iOS is one of the most popular operating systems people have on their phones, much due to the popularity of Apple devices. However, it is also always accompanied by many complaints about the software, such as, bugs, design flaws, and lack of functionalities. However, there’s a trend that’s been around for a while that fixes many of the issues and adds features to Apple devices. It’s called jailbreaking.
To jailbreak a device is simply to remove the restriction against third party apps. Third party apps are simply any application that isn’t installed from Apple’s verified “App Store.”
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The Cydia Market
After jailbreaking a device, users gain access to another application market called “Cydia.” Similar to Apple’s “App Store,” you can download applications for free or for a small cost and have access to it at anytime on your device. However, these applications aren’t usually the kind of apps you’d see in the “App Store”.
Cydia provides tweaks and packages. A tweak is a piece of software that alters functionality on your device. Examples of this include the ability to add toggles to your control center, add gestures to the screen to create a command at the swish of your finger, and even the ability to automatically tint the screen at night so as to not shine a bright light in your face. Packages range from a variety of categories, such as themes to change the appearance of the software, hacks to cheat your way through games from the “App Store”, and even applications to watch movies and television shows.
Why Not Jailbreak?
With features like this, why isn’t everyone jailbreaking their Apple devices?
There are a few reasons for that. The first is that many people aren’t accustomed with “hacking” devices. What people don’t realize is that jailbreaking a device isn’t complicated like it used to be. Jailbreak now uses a method called “1-Click Jailbreak” which jailbreaks your device after installing a program onto your computer. There are no options to configure, or even computer languages to use; it’s as easy as a click of a button. (To download the program, TaiG to jailbreak your device, their website can be found at http://www.taig.com/en/).
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Poor History
Another reason for hesitation is that jailbreak hasn’t had the best history. When it first came out, there were tons of bugs and problems with it, along with the complicated process of setting it all up.
Many people will claim they don’t jailbreak their phones because they heard that doing so breaks them. While it is true that if you misuse the jailbreaking functionalities it can cause problems, for the most part, it doesn’t.
Legal Question
The last reason is two combined; the legality of it all. Jailbreaking used to be illegal… years ago. For the past few years, it’s been legal in the United States after a federal court ruling allowing it. However, the second aspect is what has people hung up; voiding the warranty. While it is true that jailbreaking does void the warranty, all jailbreaking software can be removed from the device through a simple restoration process. The process is as easy as plugging it in to iTunes and clicking a single button to restore it. All of the jailbreak data is removed while all non-jailbreak data is brought back onto the device from its last backup. No trace from jailbreak remains behind.
The trend is catching on now too. Since iOS 6.1, millions and millions of users have flocked to jailbreak their devices in larger numbers than previous iOS versions. The numbers continue today, resulting in a larger number of members into the jailbreaking community.
What do you think about Jailbreak? Is your device jailbroken? Are you thinking about switching over to jailbreak? Let us know in the comments below!
