This is a question I get asked quite a bit – How to Hide the Cydia App? As this site is mainly about different types of monitoring software you can understand why people might need to hide Cydia App icon and the fact that the phone has been Jailbroken.
I’ll show you a quick and easy way to get rid of the Cydia icon without removing the program – and help you hide the fact that the phone has been Jailbroken.
The best bit is that it is totally free!
What is Cydia?
Cydia is basically an alternative app store to the Apple Store – a place where you can download and install apps for the iPhone and iPad that are not available in the official Apple Store. It is referred to as the Cydia repository or repo for short.
Any Apple device must be Jailbroken in order to install and use the Cydia repository.
Apple are control freaks! They restrict users’ choice of apps – if any app is not in their official app store you can’t have it. Cydia is installed along with your Jailbreak and allows you the freedom to install third-party applications from any source on your device.
Not sure if your device is Jailbroken? See how to tell if your iPhone is Jailbroken for easy ways to find out in just a few minutes.
Why Hide the Cydia App?
If you plan to install cell phone spy apps on any Apple device – iPhone or iPad, it first needs to be Jailbroken. I cover this in detail in the how to Jailbreak an iPhone guide below – keep reading!
When the device has been Jailbroken it leaves an app icon on the home screen – the Cydia app. Not so secret if you suddenly have a big new App icon on your screen! If you don’t want the person to know about the Jailbreak, you need to hide the Cydia app icon.
Obviously, for anyone interested in monitoring an iPhone …. this app can be a big giveaway!
Most good spy apps go to great lengths to remain hidden from the target user. If you have secretly Jailbroken the device you need to take steps to hide the Jailbreak – by hiding Cydia.
I’ll cover a couple of easy ways to get rid of the Cydia App icon and hide any signs of a Jailbreak. The first is using the SBSettings app.
I have to give credit to this article (and others) for this tip.
How to Hide Cydia App Icon Using SBSettings App
Open Cydia and search for an app called “SBSettings” – download and install it for free. This app can do a few things but all we are interested in is that it can hide app icons from the main home screen.
Once it is installed, open SBSettings and hit “settings” – “more” – “hide icons”. You will see a list of all icons on the phone and beside them a slider you can set to ON or Off.
Find Cydia on the list and set the slider to OFF. Off means that the Cydia app icon will be hidden.
You can also hide the SBSettings app icon – just to be extra safe.
That is it, the Cydia icon will be removed from the home screen but the app is not uninstalled. When you hide the Cydia App it takes away the most obvious sign that the iPhone or device has been Jailbroken and the person will be none the wiser.
This is the easiest way to hide the Cydia icon that I have found and it works every time – Now you know!
How to “Unhide” Cydia and SB Settings?
So, you have hidden Cydia app icon after Jailbreaking and the SB Settings app icon – what if you need to get them back, to change something, or hide other apps?
It’s easy – just swipe the status bar to the right or left (the default activation for SB Settings) and tap “more” then tap “hide icons” from here you can toggle to hide or show items.
Now you can see the Cydia app again! Remember Cydia isn’t removed, the screen icon is just hidden from view.
How to Hide a Jailbreak Using Poof
Another useful tool to bypass Jailbreak detection is an app called Poof – found in the Cydia repo. Poof is another application that allows you to hide icons from the home screen or springboard on your iPhone.
Dead easy to use – you simply install the app and launch it. Again you will see your app list with sliders alongside. Simply set the slider to hide and the Cydia Icon will be hidden.
There you have it – easy ways to hide any signs of Jailbreaking from any Apple iPhone or device. I have always used the SBSettings method as it is very easy to restore Cydia when I need to make changes. It makes it easy to remove any app icon after Jailbreaking.
Anyone can do this quickly and easily so just have a go. Remember if you want your phone spy software to remain hidden – you need to hide evidence of any Jailbreak. These methods work on any Apple device with a Jailbreak including the iPhone and iPad.
Need to know How to Jailbreak an iPhone? – This article gives you all you need to know and it is easy!
Is Jailbreaking not an option for you, but you still want to monitor your kid’s cell phone in some way? mSpy has a No Jailbreak version that might be able to help.
It is totally different from regular spy software like the FlexiSPY app and is not installed on the target phone – offers more limited monitoring but is better than nothing.
I explain more in the main spy app reviews section.
Think you are a victim of spy apps? Check out my guide on how to know if your phone is hacked – it covers lots of details about how hackers can gain access to your devices. Then find out how to remove a hacker from your iPhone – it’s easy!
Other Questions:
Can Cydia be removed?
Yes, you can remove the Cydia app completely. The easiest way to do this is to update your iPhone iOS – flash the iPhone. This removes Cydia from the device and doesn’t just hide the app icon.
Does removing Cydia remove a Jailbreak?
It depends on how the Jailbreak was added but in nearly all cases you must remove the Jailbreak to get rid of Cydia. So, removing Cydia will remove a Jailbreak.
How to Find Hidden Cydia on Your Phone?
If the Cydia app icon has been hidden on your iPhone you can easily find it. Simply swipe the status bar left or right ( default activation for SB Settings). Tap “More” and then “Hide Icons“. This will show a list of apps that can be toggled to hidden. You’ll see Cydia here if it has been hidden.
If you have any other questions just get in touch on our contact page. Thanks for reading!
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