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Review: BossPrefs

by Michael Lindsey
July 7, 2008
BossPrefs v1.73 | Published by View Project Homepage | Via BigBoss Source | Free Overview From the developer's site: "This native iPhone app is an offshoot of "Services" by Chris Hoffman. The app expands on services by adding some more options and focusing on being a complete preferences replacement. After installing BossPrefs you should be able to remove Customize, SMBPrefs, and Settings icons from your desktop." Review I consider this to be one of the "must have" iPhone apps. As stated in the Overview, it fills the need of the included Settings program, as well as several add-ons available through Installer, and has add-ons of its own that allow for even more customization. Where it doesn't improve, it streamlines - putting the information you need most one screen deep, rather than three or four. The first screen of BossPrefs is enormously useful, so let's focus on it for a moment: [SCREENSHOT MAIN SCREEN] Here, you have at instant control:
  • Connectivity control: EDGE, WiFi, Bluetooth, and SSH.
  • Your IP address.
  • The ability to hide icons on your home screen you don't use.
  • A simple power button that allows you to refresh your homescreen, refresh it and lock it, restart your device, or turn it off completely.
  • There is an option within BossPrefs to add additional additional buttons to the sub-dock you can see at the bottom of the screen.
Compare this with the settings screen stock with the iPhone/iPod Touch: [SCREENSHOT SETTINGS] From this screen, the only immediately useful information is the name of your connected wireless network. In the config section of BossPrefs, accessable by tapping the top-left button on the main screen, you can further customize the main screen by adding or removing viewable options: airplane mode, phone connectivity, restarting SSH with reboot, and an option to add your own service. [SCREENSHOT CONFIG] Back to the main screen, tapping on "More" adds additional options to the mix, briefly explained below:
  • Dock Icons: Add/change the icons on your main screen's dock. If you use more than four apps here, you can swipe back and forth to scroll horizontally.
  • Fix User Permissions: Helps corrects jailbroken apps that run incorrectly under the "mobile" user.
  • Enable Springboard Screenshot: Allows you to take screenshots using the built-in but unactivated iPhone feature. CAUTION: I tried turning this on with my iPod Touch and locked my unit into a loop, requiring a software restore. Don't try this if you don't have an iPhone.
  • BossPrefs to Double Tap Home: Supposedly lets you access BossPrefs by a double tap. Doesn't work for me, I still get iTunes control buttons.
  • Show Free Disk Space: Reminds you how pitifully small your partition for programs is.
"But wait, there's more!" There's a whole subset of add-ons for BossPrefs within Installer, under the Utilities header. Each of these could be worthy of at least their own mini-review, and almost all allow additional functionality with another program. [SCREENSHOT INSTALLER] Summary Less of a standalone app and more of a Swiss Army Knife, BossPrefs is a tool that should be on everyone's (jailbroken) unit. Usability: 5 / 5 Value: 5 / 5 Utility: 5 / 5 Utility: 4 / 5 Overall Rating: 4.75 / 5

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