Jailbreaking, a term almost certainly invented by a geek who wanted his hobby to sound cooler than it is, refers to removing software restrictions that Apple has imposed onto your iOS device. Removing these restrictions has numerous benefits, but can tinkering with your phone in ways unintended by the developer have negative consequences on the security or even usability of your phone? Let’s weigh the pros and cons to find out.

Jailbreaking, refers to removing software restrictions that Apple has imposed onto your iOS device. There are plenty of reasons for and against jailbreaking.

If you're worried about the possible consequences and wondering whether the advantages outweigh the risks, here are a few arguments to get you thinking.

Jailbreaking advantages

1. More control over your device

Apple aims to provide users with a unified look and feel. For users who find that restrictive and want to customize their phone by adding their own icons, wallpapers, and menus, jailbreaking is the way to do that.

You become the administrator of your device with all the relevant rights, rather than Apple or anyone else. For example, you can add extra icons to your iPhone home screen or install your own screensavers.

Jailbreaking also gives 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.

2. Remove or delete pre-installed apps

 

iOS does not allow you to change or delete default apps such as Apple Watch, Weather, Games Center, and so on. These apps take up memory space, which is inconvenient for people who do not use them.

Jailbreaking allows you to remove Apple's default apps and use third-party apps instead. So, you can have Siri use Google Maps for directions instead of Apple Maps if you prefer.

3. Install and use unauthorized apps

 

Apple bans various apps from its App Store due to security reasons. Jailbreaking enables you to install apps that are not available from the App Store. i2c i6S programmer is a popular tools for jailbroken in Phonefix shop,

allowing you to add unauthorized apps, such as games and networking tools.

4. Access to additional anti-theft features

 

Some users believe jailbreaking gives them access to better anti-theft features. For example, iPhone has a Find My iPhone feature, but this does not work when the phone is on airplane mode, turned off, or offline.

There are jailbreak apps that claim to work better than Find My iPhone, such as iCaughtU. When a thief enters the wrong pass-code, the iPhone front-facing camera takes a photo of the perpetrator and emails it to the owner.

Jailbreaking disadvantages

 

1. Your warranty is voided

 

Not only is your phone at risk of turning into a shiny paperweight, your warranty will most likely be void. While it is possible to undo a jailbreak,  when the phone won’t turn on you will have to pay all the repairs or a new phone out of your own pocket.

Whether the phone broke because of jailbreaking or because you fell off your fix bike won't make a difference.

2. You can lose access to content

 

Sometimes jailbreaking can work against itself. Many jailbreak their phones to access more content, but can unwittingly lose access to other services in the process.

Apple doesn’t seem to be very active in blocking jailbroken phones from their services, but there have been reports of third-party providers blocking jailbroken devices.

This is not currently known to be a huge issue, but as a phone repair tools provider Phonefix have firsthand experience to the strange whims of digital content services.

3. Your security is compromised

 

Jailbreaking is essentially defeating the security of your phone, so it should come to no surprise that jailbroken phones are vulnerable. Even if you change the default root password (once again: please do), you are still at bigger risk of being hurt by malware.

We might occasionally complain about the business practices of the App Store, but the fact remains that it is next to impossible to sneak malware into an App Store app.

4. Shortened battery life

 

The hacked software could cause an accelerated battery drain that shortens the operation of an iPhone, iPad or iPod touch on a single battery charge.

Jailbreak Tools: i2C i6S Programmer - Unboxing and use

So, Should I Jailbreak My iOS Device?