Before reading on, it's important that you read this disclaimer. Jailbreaking and/or unlocking an iPhone, iPod touch, or iPad is a complex process that requires technical skills (in most cases). It's for experienced, technologically savvy users. It can also cause problems on your devices or open security holes, both of which Apple may not help you fix. If you unlock or jailbreak your iOS device, you're doing so at your own risk and you may be on your own to fix any problems that arise. You were warned.
Thanks to a mid-2010 ruling by the U.S. Library of Congress, U.S. iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad owners now have legal standing to jailbreak and unlock their devices. This page collects all the information you need to understand and use the iPhone jailbreak and unlock process.
Definitions
The key terms in this area are:
It's also important to understand how the two terms are different.
What Devices Can Be Jailbroken?
Not every mobile device sold by Apple can be jailbroken or unlocked. The only ones that can be are:
- iPhone (though as of Aug. 2010, iOS 4 hasn't been jailbroken)
- iPod touch (though as of Aug. 2010, iOS 4 hasn't been jailbroken)
- iPad
iPhone Jailbreak and Unlock Programs
Once you understand the basic concepts, you need to decide what program you'll use. Your options include:
- JailbreakMe.com - click the link to learn how to use JailbreakMe.com's very simple process to jailbreak your iPhone
- blackra1n
- QuickPwn
- PwnageTool
- iJailbreak
- redsn0w
Jailbreak tools often lag behind the most recent version of the iOS by some period of time. As a result, to jailbreak, you may need to dowwgrade your version of the OS to one that a jailbreak tool exists for.
Alternate App Stores
One key reason to jailbreak an iOS device is to get access to a world of apps that don't exist at Apple's App Store. Which leads to the question, where are there alternative app stores?
The major alternative app stores for iOS devices are:
- Cydia
- Installer.app/AppTapp
- iBrickr
- iFuntastic - not an app store, but allows customization of the iOS
iPhone Jailbreak Security
With such a big disclaimer at the top of the page, you may be wondering whether there are security concerns for unlocked and/or jailbroken iPhones?
Warranties & Support
If you do run into problems, where can you turn for help? Does Apple support jailbroken iPhones?
How To Undo iPhone Jailbreak
You may find that want to remove the jailbreak or unlock from your iPhone, iPod touch, or iPad. To do this, you'll need to restore your device to factory settings and restore your data from backup.
