Jailbreaking iPhone 4: The Unofficial Guide
Ever wondered what Jailbreaking is? Or how it affects your iPhone/iPod Touch? This article should help inform you what jailbreaking is, and how to do it. There are quite a few things you should know before doing it, and this guide should cover everything you’ll need to know. Keep on reading for the low-down.
What is jailbreaking?
Jailbreaking is, simply put, the hacking of your beloved device to allow unofficial 3rd party add-ons, ones that Apple would not approve of.
Why do people jailbreak their device?
Millions of people jailbreak their devices to open it up more, to get more out of it. However, this can sometimes be risky. Jailbreaking opens up your device, quite frankly. If you jailbreak, you can unlock it to use it on a different carrier. You can install themes to customize the look and feel of the device. I’ll admit it, I’ve started to get bored of the iOS platform UI, being a user of it since 2007. Back on 3.1.3, I made my iPhone 3GS look like a Nexus One, like this:
Then came iOS 4, which introduced background wallpapers. However, there is a drawback, the fact that only 3rd generation and above devices can utilize this new feature. Hence, users of the older generation devices may jailbreak to unlock this feature. The same goes for multitasking. Some people with 3rd generation and above devices may want to take customization a step further than just the background, so they jailbreak to be able to change their icons as well.
There is no end to what a jailbroken device can do. Here’s a couple more major ones:
- Access to your device’s filesystem (SSH)
- SBSettings: Faster way to manage iPhone settings from anywhere
- 3rd Party Apps Apple would not allow (Such as an application to sync your device wirelessly)
- FaceTime over 3G
- UnOfficial Tethering
This is just a sample of what the jailbreaking community offers, we have not even scratched the surface of the potential of jailbreaking.
Is it legal? Does Apple allow this?
Apple had filed for jailbreaking to be declared illegal quite some time ago. A new law was recently passed that allows jailbreaking to be legal. However, Apple still frowns upon users with jailbroken devices, and will not service a jailbroken iPhone/iPod/iPad. This is easily fixed with a quick restore through iTunes.
If it’s so great, why doesn’t everybody do it?
Although jailbreaking seems quite exciting and sounds like heaven for your device, there are downsides to it as well. First of all, jailbreaking will void your warranty. This is easily fixed by a quick restore in iTunes, which will restore your device to factory settings (meaning it will not be jailbroken any longer). You can go to an Apple Store and get your device fixed or repaired, without worrying whether the technician will ever find any evidence of jailbreaking or not.
Second, you may notice lag. This can happen if you have quite a few plugins installed, or too many applications running in the background (if you’re using an unofficial method to multitask). You may also notice a reduction in battery life. Personally, I have noticed several of these over the years, on my iPod Touch 2G as well as my iPhone 3GS. However, after jailbreaking my iPhone 4, I have noticed no speed or battery loss, which is incredible. In fact, speed decrease on my 3GS was the reason I restored to the stock Apple OS not once, but several times.
These are several reasons most of the iDevice owners stay clear of jailbreaking, just so they don’t have to mess around with it. I suggest only jailbreaking if you are somewhat proficient in the use of your iPhone. In other words, if you are not somewhat good with technology, I recommend that you do not jailbreak.
I understand the concepts of jailbreaking. How do I get started?
You’re in luck! One of the easiest jailbreak methods in history was just released last Sunday, by Comex (iPhone hacker). It’s so simple, a baby can do it. Literally. You do not even need to use your computer (you did have to in the 3.0 firmwares), the entire process is web-based. This method supports these devices:
- iPod 1G on 3.1.2
- iPod 1G on 3.1.3
- iPod 2G on 3.1.2
- iPod 2G on 3.1.3
- iPod 2G on 4.0
- iPod 3G on 3.1.2
- iPod 3G on 3.1.3
- iPod 3G on 4.0
- iPad on 3.2
- iPad on 3.2.1
- iPhone 3G on 3.1.2
- iPhone 3G on 3.1.3
- iPhone 3G on 4.0
- iPhone 3G on 4.0.1
- iPhone 3G[S] on 3.1.2
- iPhone 3G[S] on 3.1.3
- iPhone 3G[S] on 4.0
- iPhone 3G[S] on 4.0.1
- iPhone 4 on 4.0
- iPhone 4 on 4.0.1
1. Go to http://jailbreakme.com on your iPhone/iPod Touch/iPad (Supports all 3.0 and 4.0 firmwares)
2. Be sure you have a backup of your device and everything is synced back to iTunes
3. Slide the slider to jailbreak
4. It will download the necessary items, then install it.
5. Be patient. In a minute or two, it will tell you whether it was successful or not.
6. That’s it! You’ll notice the Cydia icon on your homescreen.
If you need video instructions, here is my tutorial:
I noticed an App called Cydia on my iPhone after jailbreaking. What is it?
Cydia is similar to the App Store, but is available to jailbroken users only. It is where you can download everything, from ringtones, to plugins, to 3rd party applications, like Wi-Fi Sync, which allows you to sync your iPhone over your wireless network.
Help! I have a question!
Go ahead and drop a comment down below and I’ll be glad to assist you with your issue. Alternatively, you can email me at: [email protected]
Thanks, it worked great!
No problem, glad it worked out for you. Feel free to leave a comment down below if you need anything else. Thanks for taking the time to read and understand what jailbreaking is all about, look out for app reviews from Cydia!
