Why Jailbreak your iPhone?

fter a long wait for many Apple device users, a group calling themselves the “evad3rs” have released an untethered jailbreak for all devices currently running iOS 6-6.1. This includes the iPhone 5 and iPad mini models for the first time.

Since the early days of the iPhone, Apple has been very strict in the way it controls its product, software and ecosystem, and for good reason. The iPhone and subsequent other iDevices provide a user experience that is arguably better than anything else on the market. That’s great for the average consumer as it makes for an easy to use, yet powerful device. But what about those of us that aren’t the average consumer? What if we want an uninhibited smartphone experience? It’s easy for people to say “just go and buy an Android phone” but some of us want an Apple device, just without the limitations. That’s where jailbreaking comes in.

A Whole New World of Apps

There is no doubt that the Apple app store is filled with wonderful apps; not many would argue that it isn’t the best app store in the world. As with any Apple controlled system though, it has its limitations. The stringent rules imposed on developers mean that many apps get rejected on technicalities and some things are just not allowed. This makes for a quality catalogue of apps but it can be severely lacking in some areas.

The Cydia app store which is usually installed as part of the jailbreak process contains all sorts of apps that have been either rejected from the official app store or never submitted as developers know they contain content or functionality that Apple do not allow. This means Cydia apps can often do things that you could only dream about on a non-jailbroken iPhone.

Deep Customisation

It was a long time after Apple released the iPhone that users were actually able to make even the most basic customisations such as changing the wallpaper or setting a custom ringtone. Thankfully these restrictions have long since been lifted but unfortunately it hasn’t really gone any further. Without jailbreaking, iPhone users face an uphill battle to make their device personal to them.

With a theming platform called “winterboard”, available through Cydia, users can completely customise the look of their phone; from the app icons right down to the dock and phone dialler style. Functionality tweaks are also available allowing users to change the way things like the multitasking switcher work and adding useful things like quick toggles to turn wifi or bluetooth on and off.

There are so many things you can do with a jailbroken iPhone it’s difficult to highlight the best but there are some must have jailbreak apps and tweaks that every user should try. Once you have reclaimed your phone from Apple’s clutches there really is no turning back.