iPhone and iPod owners have been jailbreaking — or unlocking the operating system to run applications not approved by Apple — since at least 2007.
Why bother?
There are a number of reasons to consider jailbreaking your iDevice, whether it’s to create Wi-Fi hotspots with MyWi, get tweaks and added functionalities, many that weren’t previously available (multi-tasking, Bluetooth access, tethering), and the freedom to use third-party apps that haven’t been approved by Apple, whose family-friendly content restrictions have occasionally bordered on absurd.
Apple doesn’t like jailbreakers because of the loss of revenue and control over the devices, but the US Copyright office recently ruled that jailbreaking your Apple device does not violate the DMCA and is legal. Keep in mind that Apple still voids your warranty if you jailbreak, but now they can’t threaten to slap you with a $2,500 fine.
Cult of Mac has put together a Jailbreak Superguide to get you busted out and moving on.
Getting started:
- Before Jailbreaking, Extract Your iPhone’s SHSH Blobs with Umbrella
- Complete Guide to Unlocking and Jailbreaking the iPhone and iPod Touch
- Jailbreak Your iPhone 3G/3GS or iPod Touch G2 with Pwnage Tool for Mac
- Jailbreak Your iPhone 3G or iPod Touch G2 with Redsn0w
- Jailbreak Your iPhone or iPod Touch with Blackra1n
Must-Have Jailbreak Apps:
- If These 10 Apps Don’t Convince You to Jailbreak Your iPhone, Nothing Will
- Turn Your iPhone Into a Wireless Hotspot and Enable Tethering using MyWi
- Add Twitter, Facebook to all Your iPhone Apps with qTweeter
- Use Volume Button Extender for Easy Music Control on Your iPhone
- Use An External Bluetooth Keyboard With Your iPhone
- Record Your iPhone Screen with ScreenRecorder
- Run Third-Party iPhone Apps In Background with Backgrounder
- Add Multiple Exchange Accounts to Your iPhone
- Enhance Copy/Paste Features On Your iPhone
- Send and Receive Files with Your iPhone Via Bluetooth
- Multitask on Your iPhone or iPod Touch With Proswitcher
- Remove 3G Limits for Applications – 3G Unrestrictor
Housekeeping for your jailbroken iPhone
- Create A Complex Lockscreen Passcode for Your iPhone
- Access Your iPhone File System with SSH
- Downgrade iPhone with SHSHs Stored on Cydia
- Add More Sources To Cydia
Nicole Martinelli is a San Francisco freelance writer who heads up Cult of Mac Magazine, our weekly publication available on iTunes. You can find her on Twitter and Google+. If you’re doing something new, cool and Apple-related, email her.
