If you are a reader of this site, it is likely you are also part of the 2,000,000+ people that have jailbroken their iOS device using the new JailbreakMe 3.0. You’ve probably heard all the fan fare, of how jailbreaking can liberate your device from Apple’s stranglehold, and it finally allows you to customize the device the way you want it. While that is true, customizing your device is a little easier said than done. As great as Cydia is, it doesn’t exactly foster the discovery and download of new tweaks the way the App Store does apps. It can take a long time to filter through all of the themes and ringtones to find that modification you’re looking for. So I decided to round up a list of all the great tweaks and mods I’ve come across and hopefully this will make life a little easier for you.

Free Tweaks

Just search for these tweaks in Cydia and download, absolutely free.

Action Menu – Adds extra quick functions to the copy/paste menu
Activator – Assign custom gestures, button presses, etc. to activate different functions of launch apps from anywhere (like swipe up from the bottom to show iPod controls).
BackBoard – If you’re the type to switch up the order of apps on your home screen a lot, this app can save custom presets for you, which can be loaded back on at any time.
Black Keyboard – Changes the default system keyboard to the black alert keyboard.
Browser Changer – Allows you to change the default browser from Safari to any other app (like Atomic or Terra). Links tapped in Mail and other apps will automatically launch in the new browser selected. Also works for changing the default YouTube, Maps, etc.
Bolt – Something for the minimalists. This tweak removes the battery icon from the status bar and just leaves the percentage.
BTStackMouse – Use a bluetooth mouse with your iOS device.
BytaFont – Tired of Helvetica everywhere? BytaFont will let you change the system font to anyone you can find. And there are hundreds to choose from on Cydia.
ChangeCarrier – Change the carrier name on your iOS device to anything you want.
CyDelete – This allows you to remove apps downloaded from Cydia just like standard ones, by touching and holding and tapping the “x”. Otherwise you have to go into the Mangage tap in Cydia and remove manually.
FakeClockUp – This tweak allows you to change the default animation speed of iOS graphics. Amazingly, when you increase the animation speed the whole iPad seems to perform much faster.
FastCopy – There is a tiny delay built into iOS before the copy / paste popup appears. This tweak removes it. Another “illusion” to make the OS feel a little snappier.
FolderCloser – Collapses an expanded folder after an app is launched, so that you don’t have to after backing out of the app.
FullForce – Tired of running iPhone apps in 1x and 2x mode on the iPad? This tweak will force them to scale up to native iPad resolution. Doesn’t work for all, and can be awkward with some apps, but much better than the native implementation.
iBlank – Add blank icons/spaces/gaps to your home screen to further customize your layout
Icon Renamer – Rename any app on your homescreen.
iSH**** – Save your SHSH Blobs so you can restore from previous versions of iOS even after Apple has stopped approving them.
ListLauncher – Adds an alphabetical list of apps on the Spotlight page for quick and easy access.
ManualCorrect – Reverses the way the auto-correct pop up works. Instead of tapping to dismiss its correction, you tap to use it, so that what you have already typed become precedent.
MultiIconMover – As the name suggests, allows you to move multiple icons at once when rearranging the home screen.
NoLockScreen – Sick and tired of sliding to unlock (especially with that tiny slider on the iPad’s huge screen)? This tweak removes the lock screen altogether, as long as you don’t have a passcode set. Just press the sleep/wake button and you’ll be right where you left off.
No Not Charging – Gets rid of the Not Charging notification on the iPad when you plug into an insufficient power source.
OpenNotifier – Customizable status bar notifier so you don’t have to remember what annoying pop-up you just dismissed.
OpenSSH – Every hackers friend. OpenSSH does exactly that. Provides a SSH interface to your iOS device so that you can easily manage files on the filesystem from any one of a zillion SSH / FTP clients. Don’t forget to change your root password from “alpine” otherwise you’ll be pretty vulnerable to any SSH savy people on the same wifi network.
PullToRefresh for Mail – Love seeing the Pull to Refresh action being implemented everywhere since Tweetie 2? Now you can have it in Mail as well.
RemoveBackground – Easy way to kill all the apps running in the background. Free up some memory if you need it, or stop that GPS app from sucking up all your battery.
Reset Safari for SBSettings – Provides a SBSettings toggle to clear the cache, remove history, and delete cookies in Safari.
Safari Tab Closer – Quickly close all open pages in Safari.
SBSettings – An absolute must have for every jailbreaker. Swipe the status bar and toggle on and off your device’s settings such as wifi, bluetooth, 3G, etc. to your hearts content. Cydia also has lots of add on toggles and many tweaks can install their own.
SplitMail – Changes the portrait view of the Mail app to look like the landscape view with the sidebar always visible. Unfortunately this also makes the message font size very small in portrait, so you’ll have to zoom in quite a bit with each message to read it. Up to you if you think it’s worth it or not.
WinterBoard – The jailbreakers theme manger. Tired of having the same old iOS look as everyone else? Winterboard allows you to apply a ton of different themes, tweaks, sounds, and more to the look and feel of iOS. Whether it be a theme for your favorite car, clothing company, band, or just something with a bit more flair, there is something for everyone here. Be sure to check out the MacThemes Forum for new themes and icons. The designers there are amazing, and are very good at staying up to date with theming all the latest apps.

