Want to unlock your phone using a piano keyboard? A fun little hack is out called Piano Passcode.  Simple enough hack, you have a keyboard and you type a tune in as your passcode.  How to play it is easy enough, set pianopasscode to some key combination from 1-7 and your gold.  However, it is a hack and this is the first version, so it takes 1s to init() before the sounds render correctly.  You can still hit the keys right off, just know the first note will be delayed. Funny I have not seen this sooner.  Heck, there could be something already out there and I just do not know it.  Install this just like other jailbreak apps, however, before you do that, make sure you turn off your current passcode system. That will make things go faster.  Its ok if you foget, there is a little red ‘x’ on the right you can click to bring up your normal passcode screen.  What I will cation you is if you have any other passcode hacks running, turn them off. A respring button is provided within the  preference panel, and it is highly recommended that you execute a respring whenever you change any of the tweaks settings, or iOS’ passcode settings.  BTW, like many cool hacks this came out of a suggestion from Reddit.

Here is cool little hack if you want other then piano sounds or there are certain notes that you want that are outside the keyboards range.  Change the sounds here.  The notes are saved as .mp3s in /Library/PianoPasscode.

Now if something goes wrong, do not panic. Try and see if it’ll boot into safe mode if you haven’t already. So, home + lock button hold down until screen goes down and apple logo comes back up, hold volume up botton as it’s loading to boot into safe mode.

Cation, if you chance the piano passcode from 1-7 and uninstall, THEN WRITE DOWN THE CODE YOU LAST USED. Even if you reinstalling piano passcode after removing, the past preference is saved. So you’ll have to remember the code you used last prior to uninstalling it. Worst case, go to /var/mobile/Library/Preferences and delete “com.jontelang.pianoprefs.plist”.  However, I’m sure this will be sorted soon if not already.

Another Cation, I have read that this does not work with intelliscreenX or BiteSMS quick compose/reply.  Someone suggested using the secure mode.

So, how to play it.  You know you only have 7 notes, so try to get something simple.  Also, this is your passcode, so scripting out a 15 key tunes is a little nuts.  I have a simple 5 note pass. (12-4-3-1)  Bonus points if someone knows this old 80’s 1 hit wonder song.

So here are a few tunes I say on Reddit. BTW, there are ONLY 7 notes.  No black keys, and not a full active.  Buy hey, Schroeder from Peanuts used to play Beethoven with painted on black keys.  If anyone else has a few cool tunes to share, please put them in comments, I’ll update the post.

Imperial March (333153153)

Zelda’s Lullaby (35212352)

song of healing from Majora’s Mask (76476476323)

Beetoven 5th (kinda) (66645553)

Batman (5544334455)

Mario Overworld (333135)

Epona’s Song (Zelda 64) (42142142121)

Bolero of Fire (Zelda 64) (42426464)