The main reason to Jailbreaking iPhone is to install jailbreak apps, tweaks and themes to customize the look and feel of their device and also enhance the functionality. Jailbreaking does terminate the warranty of the device

Jailbreak apps and tweaks add functionality that is not available in iOS such as the ability to lock individual apps using Touch ID or Face ID. Tweaks also bring features that are not available on older iPhones. For example, a jailbreak tweak called Aperturize brings Depth Control, which was first introduced in iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max to older iPhones such as iPhone 8 Plus, iPhone X, and iPhone 7 Plus.

Is it legal to jailbreak an iPad, iPhone, or iPod?

It is legal to jailbreak an iPhone, but it is not legal to jailbreak an iPad. The Library of Congress held that it was legal for a person to jailbreak an iPhone to install legally-obtained software, but that the term “tablet” was too vague to allow an exemption for those gadgets.

The ruling makes jailbreaking an iPad a violation of copyright law, but if you’re considering jailbreaking your device, it might be more of an ethical dilemma than a practical one. It is clear from the Library of Congress ruling that the body believes jailbreaking is okay. It just wants a better definition of a tablet. Apple suing an individual over it would not only be a PR nightmare, but it would also allow the courts to decide the issue. Courts have sided with the people on similar issues.

However, legality aside, jailbreaking does terminate the warranty of the device. A new or refurbished iPad comes with a one-year warranty with the option to extend it by a year with AppleCare+, so if your iPad is new, jailbreaking could prevent you from getting a free repair if your device malfunctions.

Good Reasons to Jailbreak

The obvious reason to jailbreak is to get access to those apps that Apple did not approve for the App Store. Apple imposes strict guidelines on what apps can or can’t do. Programs that access certain features of the device or use them in unapproved ways won’t last long (if at all) on the App Store.

For example, apps that use the 3D Touch features available on certain iPhone models to turn them into kitchen scales didn’t stick around for long. Apple feared people would break their phones if they kept setting things on them. But places like Cydia will let you load these apps and more.

Also generally failing Apple’s approval process include a lot of tools that customize your iPad experience. These choices include different system fonts for the device, customized sounds, custom app placement on any part of the home screen grid, or even customizing the home button to shut down all of your running apps at once.

Finally, because jailbreaking frees up access to parts of the device that Apple would normally restrict, it gives people much greater control. It grants greater access to the file system and even unlocks communication from another device, which means you can connect your iPad to your PC and have greater control over what you can see and do.

Good Reasons Not to Jailbreak

It’s not all benefits, of course. Along with voiding your warranty, jailbreaking introduces costs, and even risks, to your device. Here are some of the downsides.

Modifying any device can be risky, but unauthorized processes like jailbreaking can pose a greater threat. It is possible to “brick” your device during the process if you don’t follow the instructions correctly, rendering it useless. If tinkering with your device makes you nervous, you should not be jailbreaking it.

While the idea of malware overrunning the Cydia and Icy app stores is sometimes blown out of proportion, the device itself is definitely more vulnerable to attack. Several worms that only affect jailbroken devices have been reported, and because no uniform approval process governs, it is easier for malware to exist in less-regulated app stores. Research the apps you download rather than just reading the app-store description and tapping the install button.

Updates also become more of a hassle. You can’t update a jailbroken iPad without erasing the jailbreak. Every time you update iOS, you’ll have to repeat the jailbreaking process, including downloading all of those custom apps again. The sheer process of jailbreaking after major updates may be more trouble than jailbreaking is worth.

Another side effect of a jailbroken iPad is that it’s more likely to crash. Because apps available for jailbroken devices access features and APIs not available for Apple-approved apps, these features may not be tested as well and may not interact as smoothly.

Pros and cons of jailbreaking

The benefits of jailbreaking and rooting

Some of the benefits of jailbreaking and rooting include the following (depending on the limitations that the handset maker and/or carrier puts on a particular phone):