Paid Tweaks

Just like the App Store, Cydia has a premium section of paid tweaks for iOS. Many of these tweaks do have free trials available, but after that, it’s good to support the developers. By paying for these tweaks, you’re enabling the developer to work on newer (and better) tweaks for you to enjoy.

Adblocker – Block out those pesky adds in Safari. You’ll also notice a slight speed bump in browsing since the ads no longer have to be loaded.
Action Menu PlusPack – Got a taste of ActionMenu and want more? Are you mad for social networks? The pluspack adds lots of new features to the cut and paste goodness of iOS. e.g. “Tweet the currently selected text”, “Send to Pastie”, and “Locate on Google Maps”, and a few more.
Auto3G – Automatically turns off 3G when the device is locked, thus saving precious battery life. Re-enables when the device is unlocked. Works well, but switching the 3G radio on and off takes a minute or two. Not for the impatient.
Barrel – Awesome 3D page transitions with lots of effects to choose from. Check out this video to see some of them in action.
DisplayOut – Send the display of your iPad through the VGA/HDMI cable regardless of whether an application has been coded to support it or not (works on iPad 1 and 2).
Dock – A nice alternative to the multi-tasking switcher with themes, favorites, and more – comes with a 3 day free trial.
Color Mail Labels – Gives each email account its own color within Mail. Very handy if you have a few accounts.
Display Recorder – Screen capture to make demos from your iOS device.
Folder Enhancer – Open folders faster, add more than 12 apps, supports pages within folders, add subfolders within folders, and more.
Gridlock – Place your icons anywhere on the springboard grid without the need to create transparent icons using iBlank. Great for easy customization of your home screens.
Iconoclasm – The iPad’s home screen can feel a little sparse at times with all that blank space between icons. Iconoclasm allows you to add more rows and columns of icons.
iFile – The missing file manager for iOS. Another must have. Can open up .zip archives, play MP3s, videos, open up PDFs, and many more file types.
LockInfo – Put all that wasted space on the lock screen to use. View notifications from Facebook, new Mail messages, missed text messages, upcoming calendar events, live RSS feeds, stocks and weather info, and much more. Completely customizable layout and options.
Locktopus – Password protect one, some, or all of your apps directly from the springboard.
MailEnhancer – Support for multiple email signatures for all your seperate email accounts.
ManualCorrectPro – ManualCorrect is cool and all, but the “Pro” version add some goodness including a SBSettings toggle and autocorrect presets.
Masks – Tired of the standard rounded square icons? Give your icons a custom shape like circles.
Move2Unlock – Tired of sliding that tiny slider on the iPad? Now you have some more options and gestures to unlock your device.
MultiFlow – Expose-like full screen multitasking interface as an alternative to the multitasking bar.
OverBoard – Similar to MultiFlow, but this is like Expose for your home screens. Just tap on the one you want to go to.
Photoalbums+ - Create your own albums in the Photos app. You can also password protect them.
PkgBackup – Backup and restore a complete list of your Cydia Apps, settings, repositories, and more. Every jailbreakers favorite friend. Easily restore all of tweaks after an iOS update.
Pwntunes – Not a fan of using iTunes on the desktop? Pwntunes allows you to drag and drop music files onto your iOS device as though it were a simple USB drive. Songs still show up in the iPod/Music apps.
RetinaPad – I’ve always wondered why iPhone apps that support the Retina display don’t run in their full resolution on the iPad (instead they run in the lower 320 x 480). Now they run in full high resolution.
SmartScreen for iPad – Finally add widgets to iOS. Choose from weather, clock, stocks, and more widgets to add to the lock screen on the iPad.
Syncronicity – Allows you to continue using your iOS device while it is syncing with iTunes. It will slow down a little, and apps will quit out on you if they need to be updated, but other than that, it works well.
WiFi Booster – Removes the internal signal strength limit from the WiFi Settings pane to allow you to see all the networks broadcasting.
YourTube HD – Download videos, save and view them from within the native YouTube app with this extension. Choose from HD or standard def videos to download. An extra tab is added for downloaded videos. Feels as if Apple put it there from the start.
3GUnrestrictor – Tired of apps that tell you you can’t use them of download something because you are not connected to wifi? 3GUnrestrictor fools them into thinking you are. Get higher quality YouTube, Netflix, and Hulu videos while on 3G, and be able to download apps larger than 20 MB while on the go.
5-Row Keyboard – Adds a fifth row to the top of the keyboard for quick access to numbers and symbols.

Well, that’s all I’ve got so far. Feel free to add any more gems you find on Cydia in the comments. Before installing, make sure to check that the tweak is compatible with the version of iOS you are running (it will tell you in the info screen for the tweak). Some tweaks may not play well with others, so I would recommend installing them one by one. Cydia will also let you know most times when a tweak you are about to download conflicts with one you already have installed. Other than that, go nuts and enjoy all the new and exciting things you can do on your iOS device.