Cydget – Add Widget to Your iPhone Lock Screen

by Simon Ng on November 19, 2009



cydget-logoEven with the release of iPhone 3.1.2 OS, Apple does not add any new features or customization for iPhone’s lock screen. What you get for the lock screen are a digital clock, a customizable wallpaper and an “Unlock” slider. That’s it. However, we think we can make a better use of the lock screen.

Jay Freeman, the creator of cydia, recently announced the release of Cydget for jailbroken iPhone. Cydget provides a comprehensive replacement for Winterboard lock widget, allowing developers and web designer to take control of the lock screen. Developers can make use of Cydget and creates interesting widgets by using either native code or HTML with javascript.

How to Install and Use Cydget

As an iPhone user, you do not need to understand all those technical terms. What you need to know is how to install Cydget and other interesting Cydget-enabled widgets on your jailbroken. To install Cydget, simply fire up the Cydia app and search for “Cydget”. Then tap the “Install” button to install it.

After installation, reboot your iPhone and you’ll then find your lock screen is changed with a welcome message shown, which means Cydget is installed and activated properly.

cydget-welcome-screen

Cydget does not appear as a normal application on iPhone. So, you’ll not find the application icon on the home screen. Instead, to configure Cydget, go to “Settings” -> “Cydget” -> “Lock Cydget Order”. You’ll find three cydgets (PhotoExample, Welcome, AwayView) available, which are come with the Cydget installation. By default, the Welcome and AwayView are selected.

cydget-settingscydget-default-lock-cydgets

To deactivate Cydget completely, simply deselect (i.e. untick) all the lock cydgets and go back to home screen. Your original lock should be restored.

Installing Lock Cydgets

Other than the default lock cydgets, you can find several cydgets available on cydia. Just search “cydget”, Cydia will show you the available cydgets for download. You can then enable the cydgets in “Settings” as mentioned above.

search-cydget

Sample Lock Cydgets

HTC Hero Cydget
This cydget displays clock and weather information on lock screen in HTC Hero style.

HTC Hero Cydget

Weather Cydget
This cydget shows the current weather on lock screen.

weather-lock-cydget

Cydget is a great add-on for jailbroken iPhone. However, there are only a limited number of cydgets available. As more developers create widgets for lock screen, Cydget will definitely become a must-have applications for jailbroken iPhone, just like Winterboard.

Tip: To revamp your lock screen, you can also check out Twidget, Lock Calendar and IntelliScreen.

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com3.es | Cydget Turns iPhone Lockscreen Into Aquarium
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