In the case of the iPhone, jailbreaking is necessary if you want to install any application that hasn’t been approved by Apple, such as GV Mobile, which is an unofficial version of the Google Voice app that the App Store rejected.
You may need to jailbreak to add custom notification sounds and ringtones (depending on your phone model).
Some apps are “crippled” by the carrier to work only when the phone is on a Wi-Fi network. For example, the iPhone only allows you to use Skype with Wi-Fi. 3G Unrestrictor is an unofficial app (available through Cydia) that allows you to use Skype and other similarly restricted apps when connected to the 3G network. FaceBreak is a jailbreak app that lets you use FaceTime on the iPhone 4 over the 3G network.
Jailbreaking gives you more options for organizing and managing files on the iPhone. You can use iFile to copy and move files, transfer files over a web server, and set permissions on files.
Jailbreaking the iPhone is the first step to unlock it, so that it can work with another GSM carrier’s SIM card. This is especially useful if you’re traveling overseas and want to use your iPhone without incurring AT&T’s horrific international roaming charges.
Another unofficial app that is a good reason for many people to jailbreak their iPhones is xGPS, a free turn-by-turn GPS app.
For pre-iOS4 iPhones, you had to jailbreak to be able to run background apps from third parties (multitask).
Rooting your Android phone can drastically improve its performance if you install a custom ROM that has been tweaked for performance. You can find apps that will overclock the phone’s processor, but you must have root in order to install them.
With some phones, you may have to root in order to install programs on the microSD card. Android 2.2 adds that ability, but some carriers may disable it.
Some custom ROMs add support for proxy and VPN.
For iPhone and Android phones, you’ll need to jailbreak or root the phone in order to run programs that let you turn the phone into a Wi-Fi hotspot so you can connect your laptop or an iPad to the Internet through its 3G or 4G network without paying an extra monthly fee to the carrier. This is something you can already do with the WMWifiRouter app on a Windows Mobile 6.5 phone (without any jailbreaking required) and that was, for me, the most compelling advantage of WinMo over the more popular phone platforms.

10 reasons to jailbreak in 2020

Advantages of Jailbreaking

Expose to a World of new Apps with Advanced Features

With jailbreaking, you can install many third-party apps that are not available on the regular app store. And as mentioned above, you can get unbelievable features and options with these apps.

From Third-party app stores like Cydia, you can install these third-party apps. Due to Apple’s restrictions, you can not see these apps on the app store.

Free Tethering

Tethering is a method that will allow you to use your mobile device as a broadband modem or Wifi hotspot. Cellular carriers provide this service and you can even see this option in a stock apple device without jailbreaking. But you have to pay for data to your cellular carriers. Jailbroken device users can have free tethering and they do not have to pay for this service. There are many apps available with Cydia with this kind of functionality.

Customization Options for your Device

With tweaks and themes in the Cydia app, you can customize your apple device appearance. You can icons, wallpapers, and even volume controls. So you can not even think about these lower-level customizations with regular apple devices.

Access iOS File System

Jailbreaking will expose the iOS file system to apps. By installing a secure shell client you can access this file system. And also there are plenty of third-party file system apps available with Cydia so you can use one of them to explore the iOS file system. With these apps, you can copy-paste files, delete files and create new folders.

Customize Control Center

With jailbreaking, you can customize your apple iPhone or iPad control center. With the help from third-party tweaks available for jailbroken devices, you can customize your control center. You can add pages that will allow you to add more toggles and controls there.

These are some of the advantages of coming with the jailbreak process. There are many more. But now it is time to check the disadvantages of jailbreaking.

Disadvantages of Jailbreaking

The danger of Unscreened Apps

The probability of being exposed to malware and other threats is higher on jailbroken devices. The jailbreaking process completely removes the security barrier built into the iOS and iTunes apps. So jailbreaking process will make your device an easy target for malware and it will make your device vulnerable to such kind of attack. So you need to be careful about the apps you install.

Can not determine how secure your device after the jailbreak

Normally apple implements many security features on Apple devices. But we don’t know to what extent the jailbreaking process going to remove these security features. And this process will change the operating system fundamentally.

Conflicts on iOS version updates with a jailbreak tool

Jailbreak tools are not supporting all the latest iOS versions. So if you are going to update your handset to a newer update, you have to check whether that jailbreak tool compatible with the selected iOS version. And anyway, after you update your device to a newer iOS version, you have to re-jailbreak again. Because your previous jailbreak will not available on the device.

System Stability

We can not trust every third-party app. So you need to be careful with these apps. There are no parties like apple available for quality checks on these third-party apps. So if you have installed any buggy app, your Apple device will lose its stability and there will be some crashes on your device.

Issues with the Jailbreaking Process

Sometimes you might not be able to jailbreak your device properly. Then you can experience some crashes and misbehaviors in your apple device. Then you have to reset your device and restore data. So this will be a hectic process. So it would be great if you did the jailbreak properly. Otherwise, it will be a nightmare for you.

Therefore, if you have decided to jailbreak your device, select a device, and iOS version compatible jailbreak tool and carefully follow its instructions. And Apple services will not be there for your help.