Software

Jailbreaking – worth in 2021?

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The following Blog Post is about my Experience with Jailbraking and the advantages and disadvantages. I tested checkra1n and unc0ver on IOS 13 and IOS 14.

Recently, Apple has released IOS 14 and fixed major security vulnerabilitys. For long time the IPhone 12 was “unjailbreakable” because of the new security chip. Now, we’re able to fully jailbreak any device up to IOS 14.3.

Unc0ver – Easy to install?
There are several ways to install the Uncover app on your device. The app is unsigned and can be downloaded from the Uncover website. Then you can sign the app with a computer and AltStore or Sideloadly. This requires an AppleID. Alternatively, you can trust 3rd party app stores and download the app through them. However, this is not safe in my opinion.

Customization
With a normal Apple device, you’re kind of trapped. You can only personalize the home screen to a limited extent, the animations are predefined by Apple and generally, the home screen looks the same on almost everyone. With various tweaks like “Cylinder” or “Snowboard”, you can customize your IOS device according to your own wishes. You could say you have infinite possibilities.

Unsigned Apps
Apple does not allow unsigned apps to be installed on their devices. There are of course options, like AltStore or Sideloadly, that allow this on non-jailbroken devices. However, on a jailbroken device you can install any unsigned app via a tweak and the Filza File Manager.

Downgrading Apps, that are still hosted in the AppStore
The Cydia Tweak “AppStore++” allows you to download old app versions from the AppStore. This does not work on devices that are not jailbroken. I think this is a cool feature that is definitely a reason to jailbreak your device.

CarBridge Tweak for Apple CarPlay
One of the coolest advantages of a jailbroken iPhone is that with the tweak “CarBridge” you can launch almost any app available for the iPhone via CarPlay. One example is the Blitzer.de app. On the iPhone, you can use it, but on the CarPlay display, it is hidden. Also, you could watch videos while driving without having to code your car and without losing your car warranty. All in all, I think this tweak is a must-have for any CarPlay user.

Emulators
With IOS 14.4, several unsigned emulators no longer work on IOS. With the jailbreak, the apps work of course. So you can emulate Wii U games or PSP games easily with the device in your pocket. Even N64 or Atari can be emulated. The games run buttery smooth and even play well with joysticks on the display.

Downsides
When you jailbreak your IOS device, you remove any security mechanisms from Apple. In addition, many apps prohibit you from using their software on a jailbroken device. The Sparkasse app, for example, can no longer be launched on a jailbroken device. Of course, there are workarounds for this, but they do not always work or work with every app.

Battery Life
Unfortunately, a jailbreak often puts more strain on the battery. Especially if you install a lot of tweaks, it affects the battery life. For me, this is one of the most important points to know if you want to jailbreak your device.

Rebooting?
Every time you reboot your jailbroken device, the jailbreak is gone. With the Unc0ver jailbreak, you can easily jailbreak your device again, no matter where you are. However, if you are jailbroken via checkra1n, you will need a computer, otherwise, you will not be able to jailbreak your device again.

Conclusion
Everyone must decide for themselves whether they want to jailbreak their device. Personally, it’s nothing to me on my main device because I want to use banking apps without restriction and don’t want to take any security risk. I have a second device jailbroken. Jailbreaking is just awesome in my opinion.

2 thoughts on “Jailbreaking – worth in 2021?

  1. There is definately a great deal to find out about this topic. I love all the points you made.

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