Apple warns against iOS jailbreaking following evasi0n hack

“Apple has tweaked an online article about the dangers of jailbreaking in the wake of the recent evasi0n hack,” Lance Whitney reports for CNET. “The company cites a range of hazards that it associates with jailbreaking, including instability, security vulnerabilities, shortened battery life, unreliable voice and data, disruption of services, and the inability to apply future software updates.”

“The U.S. Copyright Office ruled last October that jailbreaking is legal, at least when it comes to smartphones,” Whitney reports. “But Apple considers the practice a violation of the end-user license and as such won’t necessarily provide any support or service for a jailbroken device.”

Full article, with Apple’s full warning, here.

29 Comments

  1. Yeah… Be careful out there. According to Tim Cook:
    “we’re unwilling to cut corners in delivering the best customer experience in the world.”
    Except if you want to block telemarketer or stalker calls or maybe monitor what outgoing network connections your apps are creating.

    1. Or make a list of shortcuts to commonly used settings…

      Or add more apps to a folder… Or put folders in folders for that matter…

      Or create custom icons and layouts…

      Or scrobble to Last.fm in the background…

      Or play emulated old school video games…

        1. If Apple aired a commercial claiming iPhone featured a weaponized cannon they’d be sued for false advertising, lose billions, and be laughed off the planet.

          No one outside of the Android community thinks their phone is a weapon, or that Droid/DNA infusion is possible, and only in the world of Google, would anyone blow a hole in the wall of their own home, when a perfectly good door is available, or infuse your DNA with a telephone.

          Android users brag about magical hands-free experience because their ass is taking all their calls.

        2. Droid still does … THIS!

          Or make a list of shortcuts to commonly used settings…
          Or add more apps to a folder… Or put folders in folders for that matter…
          Or create custom icons and layouts…
          Or scrobble to Last.fm in the background…
          Or play emulated old school video games…

  2. Interesting that “jail-breaking” is LEGAL, but unlocking your phone is now ILLEGAL.

    I see unlocking as a subset of “jail-breaking” as both give you carrier independence….

    1. Jailbreaking doesn’t. You can jailbreak your phone and still have it locked to your carrier.

      The two are separate sides of the same coin; one unteathers you from the carrier, the other unteathers you from Apple. One is good, the other, not necessarily so great.

    2. Unless you buy a phone unsubsidized, then you sign a contract with that wireless provider agreeing to use it only on their network. Unlocking that phone prior to fulfilling the terms of the contract breaks the law. How hard is that to understand?

  3. Been waiting for the jailbreak, now I can go and buy a new phone. I hope Apple don’t try too hard to block jailbreaking, it might not be for everybody, but let the people that wants to tweaks their phone do what they want with it.

    I think there are lots of people who were holding off buying the iphone 5 until they can jailbreak like me. So this is really just helping Apple.

    My wifes iphone is not jailbroken, so when ever I have to do anything with it, it feels really awkard without SBSettings and a few other tweaks I have on my phone. Also I can’t live without the XBMC apps from Cydia.

  4. Been waiting for the jailbreak, now I can go and buy my iphone 5. I hope Apple doesn’t try too hard to block jailbreaking, there are so many useful tweaks. Its not for everybody, but let the ones that do want to do as they wish.

    I am sure there probably are many other people who are holding off until the jailbreak is available. This can only help Apple sell more iphones.

    My wife has an iphone 5 that is not jailbroken, it feels really awkard for me to use everytime I have to do something on her phone without SBsettings and a few other tweaks. I also can’t live without my XBMC cydia app.

  5. “The company cites a range of hazards that it associates with jailbreaking, including instability, security vulnerabilities, shortened battery life, unreliable voice and data, disruption of services, and the inability to apply future software updates.”

    Yea, well, none of this would be necessary if they would just give us the flexibility the device is inherently capable of. I won’t jailbreak because I’m too lazy (it’s just too much work- used to do it, but can’t be bothered now). But OH how I miss the ability to toggle Airplane mode, Personal Hotspot, WiFi and set the brightness with a single tap instead of having to dig through the Settings app.

    I had hoped that once SJ died they would open up a little. I have been sadly disappointed. Still, I love my iPhone 4 and wouldn’t trade it for anything (except an iPhone 5S ;-)…

    1. “The company cites a range of hazards that it associates with jailbreaking, including instability, security vulnerabilities, shortened battery life, unreliable voice and data, disruption of services, and the inability to apply future software updates.”

      Umm, didn’t Apple just come out with an update that included stuff to improve stability, a few updates ago an update to plug big security holes and get rid of programs from the store that were making big security holes, updates to improve connections? Additionally, hasn’t Apple dropped way down in the list of most trusted companies? Oh, and let’s not forget how some of their anointed upgrades chewed up battery life. I must be missing something. I think someone can feel free to blow something out their nose.

      First Time JB’er.
      (Just getting the keyboard to switch between showing upper and lower case letters when appropriate using ShowCase is really nice.)

  6. I have Just jailbroken my iPhone five for the first time. I must say I really like the experience, however I have run into a few applications that caused my phone to crash or act unstably. I remove the applications immediately and now I’m wondering if any of you may have Any advice on some good applications that are free

  7. Something Apple will never allow its users to do is let them take control over their own device…locked in, locked down, dumbed down and left with a device that isn’t truly yours…you’ve been Apple’d!

    1. You ARE allowed to take control over the device. Just don’t expect Apple to support your hacked phone. Maybe you are an ultra-geek, or maybe you are an idiot — Apple sure doesn’t know.

      If I buy a car, maybe I put on after-market carbs that are too small or too large, or an air filter that strangles the engine, or any one of a vast number of other things that could interfere with the functioning of the engine. Do I expect the manufacturer to replace the parts I burn out or blow up — NO!

      1. +1 Exactly!

        Apple isn’t saying don’t jailbreak, but they are warning you that if you do, you risk losing the stability, security and simple experience they are working so hard to create for the millions of users. Go ahead, jailbreak your device if you want to. No being Apple’d about it. 🙂

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