Jail Breaking Your IPhone 5 – The Ins And Outs

Jailbreaking Your IPhone 5. iPhones are the most popular brand of mobile phone that the world has ever seen. The speed, ease of use and sleek design coupled with Apple’s brilliant marketing strategy all combine to make the iPhone the market leader in terms of cell phones. Since the inception of the iPhone more than five years ago, millions have handsets have been sold, and every September millions of customers wait on tenterhooks to see what new features Apple will announce for the line at their annual press conference. Of course, an iPhone comes with a pretty steep price tag, but it’s a price that many people are prepared to pay for the reliability of constant communication.

However, there are some consumers that find Apple’s policies a little restrictive. One of the disadvantages to having an iPhone is that you are rather limited when it comes to the programmes and apps that you can use. Unlike an Android phone, an iPhone runs only Apple’s software, and in its normal state is impossible to customise, which is unpopular with a certain segment of the market. And since that market is filled with the tech savvy, there is a work around for this. Jail breaking has become a popular choice to enable users to effectively use and customise their iPhone. Today we’re taking a look at what exactly jail breaking is, the pros and cons of doing it, and how exactly you accomplish this. So if you’re an iPhone 5 owner, you might want to read on to find out what all the fuss is about.

What is Jail Breaking?

Jail breaking is the process of getting access to root privileges on your iPhone. Think of it like living in a rental house, where you have no access to the heat or water controls. You can still use heat and water, but you can’t change when the heating comes on, for example. Jail breaking gives you access to those controls, so not only can you use heat and water, but you can add a new boiler, if you want, or make the radiators come on at three in the morning, if that’s what you desire. Jail breaking removes the limitations that Apple puts on your iPhone, so that you can change whatever you please.

Why Should I Jail Break My iPhone 5?

There are a couple of advantages to jail breaking. Firstly, you’ll be able to download apps that Apple hasn’t allowed in the App Store, which means you get more choice of games to play and productivity tools. You will also be able to customise your phone, getting new icons and wallpapers, or maybe making a new icon to connect to WiFi with the press of a button (rather than the four step process it is on the regular iPhone).

There are other benefits, such as being able to overcome some of the mobile service provider limitations put on your phone. For example, you may be able to use your jail broken iPhone on a prepaid plan, rather than a contract, or take advantage of mobile tethering. These benefits depend on which mobile provider you use, and the majority of people jail break simply to get more customisation and cooler apps. The process is also reversible, simply update your phone over iTunes, and your iPhone 5 will return to its normal state.

Why Shouldn’t I Jail Break?

Okay, there is the small chance that you could do things wrong, leaving you with a non-functioning phone. But most jail breaking nowadays is easy to do, and as long as your system is backed up, you’re probably going to be alright. A more serious issue is that in nearly all cases, jail breaking your phone will void Apple’s warranty. So if something does go wrong with your phone, either now or at a later date, you won’t get any help from Apple to fix it.

Other considerations include malware or viruses. Because open source programmes and apps aren’t controlled by Apple, there is a bigger chance that you can get something unpleasant, like malware, on your device. You can somewhat control this by always making sure that you read app and programme reviews to know that you’re getting a reliable programme from a good source.

Finally, there is a question of legality. Jail breaking is obviously something that Apple doesn’t like you doing, and they have tried hard to stop users doing it. The European Union so far has kept jail breaking legal, under the condition that it’s done to run alternative software. The US goes back and forth on jail breaking. It’s best to check out the current legal status wherever you live, though the chances of you getting into trouble are relatively slim.

How Do I JailBreak My Phone?

You don’t actually need a lot of technical competence nowadays to jail break an iPhone, the process is relatively simple and should take you around five to ten minutes. Before you jail break it is important that you make sure that your device is currently up to date, and is running the latest version of Apple’s iOS. It’s also a good idea to make sure that all your files are backed up, just in case there’s a problem with the jail break. After that, you will need to go online and find the jail breaking software that you wish to use.

There are many options out there, and choosing between them can be confusing. Before downloading, make sure that there are easy to follow instructions, preferably with a video walk through, on the site. Read through the instructions and make sure that you understand them. Also, read reviews of the jail break, and see how it worked out for other people. The more popular a jail break is, the more likely it is to be a successful process for you. Once you’ve decided on the software that you wish to use, download it.

You shouldn’t have to pay for software like this, most of it is open source, and therefore available free. If a site asks you to pay, it’s probably worth while looking around for another alternative. Then you simply follow the instructions for your chosen software, and jailbreak your phone. Should you want to return your phone to its normal state, just update using iTunes, and the jail break will be undone.

Phil Turner‘s daughter discovered jail breaking while away at university, and it gave her much more flexibility with her handset. He managed to get a great deal on her iPhone 5 at a rate a student could afford by logging on to uSwitch.com and comparing mobile phone deals.