Jailbreaking refers to the process of freeing an iPad or iPhone from any limitations that are imposed by Apple. In a recent blog post, Jaxov’s Patrick Gumban explained the benefits, risks and legality of giving your iOS device the “Shawshank Redemption” treatment.
“While the iOS is one of the most stable and secure mobile operating systems around, it can become too restrictive due to Apple’s ‘closed’ mantra,” Gumban wrote. “Jailbreaking will allow the user to have read/write access to the iOS operating system which allows them to download and install additional apps, extensions and themes that are all unauthorized by Apple and not available officially in the App Store.”
Many Apple device users jailbreak their phones in order to install Cydia, which is essentially a black market version of the App Store. In a recent ZDNet article, contributor Adrian Kingsley-Hughes explored why it is that more and more people are jailbreaking, citing applications, bug fixes and freedom as top motivators.
Outside of jailbreaking to gain access to unauthorized apps, Kingsley-Hughes explained that many jailbreak their devices to try to fix bugs. He noted that this is a somewhat strange motivation, as the process itself can often introduce more bugs than it fixes.
“For some, jailbreaking is a freedom issue,” Kingsley-Hughes wrote. “They see their iPhone or iPad as their device to do with as they want and don’t appreciate Apple putting measure in place to limit what they can or cannot do with their purchase.”
The source noted that the trend has more Apple customers moving toward jailbreaking, possibly indicating a growing dissatisfaction with iOS controls. If you are one of the many looking to jailbreak their phones, be advised of the potential piracy and malware problems that could surface. For any problems with your device, iResQ’s iPhone repair services can get it back to working order in no time.