How to Jailbreak your iPhone: Step-by-step guide and potential pitfalls

Justice Ekaeze Last updated: March 22, 2023 Read time: 19 minutes Disclosure

In this article, we shall dive deep into jailbreaking an iPhone, what it entails, the risks involved, and measures to protect against them.

Sneak peek at jailbreaking your iPhone

Jailbreaking is a process that frees up your iPhone from the operating system’s control and allows the users to do with it what they please. This includes using third-party apps and features you may not find on the App Store. While the process sounds like a blast, it is not without its risks, and as such, you must be careful when executing a jailbreak. This article highlights the recommended jailbreak tools, methods, and possible risks of this decision.

Jailbreaking your iPhone is an excellent way to free your device from Apple’s restrictions. It provides increased personal access to your phone and allows you to decide the aspects of your device you can control, particularly shareable data, and who can access them. As a result, jailbreaking curbs any potential privacy risks.

Like an Android device, a jailbroken iPhone can download third-party apps that Apple does not always approve. However, this freedom also exposes your device to risks. For example, a jailbreak reduces installed security restrictions. So you might experience errors while running the operating system because the operating system is not optimized in a jailbreak.

For this reason, you might wonder if jailbreaking your iPhone is worth the risk.

This article will provide details on what a jailbreak is, the benefits of jailbreaking your iPhone, and the possible risks involved in making this decision.

A quick guide to jailbreaking your iPhone

Jailbreaking your iPhone offers you access to features otherwise blocked from use. The process sounds complex, and with so much content on the risks, it can seem daunting.

However, you don’t have to worry; we have taken careful steps to break down the process so you can easily do it yourself.

Jailbreaking is only available on iOS 14.8 and lower on the “unc0ver” app. Here’s a short outline of how to use the app:

  1. On your PC or Mac, search for and download the “AltStore.”
  2. Install it on your device.
  3. Plug in your iPhone to the PC or Mac.
  4. Go on the unc0ver IPA site, and click download.
  5. Proceed to sideload the unc0ver app on your iPhone using AltStore.
  6. Once you open the unc0ver app, the jailbreak button is front and center; click it.
  7. Once the process is complete, your device will restart.
  8. You will see a “Cydia” app installed on your phone to prove the jailbreak succeeded.

This process is all you need, but we recommend using a VPN to protect your iPhone from any potential risks from using the internet with your newly opened device.

What does jailbreaking an iPhone involve?

Jailbreaking, as a process, refers to the bypassing of a device’s security system to increase its range of functionality. For example, although you can continue to use the App Store, you can also install apps from other stores and modify the operating system’s appearance, among other things.

The primary reason for jailbreaking iPhones is the rigid iOS operating system. As a result, users can only perform hard-wired actions in the code. Users who cannot make significant changes that suit their individual preferences urge them to jailbreak.

Another reason making iPhone jailbreaking popular is that it allows for innovation. For example, iOS does not support amateur developers since apps and features are strictly done by Apple developers. However, with jailbreaking, developers can create apps and features that are typically prohibited. 

Jailbreaking opens the door for innovation, optimal customization, and a whole other range of possibilities. For example, the limit is your intention, whether you want to create features and apps for fun or as a professional. 

However, as iOS has evolved and Apple has added many features previously only available to the jailbreaking community, jailbreaking has become less popular. Still, jailbreaking helps install and run apps unavailable on the App Store or as a first step toward unlocking your iPhone to use it with a different carrier.

Four methods to jailbreak an iPhone

There are different types of jailbreaking for iOS devices, including:

  • Tethered: To successfully complete the jailbreak, you’ll need to tether your phone to a PC and use the boot tethered feature. However, if you fail to re-jailbreak the phone again after the reboot, your iPhone gets stuck in the recovery mood. 
  • Semi-tethered jailbreak: The phone boots without a patched kernel under this procedure. However, your iPhone won’t run any modified code and can’t be used to jailbreak apps. In order to use utilize the modified kernel, you must run a jailbreak program of your choice. 
  • Untethered jailbreak: With this method, the kernel software remains patched after rebooting your iPhone. Luckily, it allows you to continue using the jailbroken version. 
  • Semi-untethered: Unlike the other methods, this process leaves your iPhone not-jailbroke even after restarting. You can use an app to jailbreak your iPhone without needing a PC.