'Should I Jailbreak My iPhone?' And Other Jailbreaking Questions Answered

Following my post the other day on jailbreaking the iPhone, I've been getting a lot of questions from readers related to jailbreaking.

These Q&A is aimed at the newbies to jailbreaking, so if you're the sort of person who's already jailbroken an iOS device, not much of this will be new to you. Still, you're welcome to carry on reading and even offer up any tips you might have in the comments section.

Q: What's the difference between a tethered jailbreak and an untethered jailbreak?

An untethered is where the jailbreak persists even after the device has been rebooted. A tethered jailbreak requires the devices to be connected to a computer and jailbroken again if it is rebooted.

Ideally, what you want is an untethered jailbreak, because a tethered jailbreak can be a nuisance, especially if you turn your iOS device off and on regularly or you allow the battery to die.

Q: What tools do you recommend for jailbreaking?

The answer to this depends on the device and what version of iOS it is running. I suggest taking a look at this list for help on picking the appropriate tool.

Q: What is Cydia?

This is an online directory of applications that can be used on jailbroken iPhones, iPads or iPod touch devices.

Some of these apps are free, others are commercial.

Cydia is not available from the Apple App Store. It is an application that is installed onto your jailbroken iOS device by the jailbreaking device.

Q: Are there downsides to jailbreaking?

The biggest downside is updating. When a new update to iOS is released, chances are there isn't a jailbreak for the new software, so if you update you'll lose your jailbreak. You have to wait until there's a jailbreak tool that's compatible with the latest iOS release. Sometimes this only take a few hours, sometimes a few days, and other times it can take weeks.

Another downside to updating is that you will lose any apps you downloaded from Cydia. However, there are tools, such as AptBackup, that you can use to make the restoration process easier.

However, it's important to note here that unlike iTunes, AptBackup cannot restore any application-specific data or application settings.

Q: Is jailbreaking reversible?

Yes. All you have to do is restore your iOS device in iTunes.

• Connect the jailbroken device to your PC or Mac.
• Launch iTunes.
• From the left column in iTunes, select your iOS device.
• Under the Summary tab, you’ll notice a marked 'Restore,' click this to start the unjailbreak process.
• You'll be asked if you’d like to backup your iOS device, click 'Yes' and let the backup and restore process continue.
• Your iOS device will automatically restart itself when it is finished restoring. You will then be asked if you want to restore from backup. Click 'Yes' if you want to restore all your non-jailbreak related apps and iPhone customization to the iOS device.
• That's it You're iOS device is no longer jailbroken.

Q: Does jailbreaking void my warranty?

Technically, yes. Apple does will not provide support or warranty for a jailbroken device. However, since the process is reversible, it's not really a big deal.

Q: What if my jailbroken iOS device dies? Will Apple replace it?

Technically no. However, since your device is dead, there's no easy way for Apple to tell it has been jailbroken.

I've never heard of anyone having problems getting a dead jailbroken iOS device replaced under warranty.

Q: Is jailbreaking legal (in the U.S.)?

Yes. However, technically it is only legal for the iPhone, and not the iPad or the iPod touch. The status of jailbreaking a device that is not a smartphone is one of these things that falls into a gray area of the law.

Q: Why should I jailbreak my iOS device?

I'll let this video explain this.

Q: Can I still install apps from the Apple App Store on my jailbroken iOS device?

Yes.

Q: Can jailbreaking harm my device?

Whenever you update the firmware on any device, even an iOS device, there's a small chance that things can go wrong.

The most common things that goes wrong is that people don't follow the jailbreak instructions properly and their iOS device won't reboot. While this is scary, it's actually quite easy to fix -- just hold down both the Home and Power buttons on your device, and keep holding them down until it reboots.

Be patient! It may take 20 seconds for your device to reboot.

The best way to avoid problems is to familiarize yourself with whatever jailbreak tool you're planning to use and follow the instructions carefully.

Q: I keep reading about 'DFU Mode'. What is this?

'DFU mode' stands for 'Device Firmware Upgrade mode' and it's a feature built into iOS devices to allow you to restore iOS even if something has gone wrong. This mode is used get a jailbreakable device ready for applying a jailbreak.

If something goes really badly wrong with a jailbroken device, you can always put the device into 'DFU mode' and restore it with iTunes.

Q: I want to unlock my iPhone so I can use it on another carrier? Is this the same as jailbreaking?

Unlocking is different to jailbreaking.

There are two things you can try:

• Contact your current carrier and ask them to unlock your iPhone. Depending on your carrier, you might get lucky. This does not require you to jailbreak your iPhone.
• Try a tool called ultrasn0w. This can be downloaded from Cydia, which means you have to jailbreak your iPhone first.