydia, you might notice an all white icon. To fix this white icon issue just follow these steps: Open Cydia > Manage > Sources >Edit > Add > Paste the following URL http://apt.saurik.com/cydia-3.7 > Add Source and wait while Cydia updates itself. This should now give you the official Cydia icon.
Cydia has a ton of apps for you to try but some of them can be complicated or not very exciting. This is why we review the best Cydia apps you can download here at AppSafari. To browse our reviews check out the Cydia apps category. We often add new reviews of popular Cydia apps so be sure to come back often.
If you have iOS 4.3.1 you can install Cydia using either redsn0w 0.9.6rc9 (Mac and PC) or PwnageTool 4.3 (Mac only) for an untethered jailbreak.
If you have iOS 4.2.1, you can either use GreenPois0n to do an untethered jailbreak, and you can also try a tethered jailbreak using redsn0w.
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.
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.
Ultrasn0w for iPhone 3G or 3GS can 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
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.
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.
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
6) 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.
The website jailbreakme 2.0 let’s you install Cydia on your iPhone, iPad and iPod touch by just visiting a website, if you have not updated past 4.0.1 yet. No installs or cables needed. Get Cydia in 3 minutes flat.
Most people new to jailbreaking ask the question; is it legal to jailbreak my device?
The answer is, technically yes. Jailbreaking your iPhone will void your contract, but it is not illegal. Having said that, you can restore your device to its factory settings if all else fails as a last resort. Now, it is possible that your device will have issues and you might lose your data stored on the device. This is why it is highly recommended that your always backup your device via iTunes before jailbreaking. This assures that you can restore to a working backup as a worst case scenario.
Cydia keeps getting better on every release and update, and saurik’s support is exceptional. Below are a list of additional features that have been added to Cydia so far.
- Rock was a new mod app store which has been acquired by Cydia.
- Theme Center has been added to Cydia. It gives you the ability to buy and manage jailbreak themes on your iPhone from a single location, as an alternative to a competing app called Theme It. Right now you have a selection of the top selling themes from Cydia in the Theme Center and staff picks. You will soon be able to rate the themes as a user, thanks to the new user account system in Cydia.
- A new user account management system has been added to Cydia that lets users check previously installed packages.
- Cydia is coming to the Mac! Apple is soon to release the Mac App Store. The new Mac App Store won’t allow Mac developers sell in-app purchases for “Lite” apps, create Game Center integration or even to generate promo codes. Since some developers don’t want to deal with going through Apple, Mac Cydia will let you do just that. Contact Cydia via patrick@saurikit.com if you are a developer and want more details on getting your Mac app into the Cydia Mac App Store, set to launch in a few weeks.
- Cydia developers Jay Freeman & chpwn have a new version of Cydia, with full iPad support. It will be out soon with iOS 4.2 jailbreak. Here’s a quick look at how the iPad version of Cydia looks like.
Apple should and sometimes does (folders for example) take a few elements from the Cydia Store and port them to the App Store.
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
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I’ve recently upgraded to firmware 2.2.1 via iTunes. If I want to jailbreak, what other software must I install beside quickpwn?
Where do I go to download sydia?
And how do u jainbrake
No, what’s cool about jailbreaking is that you keep everything (settings, pictures, APPS) everything and yes the app store is still accessible none of that is altered.
they have a new QuickPwn version vailable for those who have upgraded to 2.2.1
I downloaded it this morning and its worked for me
No it is legal you idiot! According to congress it is perfectly legal to unlock a phone with the “sole purpose of using to log on to a cellular network” its perfectly legal re nard fard tard hard gard smhamrd
Please leisten to me when I say this. The application KATE is the reason this happens most of the time. just make sure KATE is installed through Installer (if not reinstall!) then download RiP Dev Preferences. after all of this is Downloaded go to the Settings on your iPhone then go to “RiP Dev” That will be on the first page (dont click General or anything) Under that go to RiP Dev Products then Kate (No the one that has the “X” but the first one) go under it and uncheck “FaceLift” (just click the word) and then click “APPLY” after that it should respring your phone (if not just go to winterboard and highlight then unhighlight something and that should cause a respring. That should fix it.
