If you have an iPhone or a iTouch you basically have a miniature mac computer in your pocket. iPhone OS is a “portable” version of Mac OSX, and you can think that it’s interface is a mobile friendly version of the OS.
So, the apps have pretty much the same structure as the OSX apps. I bet you hear this all the time: “if you know how to code for a mac, than you know how to code for an iPhone”. So i thought i should try something tonight, and im really glad it works, although i messed up Cydia.
FSM EXCLUSIVE DEAL First things first: what’s Xslimmer? If you have a Mac ( i hope you do, cause if you dont this article is pretty much useless for you ) you should know what Xslimmer is. Im assuming you know that there are PPC Macs ( Powe PC ) and Intel-Based Macs out there. Some OSX apps offer you the option to get the version for you mac ( Intel or PPC ), but most of them are made to work with both.
Well Xslimmer takes those apps, analyze them, and if removes the unnecessary code from those fat binaries. So , if you have a Intel based Mac, Xslimmer will remove the PPC part of the code and vice-versa.
So i thought i should try it on my iPhone and there is good news and bad news. Good news is that it got rid of 13.1 MB and my iPhone still works. Bad news is that Cydia wont start anymore. I will have a couple of notes at the end of this article, MAKE SURE you read them…
How to use Xslimmer on your iPhone
- Download Xslimmer ( free version allows you to slim up to 50MB which is more than enough for your iPhone or iTouch )
- SSH into your iPhone ( read: how to SSH )
- Go to /Applications , select the apps inside and copy them into a folder on your desktop
- Copy that folder to another location on your computer. This will be your BACKUP. ALWAYS BACKUP
- Load Xslimmer on your Mac and drag all the apps from your desktop and drop them into Xslimmer
- Once Xslimmer is done analyzing the apps, click on “slim” in the bottom right corner
- Now SSH back into your iPhone and go to /Applications
- Overwrite the apps on your iPhone with the slimmed ones on your desktop
- Reboot your device
By doing this i freed up 13.1 MB, but it came with a price so make sure you read my notes below the screen shot, of xslimmer. I also see a slight performance boost but not something of major proportions .
NOTE1: BACKUP BACKUP BACKUP , ALWAYS BACKUP
NOTE2: Just because im crazy and im trying shit like this, doesent mean im making you try it. It worked for me, i thought i share it with you. If you want to try it, your on your own. If you dont read what im writing, not my fault. If your slimmed apps are messed up see NOTE1
NOTE3: DO NOT use Xslimmer on Cydia
NOTE4: You can use Xslimmer on appstore apps and iPhone native apps 100%. They all worked fine after i slimmed them down. If something goes wrong tho, read NOTE1 .
NOTE5: I am not sure about Cydia Apps. After slimming them down, some of them worked fine, some of them crashed. For example Cycorder worked fine and videorecorderfor3G was crashing. You can use Xslimmer on Cydia apps tho, BUT READ NOTE1 and NOTE3
That being said, knock yoself out and let me/us know how it goes for you.