FAQs

Jailbreak

Jailbreaking is the process by which an iPhone firmware is modified to allow unsigned code to be run to gain access to files that Apple wouldn’t normally let you access. Jailbreaking adds unofficial application installers to your iPhone such as Cydia or Icy (I personally only use Cydia), which let you download many 3rd-party applications previously unavailable through the App Store.
The risks of jailbreaking your iPhone are very minor. Worst case scenario, you can always restore your iPhone to factory settings using iTunes.


What is Jailbreaking?


What Does Jailbreaking Mean?

Jailbreaking, or “hacking” is giving a user read/write access to otherwise locked OS files on your iPhone.
It allows you to “unlock” your iPhone and activate it on another GSM carrier that doesn’t have bad Luke Wilson commercials. It gives you access to app stores like Cydia that offer programs that you won’t see in Apple’s popular counterpart. It’ll even give you the ability to customize the background of your home screen and change the look of your icons and menu colors.
Starting in early fall after the summer 2007 release of the original iPhone, jailbreaking began as a fairly complicated multi-step process. Things have definitely evolved over the last few years and the online jailbreaking community for iPhones is estimated in the millions (if you’re reading this article on this site, that number shouldn’t surprise you) with hundreds of blogs and forums scattered throughout the web dedicated to this crazy thing called jailbreaking.

What Are the Benefits of Jailbreaking?

Up until recently, if you wanted to shoot video with your iPhone, you had to jailbreak and download an app called Cycorder from Cydia that would let you shoot and save video, because your iPhone out of box couldn’t do it. Same with cut/copy/paste, MMS, all only available if you had jailbroken your iPhone.
Your probably wondering well then what in the heck do I need to do it for now? Well I jailbreak mine so I can have the application Backgrounder from Cydia, it allows you to multitask and do things like listen to Pandora while writing emails, something you can’t do with your run-of-the-mill iPhone and iPod Touch.
I also have apps like Winterboard from Cydia that allow me to customize my home screen, change the look of my lock screen, and change the overall theme of my iPhone. I can make my iPhone look completely different than the way it does when you open the box for the first time. So much to the point where people will ask me what kind of phone I’ve got when it’s in an unmarked silicon case.
Another good reason I would say to go for it is that it is easier than ever to jailbreak. In fact, programs such as BlackRa1n by GeoHot make jailbreaking as easy as plug and click.


What Are the Risks of Jailbreaking?

Now, although jailbreaking has become increasingly easier, there are still very complicated risks that go with it. If you have a newer iPod Touch or iPhone 3GS, or if you plan on unlocking your new device, remember what I am about to tell you…
An underground group of programmers known as the Dev Team, for the most part, spearheads all this jailbreak technology more or less without Apple’s permission. Think of the Dev Team as the LA SWAT team with huge awesome guns trying to get into a barricaded building, which is the jailbroken iPhone software.
Every time they find a way in, Apple comes along and puts another barricade up with a software update that closes the entrance they had. Then they have to find another way in. They are currently working on jailbreaks for 3GS and iPod Touch software version 3.1.3, so if you upgrade to the newest version of the firmware, you will lose the ability to jailbreak at this time.
So it’s just a best practice to check the latest firmware version jailbroken (see the Dev Team blog) versus your own (go to Settings > General > Status). Aside from the above mentioned risks, there’s always the chance of your iPhone “bricking” or getting stuck in a non working state.
Several times during jailbreaks, mine would be stuck in phone purgatory for hours. Take just a few moments to browse any iPhone forum with jailbreaking topics and you’re sure to find several comments along the lines of “help! I tried to jailbreak my iPhone and now it’s been stuck on the Apple logo for hours, help!” or “Please help me, after jailbreaking my iPhone my GPS won’t work.”
So things definitely can go wrong, but generally it’s user error. Usually plugging in your iPhone to your computer, starting iTunes, and holding power for 5 seconds, power and menu button for 10 seconds, and then just menu for 20 seconds, tells iTunes your phones fried and it will do a fresh install of your most recent iPhone software.

Is Jailbreaking Legal?

