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No jailbreak necessary: How to quickly access iOS settings on your iPad, iPhone or iPod

iOS 5 logoBefore Apple released iOS 5 the only way to quickly access specific iOS settings was by jailbreaking the device and using SBSettings. With iOS 5 Apple included a special URL scheme, for example “prefs:root=General&path=AUTOLOCK”, to enable direct access to the settings.

The developer(s) over at iPhoneZA.co.za created a whole bunch of ready-to-go settings-links and a MobileConfig package that automatically adds all of these settings to your devices home screen.

After the break, you’ll find a short tutorial how to add the manual links.

Well, here you go:
1. Select a setting you’d like to access quickly and click on the link. (I chose Airplane. A single touch on this link will enable the airplane mode right from the home screen.)

2. Pick “Cancel” on the popup. We just want to create the link, not open the actual setting.

3. Add the site as home screen bookmark.

4. Assign a name to the shortcut and wait till the icon has loaded

5. You should now have the icon on your home screen. Click it.

6. Safari opens, and leaves a tab open in the browser (this only happens using the manual install), and quickly switches over to Settings. In the case of Airplane mode it gets automatically enabled.


Finally, here’s a list of the currently available URLs:
prefs:root=General&path=About
prefs:root=General&path=ACCESSIBILITY
prefs:root=AIRPLANE_MODE
prefs:root=General&path=AUTOLOCK
prefs:root=General&path=USAGE/CELLULAR_USAGE
prefs:root=Brightness
prefs:root=General&path=Bluetooth
prefs:root=General&path=DATE_AND_TIME
prefs:root=FACETIME
prefs:root=General
prefs:root=General&path=Keyboard
prefs:root=CASTLE
prefs:root=CASTLE&path=STORAGE_AND_BACKUP
prefs:root=General&path=INTERNATIONAL
prefs:root=LOCATION_SERVICES
prefs:root=ACCOUNT_SETTINGS
prefs:root=MUSIC
prefs:root=MUSIC&path=EQ
prefs:root=MUSIC&path=VolumeLimit
prefs:root=General&path=Network
prefs:root=NIKE_PLUS_IPOD
prefs:root=NOTES
prefs:root=NOTIFICATIONS_ID
prefs:root=Phone
prefs:root=Photos
prefs:root=General&path=ManagedConfigurationList
prefs:root=General&path=Reset
prefs:root=Sounds&path=Ringtone
prefs:root=Safari
prefs:root=General&path=Assistant
prefs:root=Sounds
prefs:root=General&path=SOFTWARE_UPDATE_LINK
prefs:root=STORE
prefs:root=TWITTER
prefs:root=General&path=USAGE
prefs:root=VIDEO
prefs:root=General&path=Network/VPN
prefs:root=Wallpaper
prefs:root=WIFI
prefs:root=INTERNET_TETHERING