Unlocking the World of iOS Jailbreaking: Part 1

Musings of Ghojaria
2 min readSep 28, 2023

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Introduction: In this blog, we’ll learn the concept of jailbreaking and explore its various types. Let’s dive right in without any delay.

What does ‘Jailbreaking’ Mean?

Jailbreaking is a procedure that grants users access to an operating system’s administrative commands and functions. It provides the capability to modify or replace system apps, files, and settings, uninstall pre-installed apps, and run specialized apps demanding administrator-level permissions. Think of it as a counterpart to rooting on Android, allowing users to access their device as a root user.

Jailbreaking your device allows you to install applications from unofficial marketplaces such as Cydia.

Types of Jailbreak

There are four main types of jailbreak

  1. Tethered Jailbreak: This type of jailbreak requires the iOS device to be connected to a computer while it is booting. If you turn off or restart your device, it can’t start up on its own; you need to connect it to a computer to get it going again with the jailbreak. It’s not as convenient as other types because you’re tied to the computer for the jailbreak to work properly.
  2. Semi-tethered Jailbreak: It uses Boot ROM, LLB, or iBoot exploits. They allow your device to start without a computer, but it won’t be jailbroken in that case. You’ll need a computer to fully access all jailbreak features if your device restarts. It’s like having a backup plan, not as restrictive as tethered jailbreaks, but it still needs some computer help.
  3. Untethered Jailbreak: This type of jailbreak is the ideal form of jailbreaking. You only need to use the exploit once, through a website, app, or computer. After that, your device remains fully jailbroken and works without any extra steps. The exploit persists even after you reboot the device.
  4. Semi-Untethered Jailbreak: A semi-untethered jailbreak lets your iOS device start up like normal but loses its jailbreak status after a reboot. To get it back, you need to use a side-loaded jailbreak app, and the good thing is you don’t need a computer for this. Just use the app to load the jailbreak again.

Conclusion: With this knowledge, we’ve gained a fundamental understanding of jailbreaking and its various types. In the upcoming blog, we’ll explore the process of jailbreaking an iPhone using different utilities.

Thank you all for your time, and I hope you found the information enjoyable and informative.

Feel free to reach out for questions or a friendly chat by connecting with me on LinkedIn: Isa-Ghojaria

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