UPDATE: Jailbreaking is now officially legal in the US
Now you’re probably wondering if it’s legal. Um… yes and no! The fact of the matter is that Apple has verbally announced that they believed jailbreaking to be illegal and an infringement on their copyrights by way of complaint to the Electronic Frontier Foundation, or EFF last January.
But, the EFF sided with the consumer and stated that the “reverse engineering is a fair use when done for purposes of fostering interoperability with independently created software,” saying that yes, even though jailbreakers are using Apple’s copyrighted code, they are doing so in a way that allows them functionality that Apple doesn’t provide access to on their own.
On top of that, Apple’s legal team is probably too busy dealing with Nokia, Fujitsu, and Psystar to chase after people who are trying to customize their home screens.
To be honest with you I’m sure Steve Jobs and company have sat down and gone over the risk/threat of jailbreakers and have discovered how much it really fuels iPhone/iPod touch sales. Don’t believe me? Run a 24 hour poll on your blog and ask if users would still purchase iPhones if they couldn’t be jailbroken in any way.

What to Keep in Mind

But the cat and mouse game with Apple shows no sign of stopping as the Dev Team is furiously at work to break into the latest iPhone software to release to the public.Jailbreaking gives you complete control over your iPhone from customizing to 3rd party apps that didn’t for one reason or another end up on Apple’s App Store.
In fact the Cydia store is home to a lot of misfit apps that fell victim to Apple’s ever popular App screening process. Well, now that you’ve heard some background on jailbreaking, you’ve learned some of the benefits and risks, you may now make the choice, to jailbreak or not to jailbreak, that is the question.
If you decide to jailbreak, generally any app by the Dev Team such as PwnageTool orRedSnow is a safe bet, as long as the versions are compatible with your iPhone or iPod Touch firmware.
Lately BlackRa1n has been working well for me. It was literally a plug into usb port, launch program, click the button. I know Sebastien’s got some great tutorials on how to jailbreak as well as BlackRa1n and other downloads that will get you started.


Here are 30 excellent reasons to jailbreak your iPhone:
  1. It’s risk-free. Worst case scenario, you can restore your iPhone to factory settings
  2. Install third-party applications with Cydia
  3. Get MMS with SwirlyMMS
  4. Add custom notification sounds and ringtones for free
  5. Use a free turn by turn GPS with xGPS
  6. Get video recording for your iPhone 2G or 3G with Cycorder
  7. Stream live videos with Qik
  8. Use Voice Over IP apps over 3G and Edge with VoIPover3G
  9. Enable Flash with iMobileCinema
  10. Download and save YouTube videos on your iPhone with MxTube
  11. Tether your iPhone with PDAnet
  12. View your iPhone on your TV with TVOut
  13. Play Game Boy, Game Boy Advance, NES and PlayStation games with emulators
  14. Watch every single episode of South Park, American Dad, Family Guy, the Simpsons, the Office, and Futurama for free
  15. Filter incoming calls with iBlackList
  16. Email your voicemails with Voicemail Forwarder
  17. Customize the look and feel of your iPhone with WinterBoard
  18. Quickly manage your settings preferences with BossPrefs
  19. Sort your apps into folders with Categories
  20. Run apps in the background with Backgrounder
  21. Quickly reply to SMS with iRealSMS
  22. Track your lost/stolen iPhone with iLocalis
  23. Display information such as emails, SMS, calendar and more directly on your lock screen with IntelliScreen
  24. Spoof your caller ID with 123Spoof
  25. Change your iPhone fonts with FontSwap
  26. Get haptic feedback for your keyboard with HapticPro
  27. Show a picture of your contacts in your contact list with Cyntact
  28. Transfer files via Bluetooh with iBluetooth
  29. Enable battery percentage on the 2G and 3G with Battery Percentage
  30. Unlock your iPhone


How to Save Your SHSH Blob



With the release of Spirit now imminent, it would be a good thing to save your SHSH blob, in case you need to downgrade in the future. Saving your iPhone SHSH is very simple.

Step 1: Download Firmware Umbrella from here.
Step 2: Launch Firmware Umbrella and plug your iPhone in.
Step 3: Click “Save My SHSH” and wait for Firmware Umbrella to do the job.
Done! A copy will be saved to your computer and it will also send a request to Cydia to save your SHSH on Saurik’s server.


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