Jay Freeman, who goes by the name Saurik, famous for Cydia, an unofficial App Store for iOS devices, has released CydiaSubstrate but this time he made it for Android. Yes, you heard it right.
If you are unaware about it, MobileSubstrate is a framework with three major parts including MobileHooker, MobileLoader and safe mode, that helps developers to provide run-time fixes to the system functions.
If the above definition has become so nerdy, let us explain it in an easier way. Let us say, SpringBoard that allows iOS devices to show the screen with apps and initiate them when tapped. When CydiaSubstrate is used, it injects a code that alters the usual behaviour of the SpringBoard and tapping on the apps can result in a complete different behaviour. Five icon dock and Activator Cydia apps are the best example of it.
CydiaSubstrate also works as a fail state allowing the jailbroken iOS devices to go into the safe mode when the tweaks using finds trouble working.
This time MobileSubstrate made its way to the Android operating system. Saurik, who have also recently jailbroken Google Glass, has updated a website with the following information:
While Android itself is “open”, the devices that run it often aren’t. Before installing Substrate, you will first need to get root access on your device.
Depending on which device you have, and which version of Android, this process differs; we therefore can’t provide a simple recommendation.
Once you have root, you will need to install our APK, run the application, click Install, and grant Superuser access to Substrate when prompted.
If you are wondering how CydiaSubstrate can be useful for Android users? Well, a lot of the jailbreak apps that you enjoy on the iOS devices can now come to the Android devices. WinterBoard is already present and let us see how developers can work to bring more tweaks on the Google’s operating system.
The website indicates that CydiaSubstrate for Android is supported on versions 2.3 through 4.2, including Kindle Fire, CyanogenMod, and Intel. But of course, you need to root your device first in order for it to work.
Download CydiaSubsubstrate APK from official website or from Google PlayStore.