Hide any icon In iOS4 using iBackupBot

Sep 22, '10 07:30:00AM

Contributed by: Anonymous

I have used this hint when setup up my iPhones in the past as I hate excess icons on my SpringBoard. That hint doesn't seem to work any more under iOS4.x.

To be sure the addition of Folders in iOS4.x has helped reduce clutter, but I never use Compass, Stocks, or Voice Memos and other apps that need to be present on the SpringBoard for their other functions to operate (e.g. Tomtom Carkit tool).

I stumbled across this method while editing plists trying to make a 5 icon Dock on my non-jailbroken 4.0 iPhone 3GS.

Note that this hint requires connecting your iPhone to a Windows machine, either directly or through a virtualization application such as Fusion or Parallels.

What you will need:

You may need to disable auto syncing of Apps in iTunes as it may or may not keep your synced 3rd-party apps in the hidden area of the Dock.

Run a backup of your iPhone and then proceed to open it in iBackupBot.

Look for the file iconstate.plist and search for the following area of code:
<key>buttonBar</key>
 <array>
   <string>com.apple.mobilephone</string>
   <string>com.apple.MobileSMS</string>
   <string>com.apple.mobilesafari</string>
   <string>com.apple.mobilemail</string>
 </array>
After that array of entries you will find other sections that make up your SpringBoard on your phone these will be listed like this:
<key>iconLists</key>
 <array>
   <array>
   <string>com.apple.MobileAddressBook</string>
   <string>com.apple.mobiletimer</string>
   <string>com.apple.mobilecal</string>
   <string>com.apple.calculator</string>
   </array>
   <array>
      <string>com.apple.VoiceMemos</string>
      <string>com.apple.stocks</string>
      <string>com.apple.compass</string>
      <string>com.spiceloop.iemoji</string>
   </array>
 </array>
Now the four applications on my SpringBoard are the last four in the above code; so I cut and paste them after the fourth app that is listed to appear in the dock, like so:
<key>buttonBar</key>
 <array>
  <string>com.apple.mobilephone</string>
  <string>com.apple.MobileSMS</string>
  <string>com.apple.mobilesafari</string>
  <string>com.apple.mobilemail</string>
  <string>com.apple.VoiceMemos</string>  <-- See From Here Down 
  <string>com.apple.stocks</string>
  <string>com.apple.compass</string>
  <string>com.spiceloop.iemoji</string>
 </array>
Ensure you have not left any of the tags untidy from where you have cut and pasted the app locations from the .plist. Click save and restore the update to your iPhone using iBackupBot. After about 1 minute of restore (depending on your computer/phone) it will auto reboot and you will no longer have those icons pestering you. And if you ever need them again just search for them in iOS Spotlight; they still show up there.

As mentioned earlier disable Auto App Syncing in iTunes as it may rearrange downloaded apps, but as far as permanent fixtures like Stocks/Voice Recording, etc. they should be gone for good from the SpringBoard.

One note -- unless you have four icons in your Dock when you reset your iPhone, the next one along in the list will find its way back on to the SpringBoard and replace the others.

[crarko adds: I haven't tested this one.]

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Mac OS X Hints
http://hints.macworld.com/article.php?story=20100719201209193