The closed nature of iOS means iPhones and iPads aren’t as customizable as Macs—but that doesn’t mean there aren’t quick, impressive improvements you can make. Some of these how-to’s require jailbreaking, others don’t—but all of them will MAKE your iDevice even more, um, magical.

We get it: you want your iPhone and iPad to do all the cool things you know they’re capable of--yep, even the ones Apple won’t tell you about. But you don’t want to spend hours doing it, and you really don’t want to sift through endless pages of Google results that offer sketchy, suspect advice. That’s why we’ve devoted this story to painless but potent tweaks you can make to your iDevices in 15 minutes or less--sometimes much less!

Want your iPhone to be a Wi-Fi hotspot for your iPad? Scratched your iPhone 4’s back and want to replace it--or are you simply stuck with a wonky, buggy iDevice that you need to whip back into shape? Those projects are all fast and easy, and our expert, step-by-step instructions make sure that you get the impressive results you want. Have at it!

Turn a Jailbroken iPhone into a Wi-Fi Hotspot

Sure, there’s tethering, but that doesn’t work with iPads or multiple devices. Here’s how to never leave home without the internet again.

For a Wi-Fi hotspot that’ll get your non-3G iPad online anywhere or let you share the intertubes with a cluster of devices, all you need is a jailbroken iPhone and an ingenious little app. Interested? Of course you are! 

The catch, naturally, is that jailbreaking your phone is required. That’s a cat-and-mouse game, and techniques change so often that the best advice is to check out blog.iphone-dev.org when you’re ready to give it a whirl. We’ve found jailbreaking to be reasonably simple and reversible, but we’ve also heard from lots of users who’ve gotten nothing but heartbreak and expensive bills from trying it. So make sure you read up on jailbreaking thoroughly and understand the risks and the processes before you go there. (If you run into trouble, check out our walk-through of DFU mode on p45 to learn how to set everything right.)

Lastly, know that jailbreaking your iPhone could void your warranty, and creating a Wi-Fi hotspot with your iPhone could violate your agreement with your wireless service provider. So if you’re still in after those caveats, here’s what you need to do...

1. Meet MyWi

With a jailbroken iPhone, visit the Cydia App Store (cydia.saurik.com)--most jailbreaking methods give you the option of installing it to your handset from the get-go. If this is your first visit, you’ll be asked whether you’re a User, Hacker, or Developer before you can access the store. If you’re not sure, choosing User is the way to go. Once you’re in, tap the store’s Search icon, type “MyWi,” then tap the application’s entry to get started.

A $20 Cydia app is cheaper than tethering! But it probably violates your service agreement.

MyWi (intelliborn.com/mywi.html) lets you share your iPhone’s 3G connectivity with devices like your Mac, an iPad, and even your Apple TV for $19.99. Once you’ve installed it on your iPhone, the handset will reboot. Don’t panic! Everything is going according to plan.

2. Set Up a Hotspot

Wait for your iPhone to start back up, then launch MyWi. To set up a Wi-Fi hotspot, simply slide the WiFi Tethering toggle to On. Make note of your hotspot’s name (it’s the same name that appears when you connect your iPhone to iTunes)--you’ll need it when you connect a device to your iPhone’s MyWi-enabled hotspot for the first time.

Should we bother to hope that Apple will support this feature in its next iOS release? Yeah, we’re not holding our breath either.

It’s also worth digging even deeper into MyWi’s settings. You can set up password protection to keep sneaky coffeehouse hipsters from snagging your signal, meddle with the application’s transmission-power settings, and even change Wi-Fi channels.

3. Surf the Internet

Hey, that’s rad wallpaper! Don’t forget to notice that both the Mac and iPhone are now online via MyWi.

With your hotspot activated, it’s time to fire up a different wireless device and enjoy the fruits of your labor. Open up the wireless management interface for your Mac, iPad, or any other Wi-Fi-equipped device, then select the name of the iPhone with MyWi installed. Congratulations! You’re now online and ready to surf, chat, play, and download to your heart’s content.