How to Make Calls and Send Emails, Texts via iOS Notification Center: the Tweaks

Apple hasn’t improved the Notification Center to the extent iPhone users have been requesting for quite a while. Some IT experts believe, a more interactive and functional Notification Center will be released with the iOS 7 roll out. Until then, you’ve got a bunch of jailbreak Cydia tweaks that let you make calls, send emails and texts using iOS’s Notification Center.

FavoriteContacts

This iOS jailbreak tweak is top of the list when it comes to Notification Center hacks that allow you to make calls and send emails and texts from within the center. The app retrieves your list of Favorite Contacts and gives you direct access to their info (phone number, photo and email) allowing you to put them on speed dial. The tweak will set you back $1.00.

WeeSpeeddial

Like FavoriteContacts, WeeSpeeddial makes the Notification Center a lot more functional. Both tweaks are quite similar, the only difference is that WeeSpeeddial uses a list of Custom Contacts as opposed to contacts listed as favorite in the AddressBook. It’s not as hassle free as FavoriteContacts, since it makes you set up the contacts in a particular settings panel, because the tweak won’t retrieve the contacts from the AddressBook. It’s also more expensive, by $0.49 than FavoriteContacts.

WeeToolbox

This is a tweak that stands out in its category simply by providing the user with free different functions users can access directly from the Notification Center. WeeToolbox adds Tweet, Dial, Flashlight, Pastie and Camera in the Notification Center of your iPhone, for fast and easy access to some of the most commonly used functions of a smartphone. Being free and performing quite impressively, WeeToolbox has swept users off their feet and has had developers considering adding new features. At the moment, they are developing a SMS compose button and a kill all background apps. Users also requested a Power Button with Reboot, Power Off, Safe Mode and Lock options and a Free Up Memory button.

Jailbreak Tweaks for Notification Center and Widgets

Being able to customize the Notification Center performance to the level each user wants is a great perk of the jailbreak process on iPhone. Developers have rolled out serious jailbreak tweaks for the Notification Center and its widgets ever since Apple’s release of iOS 5. Back then, the frenzy developers got in with their own tweak releases caused quite a confusing time for many of the iOS jailbreak fans. Two years later, it’s much easier to tell the rookie jailbreaker which are the best Notification Center and widgets tweaks he or she should consider installing on iPhone, iPad or iPod.

A more functional and customized Notification Center can actually power boost your multitasking abilities, since alerts could allow you to read, send or delete email messages without being forced out of the Notification Center and to the email client. Although Apple hasn’t addressed this improvement with previous iOS releases, according to Shaik Imaduddin, interactive Notification Center will be available as of iOS 7. Some jailbreak tweaks currently help you enjoy part of that experience.

SBSettings

Everybody can agree SBSettings is by far the best jailbreak tweak for iOS, making it possible to have common toggles moved directly into the springboard. As of iOS 5, SBSettings features Notification Center Integration which makes it possible to turn everything off except the buton titles, leaving open space for your favorite toggles.

NowListening

It’s not as functional as SBSettings but this jailbreak tweak does deliver one useful feature. While you are playing a new song using the iPOd Music app, the tweak displays banner notifications so you know which song you just began listening to. The tweak isn’t at the moment compatible with other Music apps, such as Pandora and Spotify. Perhaps next versions will look into that.

FavoriteContacts

Being able to use the Notification Center as the dashboard of your smartphone definitely comes in handy when you’re a talker. FavoriteContacts is the perfect jailbreak tweak for the user who is always on their phone taking and making calls, particularly if there’s a bunch of people on your speed dial list. The tweak makes it possible for you to send text messages and emails as well as to make calls from the Notification Center to all your favorite contacts. To make the list of your favorite contacts, just go to AddressBook, select Contacts, choose contact and tap Add to Favorites. Respring your iPhone to have the contacts added to Favorites appear in the tweak.