Whoever this works for can repay me simply by emailing Kyleshankles@yahoo.com and telling me how it went.
DONT RESTORE! You will be going to 2.2.1 which “closes the whole” for jailbreaking at the moment. If this method doesnt work for you please email me cause I have about 15 other methods for repairing this exact problem but 97% of the time this works. JUST TRY IT.
Thanks,
Kyle
Same wat as on the 1st GEN iPhone.
Yes it actually is legal to jailbreak just not to unlock. Jailbreaking isnt altering its replcing the software completely n00b.
Im $eca of the DEV-Team.
Ok. I uninstalled the Kate thing .. DIdnt work. I rebooted .. Didnt work… Uninstalled the theme,,, Didnt work .. SO i ended up restoring and well just say I can dial out now .. I just had to add all the apps again ..
Not true, you dont extend your contract or anything like that all you do is alter the baseband. Apple and AT&T cant ever find out about this and besides, its not illegal.
Okay, I can fix this. First, the problem probably wasnt anything from Cydia, almost certain it wasnt Winterboard. Second do you have Installer? (Did you check the Installer box when using your jailbreak software?) I know your prblem – When you go to the phone APP it sets there with no words and you casn use any of the buttons all it will do is crash. I just had this problem last night. DONT restore YET! I can fix this!
Ok .. I used cydia to get app called winterboard. Then I got another app from Themes (springboard) and I used it to change the look of my iphone. That worked perfectly, but now I cant dial out. I can only dial by using the contacts, but not if i wanted to dial a number thats not in my contacts what shall i do ?
And yeah most apps on Cydia or Installer are free but some aren’t like Swirly MMS cost but most are free. I guess Cydia doesn’t like buying apps, this is the reason most games are in the App Store. Because people want to make a profit.
Do we need to pay any app from cydia or it’s free?
Okay guys I just want to help you guys out here, Ive been reading above and a lot of you have a lot of questions. So if you want to alter your springboard (home screen) as in make a user wallpaper appear under your apps, get a new theme, or anything like that, you HAVE to jailbreak! Meaning if you have a Windows computer then you would use QuickPwn or WinPwn (which is normally more favorable to unlock and vice-versa with QuickPwn and Jailbreaking) so to jailbreak you run QuickPwn and the program will walk you right through it unless of course your a total noob. If you don’t trust my word then go to YouTube and let a video follow you through it. The same is with WinPwn but you can go a little more in depth with changing boot logos and the like. If you have Mac then you would use the Pwnage tool, which is much more stable that, of course, windows programs of the same nature. You can also unlock with it. Jailbreaking WILL void your warranty with Apple but in the longrun it’s definately worth it! You can Cut&Paste, MMS, Video record and many other things good old Apple refuses to allow for some moronic reason. And if the iphone ever does brick (freeze And become usless) you can almost always use the restore option in iTunes. After that you can just re-jailbreak and that should go smoothly seeing as I’ve jailbroken the iPhone (2g and 3g) a lot of timesAnd never had a brick.
Problem solved for me, in case anyone needs to know. Backed up all data by syncing with iTunes then restored to latest firmware (2.2.1) then ran quickpwn again. Cydia works fine now! Had to dl all cydia apps again tho
I don’t get it. what do you guys mean by backing up your phone?,and I am still thinking if I should jailbreak my iPhone or not. also noticed that some of you guys have problems using it.
plus I’m using the iphone 3G version 2.2 and ive read somewhere that they need the 2.1 version for iPhone 3G ?
Is it really true?,
I can see quite a few people have the same problem I am getting, which is that we have successfully jailbroken iPhone 3g’s and have been using installer and cydia fine but it has just stopped working for some reason with the error message “cannot open source”. I am guessing their is a problem with the source as I can load other sources okay. I am just waiting to see if this will sort itself out. If anyone knows what the problem is, please post here, thanks! I ran quickpwn again, which worked okay but still can’t download Cydia updates.
so you have to jailbreak your iPod to get cydia
“No, it’s perfectly legal.” this is incorrect you are modifying a copyright protected software. You have a license not an ownership. However apple will not stop people because then sales would drop. So it is not legal but i will do it anyway.