Jailbreaking your Apple device frees it from a closed and locked environment. By ripping off the barriers, you can customize your device and run software not authorized by Apple. Jailbreaking remains a legal and popular option for iPhones, iPads, and iPod Touch devices.
Remember that jailbreaking is available for all Apple devices that run iOS. Although the majority of people focus on jailbreaking their iPhones, there are very legitimate reasons for cracking the iPod Touch and iPad families as well. Most of these tweak are available through Cydia which is the unofficial app store alternative available only to jailbroken devices.
Ten Reasons for Jailbreaking
1. Customization
The ability to add features and to have complete control over your customization abilities is very important. For many of us, the limitations on customization on handheld Apple devices is not reasonable. Other than the token changing your wallpaper and a few fonts, Apple takes away all from you all control of customization in their locked environment. This seems kind of pathetic if you ask me. Do not get me wrong, I am a huge fan of Apple technology, but in my opinion even the average user needs more freedom regarding customization. If Apple will not include these features in their default version of the software, many users are going to find an alternate way of getting them.
Jailbreaking your iPhone provides you with an ability to customize your device however you see fit. You can make it personal. You can make it you. With a jailbroken iDevice and a little bit of research, you can start customizing in a large multitude of possibilities.
The following are several popular jailbreak tweaks:
- Theme your iPhone. Easily adjustable tweaks include custom fonts, sounds, or even a completely different user interface with different skins, app icons, and much, much more.
- Change the way your notification center behaves. You can, for example, add many helpful features to your notification center. You can add a variety of convenient toggles which can include Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, 3G, data control, brightness sliders, calendars, music player, contacts, notes, the ability to launch Siri or even turn off your phone. As you can see, the possibilities here are limitless.
- Change your lockscreen. You can completely remove your lockscreen if you want. iPad users will love the ability to simply turn on your device to go straight to the homescreen, completely bypassing the extra slide to unlock step. Additionally, you can add seconds to the lockscreen clock, use an android lock pattern instead, or you can even the lockscreen application that can be launched instead of camera.
- Change the way your homescreen behaves and looks. With a jailbroken iDevice it is easy to control the way your application icons look. You can change the transition between different homescreens. You can rearrange your icons without any restrictions by simply dragging and placing them where you want them. You can be really unique and shake your phone and have your icons flow around and obey laws of gravity. You will love exploring this vast ocean of possibilities on your own.
- Tweak the behavior of external buttons. You can customize the function on each hardware button to do what you want. Double press the sleep/wake button and open up the camera app. Press both volume keys together and take a screenshot. Slide from top to bottom of the screen to launch your phone and pinch to launch messages. On a jailbroken device, all of this is fully customizable to fit your very own needs.
Customization is a huge part of the fun and strength that jailbreaking brings to your device. My examples are really just a few examples of the amazing amount of things that can be done. By customizing is just a small reason that jailbreaking is such a good idea.
2. Use FaceTime over 3G
Applications such as FaceBreak or 3G Unrestrictor from the Cydia appstore will trick your iPhone or iPad into thinking that it is on a Wi-Fi connection when in reality it is still using your 3G data. This application is perfect for those who have an unlimited data plan and want the ability to FaceTime to their friends and relatives regardless of their location. Obviously, this feature will consume data extremely quick and should only be used for those with unlimited data.
3. Enable swipe style text input
Made popular on the Android platform, the ability to enter text by swiping from one letter to another over typing is preferred by many users. Apple does not allow this, but there are multiple applications in the Cydia appstore that enables this text input method.
4. Access to SSH
Jaibreaking can allow you to SSH directly into your iPhone or iPad from your computer. This can be used to bypass iTunes or to move files securely from your computer to your iDevices. Just launch an SSH client from your PC or Mac and you can connect directly to the file system of your iDevice. From here you can either delete or add files and applications. This is quite useful when adding custom themes or using a computer without iTunes.
5. Sharing files between two jailbroken devices
Using an application from the Cydia store called AirBlue, you can send and receive files and applications over bluetooth or Wi-Fi to another jailbroken device.
6. Expand the selections of AirPrint printers
With the default options Apple gives us a tiny selections of printers that work with the AirPrint feature. You may have noticed that the printers that Apple allows are quite costly. Using an application called TruPrint your possibilities of being able to print are greatly increased. Chances are high that if you have a wireless printer you will be able to print documents from your iPhone or iPad after installing this application.
7. Block calls and messages from certain numbers
iBlacklist will allow you to configure the application to block incoming text messages and phone calls from certain phone numbers. This feature is useful if you often receive calls from telemarketers. Although your service provider may charge a fee to block a number, this app will take care of your unwanted incoming calls and messages for free.
8. Hide any application
It is annoying how apple forces a huge amount of stock apps down your throat. I do not need the Stocks app, I do not need a Compass, and I really do not want Newsstand. Jailbreaking allows you to use Poof which will allow you to hide any application from your homescreen. This applies to both stock and third party apps.
9. Sync your phone with more than one iTunes library
In my opinion it is very annoying having to constantly sync your phone with only one iTunes library. Download MultiTunes from the Cydia store and sync your phone with as many libraries as you want without having to worry about losing content. Another application that can be useful is PwnTunes. This application allows you to load music on your iPhone without use of iTunes. Simply plug your phone into your computer and the device shows up the same way a USB drive would. Then you can simply drag and drop your music files into the phone.
10. Copy contacts to your SIM card
Apple gives us the option to import contacts from the sim card, but no way of saving new contacts back to the sim card. This is definitely a missing feature that you can now do with a Cydia application called SIManager. With this app you never have to worry about losing your contacts when switching phones.
Conclusions
Above are just a few reasons as to why I believe you should jailbreak. There are thousands of other possibilities and features that only end with your imagination. It is really amazing to see what your Apple device is capable of doing once released from Apple’s barriers. Jailbreaking allows you to use your phone to its full potential, customize it, and add valuable features.
